In 2012 I Resolve to Have "Peace Within".......

Do you make New Year's Resolutions?  I used to, but last year I did something a little different that I found to be more encouraging and less frustrating for me.  Last Fall / Winter someone forwarded me one of those "send this to 10 people or a piano will fall on your head" types of e-mails.  While I seldom even read these through, I did read this one and forwarded it on to several people, with the "do it or else" message on the bottom edited out.  It really spoke to me and I printed it out so I could look at it when I was feeling bogged down by the chaos in my life at the time. Here's what it said:

May today there be peace within.

May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.

May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be confident knowing you are a child of God.

Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.

It is there for each and every one of us.

~ Saint Theresa

I love the message and it has made a positive impact on my life over the past year.  When I read it I was in an unhappy stage in life, and it gave me the little piece of hope and encouragement that I needed to start making positive changes in my life. 

Instead of making one resolution I was doomed to fail at last year, I sat down and just wrote out all the things I was wishing I could do - all the things that I felt would make me happy (some realistic, others not) and committed to start chipping away at them even if it took years.  Over the course of the past year I have looked at that list quite a few times.   In fact, I just looked at it again now and I realized I've done quite a few things on the list and I AM happier now that I was a year ago.  My life is certainly not perfect and, in fact, is in the midst of some significant changes.  But I feel more hopeful and truly happy this year than I have for a long time.

So what was on my list?  Some of it is personal and will remain that way, but I can give you a few examples of things I consider accomplished or at least in progress:  play more games with my kids (in progress), use coupons (accomplished!), journal more (in progress), paint the family room (accomplished!), paint the entry (accomplished!), eat healthier foods (accomplished!), pack cold lunches (accomplished!). There were quite a few more things either in progress or accomplished and many more that did not get done.  But I don't feel like I failed this time because the list isn't static.

In the next week or two, I'll revise the list for 2012.  Some of the things on last year's list no longer apply because I am not in the same mental place I was last year and my circumstances have changed.  This year I'd like to add a few "family goals" to my list and am planning to chose those goals with my family.  One of those will be to make regular donations to our local food shelf.  I don't know what the rest of the list will look like, but I do know that it will be a list of things I want to do, not just something I feel obligated to do because it's a New Year.  I also know they will be goals that will help me work toward simplifying my life so I can slow down enough to enjoy it.

What about you?  Are you making resolutions?  Setting goals?  Please share here if you feel comfortable so that others can encourage and support you.   Here's to a simpler, happier 2012!!!