The Fear of the new Year a Modern Day Phenomenon
The end of another year is approaching. Nowadays plans for the celebration of New Year are often accompanied by bitter contemplations of what was missed and what was not accomplished during the old one.
It seems that human beings are accustomed to assessing their lives from the perspective of time. To a certain year one is supposed to have finished their education, to another – a successful career has to be achieved, then a family, etc. When time goes by and those deadlines are not met, something begins to bother human mind. New Year as well as birthdays always manage to distress people with bad thoughts of what has not been achieved, no matter how persistently such reflections are ignored.
To escape the trap of gloomy thoughts around New Year, one should ask themselves the reasonable question whose expectations exactly they failed to meet. Are these their own or that of society? Is this schedule their own creation or they were just raised to follow it? In most cases it is the latter case. Most people go down the stream they were brought up in, ignoring their wishes and their real way in life. Unfortunately, this happens unconsciously in most cases as different perspectives are rarely revealed.
These days attention is more focused on career at the expense of family. It is a common belief that people should be successful in their profession in order to enjoy respect and satisfaction. So, it is perceived as really bad if the clock tick tacks while there are no prospects for professional growth.
No matter what takes priority in the schedule, the idea remains the same – if humans fail to follow the timetable for the model of life society offers them, they tend to feel depressed at such occasions as New Year. If such is the case, fear is the logical consequence. How the lagging behind will be made up for? What if the new year happens to be another failure? These and other similar issues begin to bother human mind with the approach of the end of the year.
However, there is something really positive that this time presupposes striking a balance of one` s life. It has to be done with care, though, to have a beneficial effect. It should not be allowed these reflections to sink deep in the mind once the new year has come. It usually happens so that routine conquers thoughts once the holidays are over and the painful questions are easily and conveniently forgotten. That is how things go till the next New Year.
To put an end to this vicious circle, people have to sincerely answer the questions that arise at this time of the year. The answers have to be sought inside them and concerns from outside should be ignored. Once this is achieved and steps are taken towards the real goals in life, New Year will turn in what it actually is – a joyful occasion to celebrate.
