Sitting here looking at a blank sheet of cyber paper is no fun. Writing down at least one sentence makes it much more fun, even if one sentence has nothing to do with what the rest of the page will be filled with. In this case, I am thinking about what I would like for you for the coming year, because I know you want to make positive changes in your life. Because I care about you, I want those changes to be good changes, just like you do. So I am going to start now….
Take a small part of your day on New Years Eve, and think about what you would be doing if you had only one-half a year to live. If you knew without a doubt that you had five good months, and one month of dying, where you could reflect back on the previous five months, what would you do with the rest of your life starting now? It is a serious question. Some people even though they are perfectly fit, and in excellent health won’t be here in six months, six weeks, or even six days. I am sure none of those people will be you or I, but it could be any of us. On my way home today, I may be in an accident that ends my life.
Once you decide those things that you would be doing if you knew you had only a few months to live, and a few weeks to reflect on them, start finding ways to bring those things into your life starting tomorrow. It is these things that will bring you true happiness. Money and fame can not do anything for you if you can not truly enjoy the things you have in your life right now. Having lots of free time can not make life more filling, unless you can fill your time with something that is truly important to you. Personal satisfaction of working on or towards something we consider important and really care about is what makes us truly happy.
Just about everything you are worrying about right now, and what you will worry about in the next year is a waste of your time. If you do not believe me, stop for a minute and make a list of what those things you are worrying about right now. Once your list is made, draw a line on the paper to separate these things from your next list. For your next list, copy from your first list those things you can really and truly do something about. Only those items that you personally have control over. This much smaller list is something you should actively work on because they are the only things you can control. The rest of those items on your first list, you may as well throw away. You can do nothing with those remaining items on your first list, so worrying about them, or letting them waste your time is futile.
Finally, because I care about you, and I want you have a better next year, I have one remaining suggestion? Take time for you. This is probably the most important of my three suggestions, because no matter how well you do the first two things, if you do not take time for you, you are cheating yourself. By taking time for you, I mean making sure your life is in balance. We all need things in our lives to get us through the month. I think my Grandfather said it better than I have ever heard it said. He was talking about work, but it applies to all areas of our lives. My Grandfather asked me a few days after I was married what I was going to do for work. I told him about my main job, and how I was planning to get a second job if need be.
My Grandfather, being a crusty old Irishman, who did not believe in wasting words told me, “If a man can not make ends meet with one job, he sure as hell can’t do it with two jobs.” I thought I understood what he meant all those years ago. I know I did not understand the true meaning. He was telling me that it was the quality of my life that is important, not the things I have in it.
These are my wishes for you for the next year. If you are already doing these things, I am excited and happy for you! If you are not, they sound simple, but may take some thinking and planning to accomplish. One step at a time will get you there. I can hardly wait to see you when you get there! My best for you in the New year!
