​2023 Confessions and Predictions

PART ONE: Confession

I have a confession. 
In that empty week between Christmas and NYE,
when everyone’s in a holidaze hangover,
With nothing to do but wait for the ball to drop.
I, couch bound,
with a belly full of leftover cheese and sweets,
spend countless hours 
doom scrolling through my socials
searching, 
with each flick of my right thumb
hurtling down a digital black hole
of those never-ending, dreaded
psychic predictions for the new year.

What am I hoping to find, you ask?
I’m not sure,
but desperate I become in this addictive pursuit.
Through the hundreds of Tik Tok Miss Cleo’s,
Wheel-of-fortune tellers, self-professed astrologers
and keyboard Nostradamus experts
I search
(with 20% accuracy)
for some glimmer of hope.
Maybe a prophetic promise
or just a little optimistic fix
to renew my faith that maybe
just maybe,
this year, this world
will globally, politically, spiritually, economically
that maybe 
2023
will not
suck!
 
PART TWO: Predictions
Now, with growing frustration and cynicism,
it is clear to see, 
I'm not alone in my need to know, but 
are the answers really in the Cosmos
or right here within me?

We hear the word "manifestation" a lot these days,
and it's become annoying-
just another thing to add to our long to-do lists. 
Yet this year, my gut tells me 
it may be the only way
to predict what will happen to me.
So, here I write
​my own manifesto of predictions for 2023
knowing I cannot control the fate of the universe,
Yet I can envision my own to some degree.

1. Lisa is nearly 15 pounds lighter by the end of 2023, but more importantly, she feels stronger and more vital than she has in years. She manages to do this by being kind to herself again, carving out time for people and pursuits that supported her health and well-being. She may have some setbacks but reminds herself to stop making excuses by putting others needs above her own.
2. Lisa makes peace and finds balance juggling her two worlds. She makes the most of both places when she’s there and prioritizes her time with those she loves and let’s go of things that feel obligatory and no longer serve her greater purpose. Finding more joy and less obligation in her daily life will be the key. 
3. Speaking of purpose, Lisa moves closer to finding her personal purpose for this life chapter. She explores the arts and spends some time giving back to nature in a way that is meaningful and enriching. She hones her skills at Pickleball and picks up where she left off with Mahjong (with a new set of friends). 
4. Lisa’s travels continue in 2023- first a lively girls cruise on the Virgin ship in February where she will be challenged in “letting go” of the responsibility of making sure everyone is having a good time. Then she went to Italy in May where she visited Sophia, who after months abroad has blossomed and grown in age, maturity and wisdom. She visits Emily and helps her set up her new apartment. She feels both proud and a little sad.  In the summer, Lisa spends some time again in Aspen with dear Ali, with all or part of her family in tow. She takes her mother on a special trip of her choosing and it is a place where they are both pampered and are under no pressures. It will be memorable for both.  Lisa travels beyond that when the time and her intuition tell her it’s the right time. She sometimes has to say no to others in order to say yes to herself.
5. Lisa puts a little more energy in 2023 into embracing some of David's hobbies- most notably learning how to co-captain their boat. She does her best to master the ropes without fail and even takes her turn at the wheel a few times. She finds this both exhilarating and empowering. 
6. If Lisa suffers any losses this year, she will focus on what has come before not what is no longer present. She feels blessed by those who’ve passed in and out of her life no matter how these transpire. She continues to believe in and respect the journey everyone around her is on and does her best to support others in theirs even when it hurts.

 
There is a certain vulnerability I feel in sharing this list, but as the saying goes, best laid plans. The same can be said for new year’s resolutions. However, mine are predictions, neither resolute nor 100% accurate. They are my own hopes for my future journey in 2023. I have a few more but they are more personal and best kept within. What will happen across the world this year is anyone’s guess, but maybe if we all focus on personal pursuits to spread joy within ourselves and others, we can collectively manifest a world where love and peace reign. They say I’m a dreamer…. 😉

What are your dreams, prayers or predictions for 2023?