Should old acquaintance be forgot,

and never brought to mind?

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

and old lang syne?

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my dear,

for auld lang syne,

we'll take a cup of kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

For many of us, the new year is rung in with a nod to the past as we sing about friendships and memories of days gone by. The confetti falls as we raise our glass and cheers to new beginnings.

While there is something intrinsically beautiful in the notion of a fresh start filled with hope and optimism, it is the past that has paved the road for us to arrive at this moment.

Just as the lyrics invoke a celebration of the year-that-was, taking time to reflect back helps us not only honor the memories of old, but to make mindful choices for the future.

Interestingly, the word reflection serves two purposes: To contemplate about what has been, but also to see the image of what is in front of us right now.

Like many of you, I will spend much of December pondering the previous eleven months. From highs and lows in areas including career, relationships, adventures, and well-being, I’ll enjoy seeing the patterns emerge and lessons unfold with the insight that only hindsight can bring. (In fact, it has proven to be such a powerful exercise that this year we’re inviting people to join us at our Holstee Work/Shop for an afternoon dedicated to reflecting on 2014.)

The purpose of this reflection is not to fill ourselves with regret for what might have been, but instead to help us better understand the future of what could be.

And though we don’t know exactly what lays ahead, we each have the ability to look within, as if holding a mirror to our true selves. Our present moment is reflected by our presence. And what we see in our reflection determines what we choose to do next.

Want to reflect with us? Sign up for our Reflection & Roadmapping Workshop on December 14th!

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Monica McCarthy brings people and ideas together as the Experience Impresario of Holstee. A veteran Broadway and television actress, she is passionate about the arts, philosophy, and travel, which she muses about here. Her favorite splurge is membership passes to NYC museums.