A Single New Year's Resolution: Year of Yes!

Let hope drive action more, anxiety drive inaction less.

In other words, have a Year of Yes!

It seems like commonsense on paper: Decisions driven by anxiety lead to bad results. Decisions driven by the facts and calm reason lead to good results.

But I've noticed that, especially as I get older, maybe especially in the last few years, anxiety about things stops me. Stops me from:

making plans easily (because what if something else comes up and who's going to take care of the kids?),
asking questions (because I should already know!),
writing (because what if someone has already written it, and done it better, and researched more?).

I self-censor too much. Editing is good; silence can be good; refraining from reacting can be very good. But self-censoring is not good. That doesn't move me toward my goals or toward what is happiness for me.

So I think of the wisest, calmest, most loving version of myself, and she looks at me and shakes her head and asks, "What are you really so worried about? And what more do you really want than to put beautiful things into the world, things that bring art and comfort and justice? And why are you wasting time thinking of ways to not do that?"

I should listen to her more often.