Another year seems to have flown by with its days of greatness, wonderful moments, problems and challenges. Some of us will remember 2013 as a wonderful year and others will be glad it’s over and some are in between.
Change was the big theme in our household. We became empty nesters. My darling retired and I switched careers, and then each of these created spin offs.
We are definitely at a new stage in our lives and we are embracing it. Life for me has been a series of stages: The first 18 years were with my parents and preparing myself for adulthood and I am grateful for my parents’ love and guidance.
The next 15 years were about furthering my formal education as well as my street sense and worldliness. This was a very fun time, challenging me on many levels as well as discovering who I was and wanted to be as a person.
Next came the ‘Mommy years,” not that they are over. It is just that the lads need me in a different way now that they are adults.
This was also an extremely rewarding, and fun time and I am so grateful that I got to experience motherhood especially with my two sons. This was also a time to help me define myself and determine not only who I am as a woman, but as a mother as well.
We wear many hats in our lives: mother, daughter, sibling, wife, worker, volunteer, friend, citizen. We juggle, we drop the ball and we pick them up again. Balance becomes a key theme.
Now I am in the “whoo hoo, I made it to 50-plus” era of my life. I am grateful, I am excited and I am still determining who I am.
So as I approach a new year and think of it as an opportunity to continue to improve and develop, I wonder about making resolutions, goals, and setting milestones for this year. Will I keep them, or will I as I have been known to do, get started, enjoy, and stop? Setting goals that are important and resonate with me will be important.
I want to give up talking about my weight and instead embrace the fun I am having being more active. My darling and I are cooking together more often and I am enjoying having an excellent chopper around the kitchen. Healthy eating is just so much more appealing than unhealthy eating. Veggies are just so much more colourful than some unhealthy choices. Being healthy is a more important goal.
I am a bit on the hyper side, and there are those who think my use of the word “bit” might be an underestimation, however, I am trying to embrace the routine of meditation in my life, so I joined Oprah and Chopra’s meditation program and each day I am sent a message:
“Today, no matter where you are or what you are doing, take notice of the abundance that surrounds you. Abundance may appear as a loose penny in the parking lot, a warm hug from a friend, or a plentiful display of produce at the supermarket. Consider how effortlessly and easily these gifts and signs of abundance showed up in your experience and give yourself permission to feel authentic gratitude for these blessings. You will be surprised and delighted by the multitude of gifts that continue to appear throughout your day and for days to come,” says Deepak Chopra.
I like the idea of meditation and see rewards for my sleep challenges as well. I feel I am benefiting with improved focus and that is also rewarding.
There are many goals I could list: Be a better friend in that I should spend more time with my buddies; be healthier; read more; and worry less to name a few. What I hope for this year is that we can enjoy the abundance of great health, time with family, friendships, and that we are able to see the beauty and abundance in simple daily tasks and actions.
I don’t want to be berated by my inner voice with my disappointments or failures, so I will choose those that I have the greatest chance of succeeding with. And when I do disappoint myself and fail, and I will, that I bounce back and see the new day as an opportunity to learn from what didn’t work and move on. I do not see guilt as something we need more of. Let it go.
I hope that for our community that those who have been struggling get the breaks they need whether that is good health, employment, or peaceful households. I hope that the children and youth within our community enjoy love in abundance, have full tummies, and are safe. May those who are lonely make friends. May this year be the best year.
Happy new year and may part of your new year plans and goals include being happy.
