It is a beautiful start to 2012! I am so excited for what this year holds. I don't typically formally make New Year's resolutions, but I was giving the subject a lot of thought this morning. I made a list of six things I'd like to achieve (with God's grace, because I will need LOTS of help!).
(Note: These are not in any particular order, all are equally important to me!)
1. BE MORE AWARE OF NOT ONLY WHAT GOES INTO MY BODY, BUT WHAT GOES INTO MY MIND AND HEART AS WELL.
"Junk in, junk out"- that's what I've always been told, and it is so true. I took a little break from watching what I eat over the holidays and I completely indulged myself. My goal was to just enjoy food and family, but at times, I digressed into an all-out binge on junk food. And let me tell you, I felt like total crap the next day! I think this principle applies to what goes into my mind and heart too. I want to have healthy positive thoughts, so that I can offer the same to others I talk to. I want to embrace truth, love, hope, and joy in my heart, so I can pour that out onto everyone I meet. This goal is about being healthy and happy in every way I can, as far as I have control. For me, this means no more pity parties, trashy tv shows, or pointing out every flaw I find in myself. Instead, I want to gracefully accept my failures and try harder, read more books that enrich my mind and soul, and embrace who I am, just how I am : an imperfect person on a long journey.
2. BE JOYFUL, ALWAYS.
For a self-proclaimed worry-wart like me, this is a toughy. But my goal for this year is to be as joyful as possible, as much as possible. Life is so rich and has so much to offer. I want to look deep into every situation and find that lovely, silvery lining within. If "life is too short to be anything but happy", then it is WAYYYY too short to be anything but joyful. So when Luke dumps food all over my nice, clean floor, I want be joyful and glad that I can provide my son with food, and that I even have a floor of a house to clean! Being pessimistic does no good, and it only makes situations worse. So, this year, I will choose to be more joyful.
3. GIVE OTHERS THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT.
This is something I constantly struggle with, because I can be a really critical person sometimes. My road rage is out of this world. I always assume the other person is driving recklessly to deliberately hurt me! (how ridiculous is that??) I tend to assume others only have the worst intentions. This needs to change! I want to give others the benefit of the doubt, to be an advocate for positive human nature, and be more forgiving and even tempered as a result.
4. GAIN WISDOM.
It is my life's goal to be a wise person. But I feel like the more I search for it, the more I realize I have to learn. I want wisdom from it's very source- the mouth of God. So it is my goal this year to "seek wisdom as silver, search for her as for hidden treasures" (Proverbs 2:4) I want a thirst and hunger for wisdom, so that I can gain discernment and make godly choices this year.
5. ACCEPT THAT THINGS WON'T ALWAYS MEET MY EXPECTATIONS, OR, JUST GO WITH IT!
At times, my expectations exceed the realm of possibility, especially if I put special effort into making sure everything is perfect! I try to plan the perfect vacations, make perfect grades, and have everything in impeccable working order. Nine times out of ten, something always goes wrong (thanks a lot Murphy). I usually get so upset and it ruins the entire experience for me, but I hope that will change this year. I need to learn to just go with it. I need to be more flexible! Just because it rains one day on vacation, I shouldn't let that steal the fun from the whole trip! I think this goes back to the joy thing. I want to be joyful even when things aren't perfect, because they never will be! It's the 10 mins of bliss here, and hour there, that add up to make life beautiful. I want to find those and hold on to them instead of the times things didn't go according to plan.
6. HAVE FAITH AS BIG AS A MUSTARD SEED.
This is a biggie for me because faith involves trust. And if you have known me for more than a second, you know I have some serious trust issues. But God never falters, and he never lets me down, but yet, my faith is microscopic or non-existent at times. Faith is a lifeline; a rope that carries us through life as long as we cling to it. In times of despair, the rope looks thin and miniscule, but it is still as strong as twenty ropes woven together. I think this is what Jesus meant when he told us we only need faith as big as a mustard seed to move mountains. For that little bit of faith to accomplish such a feat it must be some highly concentrated stuff!!! So my goal for this year is to let go of my doubts and cling to faith at all times, knowing no matter how small the tether may seem, it is strong enough to carry me through.
So there you have it. My list of resolutions to bring me closer to God, family, friends, community, and myself! I know none of these will be easily obtained, but that makes them all the more worth while. Happy New Year, may you be blessed in 2012!
:)
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