Month two, the new year is old news. The “New You”, that you resolved to bring to fruition last month, quarreled and scuffled with Old You. The tussle was brief and decisive, New You never stood a chance against the wily veteran of many such battles. So it goes.

The swift and gleeful rain of noogies and wedgies brought down (and up) upon New You were not out of malice, nor intended to permanently maim or to kill, but rather to test New Yous resolve, resourcefulness, and motivation to change. Old You doesn’t have time for another “one-bunned” attempt at whatever it is New You is proposing. There’s no room in the garage for another hobby.

It’s sort of like when a new employee comes on board with a sack full of grand ideas. They stroll in, shirt-pressed, whimsical socks, shiny shoes, an encouraging laminated note in their pocket from their mommy reminding them that they are “special”, only to have the mates that have been dutifully swabbing the deck day-in and day-out for more years than “Shiny Shoes” has been alive, watch with feigned interest as the contents of the sack of grand ideas are revealed.

As Shiny Shoes reverentially brings forth an idea, one or more of the old mates will kindly and thoughtfully nod as they glance around to the other mates in mock ponderance. Shiny Shoes, clutching the laminated note, is encouraged by the response, and lays out several more ideas for the old mates to behold.

Then, one-by-one, the contents that once filled the sack of grand ideas, are picked up by an old mate, tersely examined, and unceremoniously dropped overboard into the sea of grand ideas gone by. Turning to the dismayed Shiny Shoes, the old mate sighs, smiles a kindly consolatory smile, and says, “We tried that a few years back…didn’t work.”

It’s difficult not to do so, but Shiny Shoes and New You shouldn’t take these defeats and setbacks personal. Rather, they should try and view them as an opportunity to dig a bit deeper, try a bit harder, think thoughts they’ve yet thought. A challenge to rise up and lead Old You and a few curious mates on a voyage beyond the stagnant sea of grand ideas gone by, beyond the comfortable and the familiar.

Beyond to where? Good question. Perhaps the destination isn’t what’s important, maybe it’s good enough that steps were taken, stuff was seen, heard, tasted, smelled, touched, and our body and mind were stretched a bit? Just a bit. Just enough so that when we return to the comfortable and familiar, it’s still comfortable and familiar.

Question and challenge New You and Shiny Shoes to determine and varify their depth of resolve and their motivation for change. If the intensions are deemed honorable, authentic, and worthwhile why not hop on and see where they take you?

Our just bump them overboard. Accidents happen. There’s always next year…until there isn’t.