Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Better Than the Last...

It's only natural that on New Year's Eve, we reflect over the year that is rapidly coming to an end.  And in so doing, we tend to take stock of our lives, the good with the bad, and create a set of 'resolutions' accordingly.  It's a nice way to enter into a brand new year; armed with aspirations and only the best of intentions.

I guess you could say that it is somewhat of a romantic notion; how the very last day of the year can spark so much enthusiasm and hope for the coming year.  I don't really have resolutions though.  To be perfectly honest, I never much fancied the idea of giving myself an even bigger "to-do" list than the one that life sends automatically direct into my mailbox, e-mail inbox and sticks on to my already crowded magnet and post-it splattered refrigerator door.

Is that less than ambitious of me? Probably so. However, I like to think of myself as a realist. Never a huge fan of feeling like a failure; I just don't find it necessary to add an even longer list of marks that I may or may not hit.

So, having said all that, I woke up this morning on this New Year's Eve, and I wondered: is my strategy of 'non-new year's resolution' working out very well in my favor? Or... am I just going through each year without... uhh resolve? 

Hmmm... I might have to get back to you on that one...

So now, I'm sitting here with my coffee (of course) and I am seriously contemplating if there should just be one thing... just one, that is worth pursuing, even at the risk of, dare I even say the word: failure?

That might not be such a bad idea; to set out into a brand new year with at least one main focus or objective could actually provide an overall sense of guidance that could be very comforting when feeling, ehh... adrift.  Sort of like having a lighthouse in your harbor at all times... I like that.

I will tell you this much; I had no idea on this New Year's Eve one year ago, what 2013 would have in store for me.  Not in the slightest... But I can assure you that it has not only been an adventure, but a test of willpower every step of the way.

Sometimes I forget that even though it is a lonely road and sometimes a bit uncomfortable... this is all by my own design.  I made a series of choices that in one way or another, turned a life I had only been able to imagine, into something very real.

So maybe I am hitting my marks after all.

As 2013 comes to and end and we gear up for the New Year, let's aspire for greatness, intend for kindness and hopefully not abandon the lessons learned from the years leading up to this one.  Wait a minute, maybe I actually do have a few resolutions in my pocket...

May we all have a little taste of our dreams coming true in 2014.

I'm so grateful to you, my friends and readers for encouraging me to write and share this wonderful experience of life with you.

Happy New Year!!!!

Today:

Champagne.... and LOTS of it!!!!!




















3 comments:

  1. I happened to meet someone on the plane today...someone who has amazed me with her resilience to what life has thrown her way. What was amazing was that we talked from the moment we took off till the moment we parted ways in the terminal--she to her meal, me to baggage claim. I, too, tend to be a people-person, an extrovert of sort, but in all my years of travel, I have not connected and hit it off with so similar--and yet different in many ways....a kindred soul.

    This person is searching for the next path, the next journey. Even though she doesn't know where she will end up, I have a feeling that she'll make the right choice for herself (and her doggies and horse ;-).

    As for resolutions, I'm a big fan of them, because I believe it's good to take stock of where you've been and where you're going. It's like getting in your car and starting to drive on vacation...most of us plan on what and where we are going, months in advance usually. But then again, my seat mate is a wanderer, as is her family members, so maybe they are used to just getting up and going, with no itinerary in mind.

    Maybe she doesn't make resolutions, either...my guess is you would like my seat mate, if you met her. ;-)

    A SoCal freezing his buns off in MI!!!

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  2. PS. She's a writer as well, and after reading my post and publishing it, I realized I should've edited it first so please forgive all the grammatical errors! Editing is NOT my forte!

    I did want to add and wish my seatmate all the best in where life takes her, and maybe should our paths cross again, would love to hear in person what has transpired since that flight to the Windy City.

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  3. So happy to read this stuff again... you are the best!

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