Happy New Year's! Good bye 2011...Hello 2012! Another year to make resolutions. To make promises that we swear we'll keep... lose weight...write more..blog more... stay within our budgets more... read more... visit Aunt Sally more... etc...etc...etc... Why do we do that to ourselves? We put so much focus on our short comings and failures. We plan way more than anyone could possibly do in one year then beat ourselves for not accomplishing the impossible. We forget that life gets in the way most of the time. (What good does it do having goals to better our lives if THEY get in the way of living our lives?)
More importantly we focus on the wrong things...the negative...our shortcomings. We should be focusing on the positives of the year not what we failed at. What was good this past year? What did we do right? What were the moments that made us smile? Laugh? Feel accomplished? Proud? Satisfied? What were the moments...the milestones...even the thoughts that warmed our hearts and souls?
I say if you can't be positive, toss out that worthless list of goals or resolutions...doesn't matter what you call them, they're the same...a list to remind us next year of our big hopes and where our short comings are. Now this isn't to say that I don't have things (goals/resolutions) that I want to do or that I even don't believe in lists. I love lists. I just think at this time of the year when we reflect on the passing of the year, we focus too much on the negative...on the failures we think we've made. The world reminds us that enough, why should we beat ourselves even more with it? Did you really lose out by not writing a 100 pages everyday? What were you doing on those days you didn't write one single word? I bet I know...you were living!! 'Could have been bowling with friends or walking with nature. It could have been holding someone's hand in their last hours or holding a baby during its first. The point I'm trying to make is that just because we didn't accomplish these things on our lists doesn't mean we didn't accomplish anything. We may just have accomplished more than could ever be put into words much less be put on a list.
I have a proposition for you this year. Go on...set your goals or resolutions. But for every one you make, reflect on (even write it down) an accomplishment from this passing year. A moment you smiled or made someone smile. A moment something warmed your heart or something you said or did that warmed someone else's heart. Even a moment when someone recognized you for something positive. Or a moment someone noticed your good deed but you remained anonymous. So I say, yes, write your list, plan your goals, but reflect on not just your short comings...heck, I say forget your short comings all together, focus on the positive things of this year. The world is cold and negative enough without us adding to it. Let's add some positivity and hope into the world starting with ourselves.
Need some help focusing on the positives? Check out marcandangel.com It's a great site that gives you practical tips for living a more positive life. (I am in no way affiliated with them. I just really like the site and it motivates me to live a more positive life).
Whatever your plans for the coming year, I wish you all a safe and happy New Year and the very best 2012 you could possibly have!
