Oh 2012...what will you bring?
Although I'm not one to believe that New Years Resolutions are a necessary tradition...they are inevitable.
I catch myself, every year after Christmas, unintentionally making promises to myself that I'll do this or that or should or shouldn't...
It seems to be about the same every year...be in better shape, have/keep a closer relationship with my Father in Heaven, be a better wife,/mom/friend/daughter(in-law)/sister(in-law)/aunt, be more thrifty, be more productive...do that yoga move that my niece makes look as easy as breathing and makes me laugh hysterically when I try, actually talk on the phone instead of text, keep an organized office/studio/"crap room" (as my husband so affectionately deemed it), etc...
But now, after having read Living the Abundant Life (it's short), I have a recharged sense of the NEW year. I want to make a new journal ('cause I love a reason for another creative indulgence) and want to flood it's pages with my goals, and successes, and failures, and second tries, and third and fourth...etc... And then at the end of the year be able to look back and say that "I got what I put into it...and it was GREAT! ...a life filled with an abundance of success, goodness, and blessings."
And to boost the euphoria of a new slate, I wanted to share what helped me WANT to start my own tradition in New Years Resolutions and wipe out those dusty back burner goals:
Living the Abundant Life
Have a Positive Attitude
A in my ABCs refers to attitude. William James, a pioneering American psychologist and philosopher, wrote, “The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.”
So much in life depends on our attitude. The way we choose to see things and respond to others makes all the difference. To do the best we can and then to choose to be happy about our circumstances, whatever they may be, can bring peace and contentment.
Charles Swindoll—author, educator, and Christian pastor—said: “Attitude, to me, is more important than … the past, … than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.”
We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. For maximum happiness, peace, and contentment, may we choose a positive attitude.
Believe in Yourself
B is for believe—in yourself, in those around you, and in eternal principles.
Be honest with yourself, with others, and with your Heavenly Father. One who was not honest with God until it was too late was Cardinal Wolsey who, according to Shakespeare, spent a long life in service to three sovereigns and enjoyed wealth and power. Finally, he was shorn of his power and possessions by an impatient king. Cardinal Wolsey cried:
Had I but served my God with half the zeal
I served my king, He would not in mine age
Have left me naked to mine enemies.
Thomas Fuller, an English churchman and historian who lived in the 17th century, penned this truth: “He does not believe that does not live according to his belief.”
Don’t limit yourself and don’t let others convince you that you are limited in what you can do. Believe in yourself and then live so as to reach your possibilities.
You can achieve what you believe you can. Trust and believe and have faith.
Face Challenges with Courage
C is for courage. Courage becomes a worthwhile and meaningful virtue when it is regarded not so much as a willingness to die manfully but as a determination to live decently.
Said the American essayist and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide on, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.”
There will be times when you will be frightened and discouraged. You may feel that you are defeated. The odds of obtaining victory may appear overwhelming. At times you may feel like David trying to fight Goliath. But remember—David did win!
Courage is required to make an initial thrust toward one’s coveted goal, but even greater courage is called for when one stumbles and must make a second effort to achieve.
Have the determination to make the effort, the single-mindedness to work toward a worthy goal, and the courage not only to face the challenges that inevitably come but also to make a second effort, should such be required. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, “I’ll try again tomorrow.”
May we remember these ABCs as we begin our journey into the new year, cultivating a positive attitude, a belief that we can achieve our goals and resolutions, and the courage to face whatever challenges may come our way. Then the abundant life will be ours.
I wish you all the best in this awesome New Year! Bring on 2012!
Syndee :)
