Out With The Old

Tomorrow is the last day of 2018. It feels like it is time to write the obligatory New Year's Eve blog post; something about whether or not to make a resolution or set a goal. Truth be told; I'm just not feeling it this year. Don't get me wrong; I like to set goals for myself, I just don't like the added pressure of setting my calendar to it for January 1st. Our lives aren't that good at sticking to timetables; at least mine isn't.

I tend to spend my New Year's holidays reflecting on what was successful for me during the last 12 months and what needs some work. Some years the list is pretty lopsided, some good some not so much. For me 2018 had many blessings; another year of good health, two healthy granddaughters who make me laugh, a wonderful and supportive family, and a very productive summer of heavy labor redoing our backyard landscaping. Like a lot of people I know, 2018 also brought with it some changes and some unwanted stresses. I guess that puts a lot of us in the same boat.

So what does that mean for 2019? Great question, I think. For me and others that I know, we are in a place where we're trying to accept and understand some of the changes that we've been facing. We're trying our best to gain some clarity to see if we merely need to concede and accept the changes we're being handed or if we still have a voice in what we want to see happen. Some will say that we always have a choice and in some situations that may be true, but not all the time. Some times the changes are going to happen with or without us. Some times the best we can hope to achieve is to decide if the changes work for us or whether it's time we go in a different direction and charter our own course.

No two people's situations will be the same, which means no two plan of attacks will be the same. What works for some may not work for others. That's where the clarity comes in; being able to look at our own lives and decide what we are looking for and what fits best is obviously very personal (as it should be). We need to take ownership of our own choices; whether they seem logical or make sense to anyone else really doesn't matter.

New Year's Eve is tomorrow and whether or not you choose to set a goal of losing 10# in 2019 or work more on a personal relationship - the choices are all yours. You get to decide. You get to take ownership of your own future. You get to decide what makes you happy or what doesn't.

Do you make New Year's resolutions? Do they work for you?

Do you prefer to reflect on where you've been and where you want to go?

Regardless, 2018 is drawing to a close tomorrow and a new year is on our horizon. I guess, if nothing else, it's fair to say, 'OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW.'

Happy New Year!

Let's Start Again

New Year's Eve is a great day to reflect; about what has been and what can be. Sometimes I like to look back at my blog one year ago (to the day) to see where I was and see what I've been able to accomplish since or better yet - what I've learned. Below is my blog post from December 31, 2013. Most likely I will write a new one later today for this year, but looking back in retrospect can be enlightening. Where were you one year ago?


December 31, 2013

2013 is drawing to a close. I have to believe that we've all had some high points and low points this past year. Every year is similar in that way. It's how we handle the highs and lows that changes. 2013 has been another memorable year in an ongoing list of many. My youngest graduated from high school and went off to college and my oldest relocated back to Michigan for a teaching position, not to mention recently getting engaged. I'm thankful my children are doing so well in the changes life has presented them with. I'm proud to have another cancer-free year under my belt and happy to be married 30+ years. Yes, life has its ups and downs, but luckily more ups than downs.

There will always be the BIG things in life that occur, those monumental moments that create memories for a lifetime. Then there are those stresses that sometimes press our nerves and test us on a daily basis. Some are BIG, legitimate stresses like health and finances and some just gain momentum and seem bigger than they really are. A few days ago I drove out of my way on my day off to pick up some flowers for work. It was after Christmas and there was a lot of traffic. I got there only find the lights off and the front door to the florist locked. Bummer. I called and left a message for them. They called me back about an hour later with plenty of apologies. I went a second time the next day. The store owner offered me more apologies and a free bouquet of flowers (which I politely turned down). I know she felt bad for the mix up and my second trip, but the flowers were beautiful. She kept saying, 'What can I do? I feel so bad.' I told her, 'You've already done it, you apologized. Don't worry about it.' Things happen. That's life. It's how we handle it that matters. It was a minor inconvenience.

Two weeks ago my debit card was 'compromised' thanks to a certain merchant. My bank called me a few days before Christmas to give me the news. Talk about bad timing and a major inconvenience. Unfortunately for me my bank (unlike my daughter's credit union) canceled my debit card and issued me a new one ... that part was fine, but the part that included a new lost card and nearly a 2-week delay was the inconvenient part. Today I got my new card (woohoo) and my independence back. So what did I get with my new card? A few more apologies and a really nice 2014 calendar. Things happen. That's life. Again, it's how we handle it that matters. Inconveniences are just that ... inconvenient AND the past. The best way to handle them is with grace. Accept them for what they are and move on.

So, as we flip the calendar to a new year let's close out 2013 and begin 2014 the same way - with grace. It can make everything a lot easier to handle. Happy New Year everyone!