goals for 2017
- Positivity and Enthusiasm- I want to be the sunshine in the room, not the sucking black-hole of pitiful complaints. I want to be radiant and warm the face of everyone I come in contact with in the course of a day. I want to make people feel special, happy, and cared for. I want to focus on the best and the brightest and always find the silver lining. I want to make people smile, giggle, gaffaw, and belly-laugh until they snort! I want to reflect the light of Christ in a darkened world. I want to give hugs to the lonely. I want to touch the tender and hurting and bring wholeness and healing.
- Gratitude – I want to be truly thankful for the blessings in my life. I don’t want to live with an entitlement mentality – I want to live with a sense of wonder! A sense of delight! Everything I have, every moment I live, every breath I breathe, every beat of my heart and flutter of my eyes is a gift!!! A gift!! I need to be mindful and thankful for the blessings…little and great! I am so very blessed! . I read a statement today that struck a chord with me: I want to stop saying “Sorry” and start saying “Thank you” instead…..instead of saying, “Sorry I’m late….” I will say, “Thank you for waiting for me!” or saying, “I’m sorry I’m such a mess…..” say instead , “Thank you for loving me unconditionally!” it will change the way I think about how I feel, and instead of sending out my usual negative vibes, I will send out messages of gratitude instead! I looooove the idea of that!!!!
- Spirituality- I’m like a faucet with hot and cold running water…..and lately I’ve been lukewarm at best, icy-frigid at worst. My soul longs for more than mere attendance at church on Sunday mornings. I need the deep relationship with God that I so terribly miss. I downloaded a new AP on my ipad today and signed up for some guided studies that should help keep me on track with digging deeper in God's word, spending time in prayer, and really seeking His face.
- Random Acts of Kindness - a few weeks ago, I paid for someone's coffee thru the drive-thru at Dunkin Donuts and then I giggled all the way to work that morning! It felt so good to anonymously do something...something small and insignificant, but nice for someone! They will never know who did it and that makes it even cooler! I want to do more of this type of thing! Generosity feels good!
- Awkwardness - I am an awkward being. I always have been. I never know what to say, what to do with my hands, how to sit, how to approach someone and say the right thing.......I say the first thing that pops into my head, which is usually something other people consider "odd" or "weird." But.....I am just awkward. At this stage in the game of life, it's not likely something I will ever grow-out of....it's been almost 50 years and it's still awkward. I have really good intentions! I really do! I want to make a witty comment, give a sincere compliment, make someone happy......but instead, I blurt out something odd and end up making everyone look uncomfortable. Sigh. I need to learn to embrace my awkwardness and somehow, may my awkwardness a bit less.....well, awkward. Just know that if I ever walk up to you and say something weird, odd, or off-putting...please know that it took a LOT of courage for me to initiate the conversation.....and my heart is in the right place, even if I bumble it. I just want to have a nice conversation....like people do. I just seem to approach it from a different angle. I'm going to try to read up on the "art of conversation" and see if I can become more eloquent through study......I didn't get to actually kiss THE Blarney Stone this year....although I kissed A random stone in the gardens at the Blarney Castle.......but I wasn't suddenly overcome with a sense of eloquence and able conversation....so alas.....I must continue my quest for less embarrassing interpersonal interactions. I'm working on it!
- Boundaries and saying NO when I mean NO - Hoo-Boy. This one is difficult for me. I really, really need to work on this one. I typically say "YES"....even when I want to scream NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and I end up resenting the person asking, the task I have reluctantly agreed to take on, and myself for not being strong enough to simply say the word, "NO." I've never been good at it. I've always had the overwhelming desire to please everyone...so saying NO seems mean, non-courteous, hard-hearted, and not very polite or helpful. But sometimes, saying NO when I really, truly don't want to do the task at hand is EXACTLY what I need to say. I need to learn to say no to inconvenience......and especially when an activity would take time away from my family. I am very guilty of saying "YES" and then carrying around a grudge for weeks because of resentment. I need to learn how to gracefully decline without guilt.
- Hobbies - I end up neglecting doing some of my favorite things...when my favorite things are the VERY things that bring me happiness!! I sit and look at Facebook for hours on end....instead of writing, drawing, coloring, taking photos, exercising, creating, reading, cooking/baking, etc....... I let my laziness get in the way of the joy of creating something with my own hands. I need to rediscover what hobbies make me happy!! It may not be the same thing that worked for me 5-10 years ago. I'm not the same person I was then. I've evolved, changed, and become someone new! I need to try new things so I can learn what I like and what makes me happy!
- Self-care and self-kindness - this is a hold-over from last year, and the year before that, and the year before that....and so on.............back to....oh, probably in-utero. I tend to want to take care of everyone around me...my husband, my kids, my family, my co-workers, etc...........and the last person on the list is usually ME. I don't fuel my body with nutritious fuel, I don't drink enough water. I don't rest enough. I don't relax and deep breathe enough. I have started taking a nightly bath.....which is for the purpose of de-stressing. I need to add in some physical activity to challenge my body, some mental discipline to challenge my mind, and some relaxation to renew my soul and spirit. I am terribly hard on myself. The way I speak to myself in my mind would NOT be an acceptable way to address a friend. That is kind of sad. It needs work.
- Living in the NOW - mindfulness. being fully engaged. Not multitasking and being absent-minded, going through the motions. I want to feel the wind on my face, hear the birds chirping happily in the trees, feel the tickle of the green grass under my feet, and savor the smell of the roses.
- Joy- hand-in-hand with mindfulness is finding the joy along the way. Experiencing the sights, smells, sounds, sensations of everyday activities. I take so much for granted!
- Unplugged time - I spend most of my work-day tied to a computer or phone. I need to unplug from time to time....allow myself to disengage from the 24/7 news cycle. it would decrease my stress level immensely.
- Unclutter - and I need to unclutter my life. My desk looks like a paper-bomb went off....throwing papers haphazardly hither and yon in my office. I need to better organize, to straighten, to streamline. Same in my kitchen. Same in my closets, same in our storage areas. My kitchen junk drawers. My goodness!! How may ink pens that no longer write are in those drawers? How many purses that haven't seen the light of day since the 1990's? How many clothes that aren't even in style or no longer fit? I need to cull through a lot of junk and take stock of what I really NEED.
