Last night at around 12:35 I thought to myself ” 2012 is the best year ever! All I’ve done all year is drink Champagne, eat cake, and watch black and white movies!”. A bit tongue in cheek? Yes. Quite Champagne induced? Oh yes. But it was also technically true, and that is what I love about New Year’s Eve, everything is still perfect and lovely and we haven’t had any time for mishaps or blunders.
On New Year’s Day I always remember a book I read as a little girl about a boy who finds out that whatever happens on New Year’s Day sets the tone for the whole year so you had better do all of your favorite things and make sure everything turns out just right. He actually has a horrible time of it the entire day (what can I say, European children’s books don’t shy away from telling little kids that sometimes life sucks), and I don’t remember the ending. But I always thought what if that was actually the case? If the whole rest of the year was determined by what things were like today, what would I want that to look like?
I try to live each January 1st as if that book was true (so far so good, there’s already a half empty bottle of wine and the house is crazy clean), but this year I’ve decided to do my best to live each day that way. When people tell me to live each day as if it were my last I don’t think they realize my last day would consist of drinking gin, eating nothing but steak and dessert, and not wearing sunscreen. And we know that won’t do as a life philosophy. But I think asking myself, “would you want things the way they are today for the rest of the year?” just might work.
Here’s to an amazing 2012, I hope each and every one of you have a very happy and successful year! Thank you for sharing this space with me every day, I appreciate you all more than you’ll ever know. I hope to spend many more happy moments with you, celebrating every day as if it were New Year’s Day!
What a great thought to live each day by!
New Year’s Day is situated between reflecting on the past and romanticizing the future, yet it’s perfectly fitting to focus on the present and learn to live each day that way!
Thanks for all the inspiration…
xxx DJ
Ha, laughed about your comment re: European books– you’re very right, they aren’t afraid of a dose of straight talk!
Your blog is ever a burst of joy, energy, and a pop of beauty to my tired eyes each day. Thank you greatly for the beauty and may your 2012 be forever sparkling ^_^!
While I really, truly love the thought – I really hope my whole year isn’t as miserable as my New Years was… my husband and I were both sick with the stomach flu! It was miserable.
Happy New Year! Thanks for sharing your lovely and inspiring blog with us… Cheers!
That is one of the best life philosophies I’ve ever heard! I too have always had trouble with the idea of living each day like it was my last day, because my last day would look a lot like yours. Just with really expensive wine instead of gin, and cheese instead of steak!
I had a fantastic New Year’s Eve, spent with my brand-spankin-new boyfriend, and to me that was enough to start the New Year off right. But I just might start living my day to day with your philosophy
Hahah, I did laugh at your ’2012 is the best year ever’ line! Imagine if that really was the case!
I got stung by a bee on New Year’s Day, so hopefully that’s not going to set the tone for the rest of the year :/ ! I think that trying to make each day a little New Year’s Day-ish is probably the way to go. Regardless, happy new year!
Happy New Year! I think you’ve got a great philosophy. Do exactly what you want to do. Love it!