This past year, I have had to learn some hard lessons.
Organization is a need, not an option- Being raised and trained by a woman who reused almost everything till it fell apart, I learned to save. Unfortunately, I am not as resourceful as my mother so my saved items just become clutter. This year was the tipping point & I have come to the realization that the old adage 'a place for everything and everything in it's place' is so important. I am learning that even if it isnt the perfect place, find one for each item and put it back there. Cause to be honest, I am tired of buying nail clippers, tweezers and new USB cords just because I cant find the old ones. Clutter and disorganization can cost you money.
The only way to insure you never can is to never try- This year saw my husband and I join with my best friend to try and unseat an entrenched career politician. If I had a dollar for every person who said "uh, yeah you can try but it will never happen", welp then our campaign account would be robust. It can't be done. I hear that so often. I have told myself that so often. You cant win against a political and financial giant. You can't expect to go from a nobody to a somebody in a year.
I defy that. This year I plan on showing people wrong on so many counts that they will start to question their own ideas of can and can't. The only way to insure you can never do 'X' is to never even take the first step.
Negativity is as contagious as Optimism & twice as hard to root out-
Joy is a word I love. It is so much more important than happiness. And if you have ever met someone who has real joy, it is impossible not to contract a huge case of the joys. The opposite of joy is gloom. They are both contagious. If you have a room of people and a joyous person starts making rounds, it will change the whole tenor of the room. Same is true for gloom. I used to consider myself a joyous person. but this past year has seen events happen that have just honestly zapped that joy and made my outlook become much more gloomy. I see now that my whole family, especially my son has picked up on this attitude and no matter how hard I try I find it twice as hard to turn us all toward the joy. So this year, I am going to put on a full scale attack and root out the gloom and negativity in my home, my family, my church, my social circle, and most importantly myself. And as we all know a hole needs something to fill it in, so I plan on shoveling joy into every nook and cranny.
Joy is a word I love. It is so much more important than happiness. And if you have ever met someone who has real joy, it is impossible not to contract a huge case of the joys. The opposite of joy is gloom. They are both contagious. If you have a room of people and a joyous person starts making rounds, it will change the whole tenor of the room. Same is true for gloom. I used to consider myself a joyous person. but this past year has seen events happen that have just honestly zapped that joy and made my outlook become much more gloomy. I see now that my whole family, especially my son has picked up on this attitude and no matter how hard I try I find it twice as hard to turn us all toward the joy. So this year, I am going to put on a full scale attack and root out the gloom and negativity in my home, my family, my church, my social circle, and most importantly myself. And as we all know a hole needs something to fill it in, so I plan on shoveling joy into every nook and cranny.
Money doesn't grow on trees & a steady paycheck doesn't grant you right to be irresponsible- My husband and I are blessed to have a steady income, and yet, we have taken that and it's responsibility and blessings for granted. This year has shown us some harsh lessons that we will literally be paying for in the years to come. So my solemn pledge to the Giver of All is that I will appreciate what He gives me more & use it with the wisdom He has also given me. It is one thing to be irresponsible in your 20's with no kids, another all together to be so in your 30's with a child learning at your feet.
Friendships are like trees- This past year I made a concerted effort to water some friendships that had been withering. These were women with whom I had many things in common in years past. Lately, we have lost those common elements and I found us not sharing. I knew I could let them wither and die, or I could make the effort. Set aside the time to talk, schedule a lunch, text them a hello, or even just make sure you give them a good hug on a regular basis. These friendships then became like great oaks. They don't need as much care as a sapling, but when the winds come or the sun is beating down on you, they are the ones who provide the most help. I found also, that a yard with too many tiny trees, can choke out the growth of anything deeper. So I took stock and let some relationships wither and die, or cut them out completely. Just as you cant please everyone, you cant be friends with everyone and expect to have time to grow them all into large oaks, sturdy and strong.
So, I am going to take these insights and apply them next year. I don't make any resolution other than this, each day to try harder at being what God wants me to be. This may not be much in the end, but each step, no matter how small is one closer to the goal.
Thats just how I like it
~~V
