Wait until next year

Today in London the weather is glorious.

It’s still pretty cold. The daily commute was still long and infuriating. Work is still the same-old, same-old, at best. But, with that bright, piercing blue sky, things seem just that little bit more positive. Setbacks, stresses and strains are eased just that little bit by the daylight streaming in, fighting against the omnipresent striplighting.

If only for a day, Spring seems to be on its way. The days are getting longer, and the clear skies suggest we might be able to enjoy those longer days soon.

Spring, as we all know, is the season of new beginnings, of births and rebirths. Spring brings warmth and light to encourage new efforts.

It’s funny how nature and culture offer us so many opportunities for new starts. The calendar prompts resolutions each new year. Every birthday can foster thoughts of making the next year worthwhile. There are new seasons in sport and in art. Lent, starting today of course, focuses the mind on new efforts.

It sometimes seems easy to drift along, let time pass and not strive to be a happier, better person. It can seem impossible to escape the rut we’re in.

Yet, a day like today can wake us up to the potential of the future, can remind us to think about the important stuff we want from life, and to try and go get it. There’s a whole life of new starts and new beginnings for us all.

Thank you for indulging the navel-gazing. Sorry if that was a little new-age-y, certainly not my intention. But you should see how lovely today is here. I wish I wasn’t in the office…and I’m already not sure it was wise to give up chocolate and crisps for Lent. What have you given up, if anything? Or what new starts have you got in mind? And what on Earth am I doing with these italics? What’s that all about?