Happy 2024 & Here we go again!!! 🥳

On By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Celebrations, Poetry

Hello dear Friends!

Even though my blog break during the holidays was wonderful, while also toasting to my late Father-in-Law who passed in October, I have missed you all! I hope your holidays were filled with love, laughter, family and friends, along with good food and drink! When I was thinking about what I’d post for my return to the land of blogging, some prior content came to mind, so here we go again (a little revised)…

It seems time becomes more clever as we bid adieu to each year. Do the minutes and months feel more fleeting as we clink our bubbly-filled glasses on the last day of the year? Now that we’ve dipped our toes into 2024, is your list of resolutions hanging on your fridge by a favorite magnet? 😃

As I reminisce about last year’s glories and sorrows, I’ve concluded that resolutions may just be a thing of the past. This doesn’t mean that setting goals isn’t effective. It’s good to have projects to work on, to keep our brains stimulated, and it’s healthy to keep our bodies moving if goals include incorporating more physical activity or getting in better shape. So, as we ponder our new set of goals, let’s remember to reach for them at our own pace – don’t worry about what others are doing. Okay, let’s expand on this…

Here are a few words from the author, Kirsten Sevig:

“I decided to measure success in happiness, progress, wisdom, accumulating rejection and failure, resilience and determination, pride in my work, confidence, and comparing only to myself instead of to others.” 

Photo by Markus Winkler on Pexels.com

Since a new year is upon us, it’s logical to wonder if we’re on the right path to success. But define success. Do you measure success in dollar signs only? Have you compared your accomplishments to those of your friends or acquaintances then easily beat yourself up for not achieving as much? I’m not afraid to admit that I’m guilty of doing this because comparing is a common human behavior. But it’s not a healthy habit to continue. Comparing your success to others can cause a lack of self-esteem, and in severe cases, depression that can trigger a breakdown. I don’t compare anymore, and maybe with age comes wisdom, or perhaps, the notion of “I don’t give a sh*t!” Sometimes, we care too much about trivial things, so it’s up to us to shift our mindset – no one can do it for us – mind over matter, remember? Put your cares and energy into the right stuff!

I hope this wisdom enlightens your visions for this new year full of opportunities! And even though you and I may have read similar encouragement before, this affords us another chance to create a new year in our lives that will bring contentment and true happiness.

Below is a fun poem I wrote a few years back that I hope you enjoy again, or even for the first time, as we welcome a new class of 365 days:

There were…
High points to celebrate
Low points to tolerate
Tears that flowed
but eventually slowed
Lessons to realize
Adventures to feel alive
Demons to fight
Wrongs to right
Goals completed
Some deleted
Yet, looking back
we witness impact
More time to forgive
Another year to live
Accelerate in high gear
No invite for fear
Pour the bubbles
Forget your troubles
Clink and Chime
Celebrate Big Time!

KEEP ADVENTURE IN YOUR HEARTS!

It’s good to be back, and I look forward to reading your posts again!
Happy New Year, and may 2024 be a good one for us all! 🥳🥂❤️

© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.

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108 thoughts on “Happy 2024 & Here we go again!!! 🥳”

      3. Laughing. Here it is Sunday evening and I am sitting in a hotel in Baltimore overlooking the Inner Harbor. I made my final selection on photos today but haven’t done any of the writing. Good thing my deadlines are flexible. 🙂

      5. I shipped Peggy out of here on a mother/daughter cruise with our daughter Tasha for two weeks. I’m footloose and fancy free! I may head for North Carolina tomorrow, or New York City, or not. Who knows: It’s a road trip!

      7. Going great out here, Lauren. Peggy and Tasha are enjoying their cruise and I’m exploring Delaware, a state that I had driven through but never spent any time in. I do love road trips. 🙂

  6. Wishing you a very Happy inspired New Year Lauren, and I agree I feel new year resolutions are a thing of the past.. I feel we all are experiencing the speed of these years, both young and old alike.. as they whiz past us ever faster..

    I love your choice of poem too, so relevant in that we need to right wrongs, and focus on our goals as we enter into trying to create a better world where all can thrive.

    Love the biker photo of you both I presume 😉
    Keep flying , writing, and BEing Lauren.. ❤ xx

    1. Hi Sue! I hope you had a beautiful holiday. Thanks for your wonderful words, as always, and it’s so surreal how time manages to fly faster and faster. 🙂 I’m sure you agree that it’s scary out there. So, let’s hope change happens for the best. And yes, that’s hubby and I on his adventure bike. 🙂
      Cheers to more love, light, adventure, and peace! Sending hugs, my friend. ❤️❤️🥳

      1. Wonderful to see you on your bike adventure.. And thank you Lauren, we had a lovely Christmas, quiet, just with family… but most enjoyable…
        Lots of love sent back to you my friend xx ❤

    1. You made me laugh, Teagan! After I posted the title, even I thought that it could be perceived in many ways. 🙂 But ‘Here we go again’ into 2024, and I wish you
      a great, creative new year! But I have no doubt because of your talent and imagination, which I’ve mentioned before. Hugs to you! 💖🤗

    1. Thanks so much, Brian, and that’s a great attitude and one that I choose to have too. I will share your post soon, and I’d also like to share on IG, but you can only add so much text. So I have to pull a little about Kym’s book and a little about mine, then share your link. Anyway, you really added more light to this new year for me and I’m sure for Kym too. Happy New Year! 🥳🤗

      1. Yes, I’m so sorry, as I was writing the post, it hit me that I didn’t make it easy for you to pick up and use. I’m sorry! I know from others that promotion can be challenging, almost strange. However, a former boss told me recently that it’s brought out a side of him he didn’t know existed. His book includes some local history and he’s kept busy with talks and lectures. He’s actually had a blast. I guess it comes down to how you look at things. Ha ha

