New Years Eve

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!  May everyone have a FUN and SAFE evening of celebration tonight!

As one year ends and another begins most of us can't help but to reflect back on the year and remember all the fun times, sad times, changes, and accomplishments... then we find ourselves looking forward to the new year and all the things we would like to change, improve on, and/or begin.

New Year's resolutions are a common subject in conversations this time of the year.  The top of the list are always things like.... I'm going to lose weight/get in shape... I'm going to quit smoking.... I'm going to be a better Mom/Dad/Daughter/Son/Sister/Brother/Friend.... I'm going to make more efforts to stay in touch with friends/family... I'm going to........  yada yada yada.  Now I don't know the actual statistics of what the odds are of 'sticking to' all these plans to improve ourselves.... but I LOVE the fact that many of us want to improve ourselves and have the hope that on this one day we really have the power to do it.

New Year's Day is a fresh start.... you can smell the freshness of it... like fresh smelling laundry.... take a big whiff...... uuummmmm..... The key word is FRESH!!!  Anyone can set a new goal for themselves, and have the hope of believing improvements can and will be made.  It's a clean slate with fresh chalk.  Some of us take only a day to go back to our 'old ways'.... some of us keep to it for a couple of weeks before returning to the norm.... but some of us actually try all year long to continue on our quest of reaching our goals.  Whatever your resolutions are for this year... you should always make them... just so you can start off a new year with a new plan, a new smile, a new hope, and a new sense of accomplishment when you reach your goal... even if it is just one day.

I have a few goals I hope to accomplish this year and while I may not finish them all.... I love the challenges they will give me this year and something good to look forward to.

1) I would like to learn to speak french.... I have the Rosetta Stone program and have begun working with it already... this year I would like to really learn it.

2) I would like to begin taking flying lessons and working on getting my pilots license... in fact Joe and I both would like to do this together.

3) I have met several ladies in our new community who like to play and putz around with golf... some quite serious golfers, some just hit and giggle like me... I would like to get involved in a hit and giggle group of lady golfers and just maybe actually improve my golf game... but if not... I would just like to enjoy golfing with these ladies on a regular basis.

4) I currently exercise regularly and eat fairly healthy on a daily basis.... this year I would like to continue with my fitness and good health practices... I exercise regularly 3 days a week now... I would like to up it to a consistent 5 times a week.

5) I would like to continue exploring in my cookbooks and finding new recipes to make... making a resolution to cook at least one new recipe a week... but.... our schedules get really crazy so while I would like to make this a firm New Year's resolution... this is one that has to be tweaked to fit our schedules.

So as you can see, I have several new resolutions and/or  current resolutions to continue working on for 2011... not a bad start!  These are a few of the things I would like to work on to improve myself and to make life better for those around me... but... I also know (especially after the last 6 months) that life changes on a whim, and you can be set on a firm path plodding along doing your thing when it all suddenly changes and you need to find a new path and begin again.  Don't let life discourage you from reaching your goals... reaching goals is about keeping your eye on it, but also keeping your peripheral vision in focus too.  If a life event prevents you from moving forward with a particular goal, think about how you can change the focus on your goal and keep moving toward it, while dealing with the wild cards life throws us all.

Always striding for a goal is what keeps us improving ourselves... some goals can't be reached in one short year and may take several years to finally accomplish... some goals are a lifetime of work in progress... and some goals require the help of others... but no matter what kind of goal or how high the goal needing to be reached... have one in mind to focus and work on... then when reached... begin a new goal to reach for.  Having goals makes us stronger, always gives us hope, and the best sense of self empowerment when we reach them.

Wishing you all much success in 2011 as you aim for, focus on, and attempt to reach your New Year's resolutions.  Don't give up.... start over when necessary.... tweak the goal when needed.... but keep striving!  GOOD LUCK to all!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR