New Year, New Beginnings…
You must maintain unwavering faith that you can and will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties, AND at the same time have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts about your current reality, whatever they might be. — Jim Collins
There is something about the start of a new year and how it causes people to reflect on the past and look toward the future. It’s a time of resolutions for some and new beginnings. I myself see everyday as a new beginning and chance to improve on the days gone by. However, when January 1 rolls around I think there is a momentum that grabs us to self reflect and try and make a concerted effort for improvement.
I woke up this morning with almost a sense of dread. I have no idea why. I have A LOT of very positive things on the horizon that I am excited about. So why the sense of dread this morning? Honestly, I don’t know why. One thing I know for sure. I have become one of those people that holidays are not enjoyable anymore for me. Divorce and death will do that to a person. Things change and sometimes it is just more than you can or want to deal with.
As today unfolded, it ended up being a peaceful and relaxing day. Sprinkled with a kindness and generosity extended by a neighbor to use her snowblower! Oh how I hate Minnesota winters and shoveling snow.
A dear friend wrote these words this morning. She posted this picture of an inflatable penguin that was laying face down. “2020 has left many of us looking & feeling like our poor inflatable penguin…he still has air but he’s face down & weighted down with snow! Circumstances can do that. Flatten us out on our faces. Unable to lift our heads. It also made me think of what I’ve learned through the hardness of 2020…
*God is still good even though the hard circumstances don’t change.
*I cannot live by my feelings.
*There is some pinhole of light in every dark day.
*Everything is temporary.
*There is a lot of strength to be found in surrender — especially for us control freaks!”
Her words resonated with me. Life if hard but there are so many lessons to be learned on a daily basis if we are paying attention and willing to learn and grow even during the hard times. And 2020 was definitely a hard year for all.
This Friday I have a business planning meeting with my business partner. He is FORCING me to do short and long term planning. I am NOT good at that and dislike it a lot. I have to write a 5 year vision plan for the business. That is an absolutely horrendous task for me. However, in the process I have to admit, making me do this has gotten me very excited about the future and the possibilities that await. I encourage you to sit down and pick a day five years in the future and write a vision for where you want to be in five years. Use all five senses to describe the day. You will have a much more detailed plan if you do. Hopefully that will encourage you and give you some momentum to reach higher and farther than you have ever dreamed before.
I am praying that 2021 be a year of peace and blessings beyond our wildest dreams for us all. Happy New Year everyone!
“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
― Frederick Douglass
The joy is in the journey!
Peace,
Mary
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