      2. Oh my gosh, Brian, you don’t have to apologize! Now I feel bad! You did such a great job on your post, leading up to our books. So, I’m sorry now! I’ll share it soon, which hopefully will bring you more traffic too. That’s great about your former boss. But yes, promoting one’s own book has its challenges. I’m sure many get tired of seeing posts about my book, but I only have me to promote it, along with anyone who enjoyed it and does the same, like you. 🙂 The joy of being an indie author, but it’s all good. Still very exciting and humbling. So, please know I appreciate your wonderful, humorous post! 🙏

      3. Who knows indie author today, tomorrow, the right influencer or morning tv show producer reads your collection and is touched by it, promotes it and you’re rockin up the best seller list. Ha, ha, I’m just kidding. But I get writing for the pure enjoyment.

      4. Haha is right, Brian! You are too funny, my friend! Yes, I write because I love word play, and it touches me when others enjoy my poetry. I love to know which poems stand out for them and why. There’s just something so gratifying about those personal nuggets of knowledge.

  15. Happy New Year, Lauren! I don’t make resolutions any more. I’ll continue to do what works for me in the past years but make adjustments along the way. I love the quote. Comparing only to myself keeps our sanity.

    1. Thanks, Miriam, and I think you have a great plan. That’s basically what I do, along with adding new goals that come up. I’m glad you agree with the quote too. “Comparing only to myself keeps our sanity.” Very smart! Love it! Happy New Year to you and yours! 💖

  22. Lauren, your bright and positive voice sparkles across the blogosphere and a lovely uplifting post for the start of 2024! Yes, I too have ditched resolutions and like the idea of goals instead. I love your poem, it’s got a great sense of energy and perfect thoughts as we step into the unknown of the new year. Hugs, Annika xx ❤️

    1. Thanks for your wonderful words, Annika! I’m glad you loved the fun poem and agree about ditching the resolutions. I hope you’ll have more time for blogging this year, and may 2024 be the best for us all! Hugs and love to you, my friend. 🩷🤗

      1. You’re most welcome, Lauren. We had a enjoyable and peaceful holiday. We went to bed at 10 pm on NYE, and woke up ready for 2024.💖

    1. Thanks for your lovely words, Michele! Wishing you the same for this new year. And by the way, my review for Her Coastal Cottage should be on GR and Amazon. I plan to do quarterly review blog posts if all goes smoothly, so March will be the first and will include yours. Happy New Year! 💖🎉

      1. You’re most welcome, Lauren. I am sorry for your personal recent loss. Happy to read you again. Thank you so much about my novella! What a wonderful surprise. I wrote earlier, on Kym’s post, what a supportive community we have. 💞 Happy New Year to you and your loves! 🥂

  26. Happy New Year dear Lauren!

    What can I say? I agree with you.
    Your poem is fun and true.
    Wishing you all the best in 2024!
    Resa
    xo💖ox

    1. Hi Resa! Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were fabulous, and I’m glad you agree with my thoughts and enjoyed the fun poem. It was a nice break, but it’s good to be back. Wishing you the same, my friend. Hugs and lots of love (from Copper too) 💖😃🐶🧽

      1. It was a good time. Glad you are back!
        Thought I’d be catching up blogging during the holidays, but I’m more behind than ever!
        Okay, write away! xxoo 🧽🧽🧽🧽 xxoxoxoxoxoxo

  28. Happy 2024 to you, Lauren, and welcome back! It’s great to see a new post from you, and I read a lot of introspection on how you want to live in this new year. May it be all you wish it to be. I look forward to reading all about it!

    The poem is beautiful and very meaningful for me. Thank you.

    1. Thanks for the welcome, Steve, and I hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday! It’s good to be back and to see you again. 🙂 My wishes are also the same for you, and I’m so glad my poem was meaningful for you. I couldn’t think of a new one, so an oldie had to do.
      Happy New Year and I’ll visit you soon! 🎉

  30. Happy New Year, Lauren. I never set goals. I just keep moving steadily towards finishing all the things I want to do or write or bake or paint. I have to set goals for work but I ignore them completely. It is not in my nature to have goals. I never compare myself to others either and I’m not really competitive. As I said, I just keep moving forward, over the humps and enjoying the straight pieces of the road.

    1. Hi Robbie, Happy New Year, and thanks for sharing what works for you. I do set goals as opposed to resolutions but without pressure. I have projects in mind, and like you, I’ll work on those until they’re finished. For example, this year I plan to publish my first children’s book, Cora’s Quest, so I’m working on that as well as other smaller projects. I like the idea of ‘moving forward’ because that’s what I do also. I hope this new year is a wonderful one for you. xo

  31. Dear Lauren, so happy to read you!!
    Love your thoughts at the beginning of this new year. May it be one filled with joy, peace, lots of books and lots of new writing ideas!
    Can’t wait to see what you will share with us in 2024.
    Till then, take care
    🧡

  32. Happy New Year Lauren and welcome back. I’m so with you on goals instead of resolutions. We have to have goals. But I’m also with you on stop sweating the small stuff and letting sh$t go. And I loved your poem. ❤ hugs.

    1. Thanks, Debby, and I’m happy you’re on the same page with goals vs. resolutions, along with letting sh*t go! Santa brought me the book, Let that Sh*t Go, and honestly, everyone should read it. Plus, it acts as a journal with questions to answer and things to think about. Anyway, the whole concept stuck with me and that’s where the idea came from. 🙂 I’m glad you liked the fun poem too. Happy New Year, my friend. 💖🥂

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