Greetings to all my wonderful readers out there!
I hope you all enjoyed a Christmas celebration filled with lasting memories and love! With three days left to before we enter 01.01.10 I wanted to sit back for a minute, grab a nice hot cup of vanilla chai and think about all the things that happened - or perhaps didn't happen - in 2009.
A lot of my friends have shared their victories with me (gaining employment, launching businesses, etc.) and their seeming defeats (loss of a job or second income, death, divorce, etc.) and all I could do is smile through it all. Why? One, because I'm genuinely happy for their victories and I know that what appears as a defeating or hopeless situation will eventually reveal a victory to be had. Besides, being hateful about someone's success or sitting with a look of despair is not going to help or hinder the situation. It might cause the loss of a good friend or two though.
So last night I started thinking about all the lessons I learned in 2009. I mapped all the "good" things and the "bad" things that happened and I came up with two conclusions:
1. There are no good and bad situations. There are only situations. The labeling of a particular situation as good or bad is completely up to the individual. The situation itself just is. If we simply experience the ebb and flow of what life brings our way we will find our selves in a much happier place. Why? Because we will have developed the ability to enjoy the up moments and accept and overcome the not so up moments.
2. The bad times do not last. They may seem like nights of never-ending shadow and gloom but eventually light always pierces the darkness and we see relief and can move on with our lives. Additionally, I'd like to think that with serious investigation we should be able to pinpoint more 'ups' than 'downs'. If not, then there's something that needs mending and I think everything, in some form or fashion can be mended.
Those are just some of the things I learned during 2009. So what's on the agenda for 2010?
EXPANSION & GROWTH!
I'm going to employ a 4-step method to do just that; here it is:
Reflect - Basically, what I discussed above. I'm looking back at the past 365 to what what worked, what didn't and what was wasted away. I'm going to sit down and write a list of these things and keep them on the wall over my desk so that I can always have a reference to keep me on the path to expansion and growth.
Regroup - For this step I'm going to access and reaccess all the activities that didn't prove useful or ended up just being time wasters. These things will either be recycled (take the good elements of the activity and repurpose then into something useful) or discarded altogether. This is what I call regathering or reclaiming your energy.
Pursue (Not Just Plan) - Most of us do a lot of planning - I "plan" to lose weight or I "plan" to write my first book. Heck, I '"planned" on becoming a professional blogger way before 2009 (chuckles)! Yes, planning is important but not as important as implementing that plan. Remember it's called action, not plan-tion!
Succeed! - By ding the things above I can all but guarantee that I will be successful - or at least more successful - at achieving my goals in 2010.
Meditate on This: for this week I'd like to post a line from one of my favorite Japanese Animation movies called Shadowskill and it goes: "I am invincible! My Shadowskill is perfectly honed! (My favorite part of the mantra) The force of my blow has no equal!" Gotta love it! Hit me up if you need a translation of what the heck that means. [wink]
What are some of the lessons you learned in 2009? How do you plan on making a bigger impact on your goals for 2010? Talk to me! :o)
Have a PERFECT day!
Michael Stagg
Have a PERFECT day!
Michael Stagg
Definitely hear ya, Mike. I actually learned a great deal about myself and realized that I'm pretty doggone amazing (lol), but have been lazy making the moves I need to. I want to keep the fire that I enter 2010 with throughout the year, sounds like you do also. We can do it :-)!
ReplyDeleteI definitely feel you on this! It seems like you and I had similar experiences this year. And that part about losing a friend or two was especially timely-I bought my first place this year and didn't have any support from people that proclaimed themselves to be my friend, simply because I was doing something they couldn't. That is NOT what friendship is about. I wish them well, but their season in my life has passed.
ReplyDelete@ CG: Yes! You ARE Amazing! We ALL Are! The problem is not enough of us tell ourselves that. That'spart of my mission in 2010 and beyond: To help people realize how amazing they are! I'd love to help you achieve your goals in the coming year; let's talk!
ReplyDelete@Tabitha: A lot of our "friends" only claim us when we can do something that benefits them. You did the right thing by letting them - and their false friendship - go. How can I help you maximize your true friendships as me move into the next decade of the new millennium?
Thanks Mike, I think we all need these encouraging words from time to time. What a good way to close the year of 2009 and expecting a better one with new spirit and hope. Wish you best in 2010 and pleasure to meet you.
ReplyDelete@wchingya
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Thanks Ching Ya! I think regardless of the type of year we had we must always keep the faith that better times are ahead. Thanks for posting and I wish you success as deep as the ocean in 2010 and beyond!
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