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Saturday, January 9, 2010

New year, new beginnings...

I want to say we survived the Christmas season, as I do most years, but honestly, this year was different. We slowed down. We created nightly family time and turned our focus on the real meaning of the season by choosing intentional activities that would foster both. The DIY family advent calendar was awesome and a definite keeper for our Christmas' to come! Without buying more, baking more, hustling more, we created a very fulfilling Christmas. By buying less, baking less, and hustling less, we left room for family and to reconnect with what Christmas is really about - Christ's birth.

With a week of the new year already under my belt, I've turned my attention to my health. I want this year to be different. I want to be in control of my health not it being in control of me. I want to live without the pain and constant reminder that my body is deteriorating at a faster rate than it should. I want change.

So, now is the time for new beginnings. It's not enough just to talk about change; to long for difference. I have rediscovered this lesson over 2009. I got tired of hearing myself repeatedly say that "I've got to..." or "I wish..." or "I want...". That got me nowhere. So, in the last half of 2009, I stopped talking about what changes I wanted to happen and started making them happen. If I wanted to slow down, then I said "no" to more activities. If I wanted to have more time with my family, then I cut back on my existing commitments and protected family time. If I wanted a more meaningful, peaceful Christmas, then we created that by protecting our time and being intentional about our activities.

What does 2010 hold for me? I don't know. I hope a stronger, healthier body. I hope a less hurried lifestyle. I hope more meaningful moments with my sons and my husband. However, my hopes will only get me so far and the lesson I learned in 2009 must be carried over into 2010. It's not enough for me to hope change will occur. I must be intentional. So, here's to 2010 and all the opportunities for change that it holds!