Regeneration

So for those of you who don't know, I'm a big fan of this kooky show called "Doctor Who."  It's a quirky, British, sci-fi show that I won't even attempt to sell you on - you either already love it or hate it.  The only thing you need to know for this post is that when The Doctor (the main character) is close to dying, he regenerates into an entirely new person.  This was probably BBC's way of keeping a show going longer than one actor would sign up for, but it's a fun idea.

Now that it's after the new year, everyone is thinking through resolutions and things they're going to change about themselves because this year is going to be totally different from any other year.  Sarcasm included.

But when I think about myself five, or even ten years ago, I'm not sure I could say I am the same person I was - or rather, I'm not the same version of myself that I was.  Part of that is that ten years ago I was "half-baked" and still figuring out who I wanted to be.  But what if figuring out who you wanted to be was a life-long pursuit?  

I read in a New York Times article that practically every cell in our bodies replaces itself every 7-10 years.  The ones that don't really seem to change are a small amount of cells in your cerebral cortex.  So, if almost all of my body is physically replaced every 7-10 years, it's like I'm regenerating.  It's like I'm constantly regenerating.  

So I'm beginning this year, not thinking of what the old me wants to change, but thinking rather, that I have become someone new this year, and I get to decide what kind of person that is.  I get to try new hobbies to see if this new me likes them.  I get to try memorizing poetry, because maybe this new me can memorize poetry better than the old me. 

But maybe we don't become new people just because our cells replace themselves, and maybe we don't change because it's the new year.  Maybe we change when we actually start behaving like the people we want to be, rather than the people we've grown tired of being.  It might be worth your while to list out the kind of person you wouldn't mind being like, and then do small things every day that this new kind of person might do.  Maybe in the doing, the becoming sneaks up on us.