New Year, Same Glorious You

Welcome, 2022! To get started, let’s take a moment to fill our own love bucket for ourselves. Why? Because we are awesome, even if we don’t always notice. Each day, you are your own unique version of yourself. You, in and of yourself, matter. A very important teacher in my life often reminded me that the word “should” is a saboteur, and there is great stress in pressuring yourself to go against your grain because you think you “should” be a certain way. Take the time to discover your real self and let this person shine. 

When you find your mind spinning webs of anxiety and you are trying to plan for and control every single thing that you could not possibly control: stop. Live according to the Chinese proverb, “Don’t push the river, it flows by itself.” 

What if, instead of creating an endless list of goals to achieve this year, we pursue success as defined by Emerson?

What Is Success – by Ralph Waldo Emerson

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and
the affection of children;
To earn the approbation of honest critics and endure
the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To give of one’s self;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiasm and
sung with exultation;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you
have lived –
This is to have succeeded.

With these thoughts as guideposts, we can be confident in navigating the path before us – whatever it may bring. There will be times when things go great, and when they go poorly. There will be traffic and obstacles to overcome. There will be weather that is too hot, and the AC will break. There will be relaxed pancake breakfasts around a sun-warmed table on a lazy Saturday morning. There will be cozy cuddles with the dog or cat or person you love. There will be work, work, and more work. There will continue to be dirty dishes in the sink, always. (Proverbs 14:4 says, “Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest.” So be glad for the oxen that is yourself and your family, alive and living and producing messes to clean). There will be growing pains, laughter, joy, and contentment. There will be daydreaming and wandering hopefully down aisles of possibility.

There will be you, and you are everything.