The New Year is knocking at the door! Are you going to fling it open and welcome the new possibilities or are you going to peer warily out the peephole?
Many of my friends would agree that 2009 has been a little rough. Well, maybe a lot rough. We’re just talking personal experience and not including the economy, the war, or anything on a national level. Although any one of those things would definitely qualify as the catalyst for a suck year. For me, 2008 started bad, ended good. 2009 has been a repeat. I’m really hoping that is not a pattern to guide 2010! It’s tempting to give the new year the evil eye to ward off whatever ghosts of years past might try to follow us, so I have compiled a few quotes to help induce the good vibes and keep the ghosts from harshing our mellow.
Never take life too seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway. Isn’t that the truth? Does it really matter what you did or left behind as a legacy? Unless you really put yourself out there and let people know who you are, is anyone going to remember you when you’re gone? This quote is the best way I know to illustrate what is really important in life. People don’t remember what you said or did, but rather how you made them feel.
It’s true that we don’t know what we’ve got until we lose it, but it’s also true that we don’t know what we’ve been missing until it arrives. We take too much for granted without realizing it until it is taken away. That becomes the lesson. Appreciate and respect those closest to you and take the opportunity to tell them how you feel. Seriously, in this day and age of communication, take the time right now to send a text, email, or make a call to tell that someone special how you feel. The feeling of apprehension prior to telling someone you love them is insignificant compared to the sorrow of never getting the chance.
Constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil. –Jerry Garcia. I think this just goes without saying. If your choices are not good ones, you need to find a new set of choices.
The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do. Just like the best way to get even with those who have done you wrong is to do well. There is a certain amount of satisfaction obtained from proving others wrong. Success is many things to many people, but if you are happy with your life, others will see that and understand you succeeded on your own, without their input. They are the same ones who will say you cannot do something because their insecurities won’t allow them to try.
The only reason people get lost in thought is because it’s unfamiliar territory. Too often people don’t stop and think before reacting. Pay attention the next time you are listening to someone talk. Are you really hearing what they are saying, or are you already formulating a response before they are finished? People say lots of things, but the words don’t mean anything unless you understand the context from which they are given forth. In your next conversation, stop and think about why someone is saying what they are. Ask them why they feel that way. That tiny question is a gigantic validation for their feelings and will add depth to what you think you already know about them.
The road to success is always under construction. Isn’t that the truth? I was navigating the potholes and orange barrels just fine until someone blew up a bridge right underneath me. This is all figuratively speaking of course, and though it didn’t take me long to find an alternate route, the progress has been slow. My detour is turning out to be for the better, but it is still a tough road. The positive thought from this is that as long as you are making forward progress, everything will be okay. It’s not about the destination, it’s about the trip.
And in the end it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.-Abraham Lincoln. Do you know anyone who has said they wished they would have worked harder? Saved more money? Exercised more? Most laments are from places not explored, chances not taken, words not spoken. Take the time to make memories. Make a bucket list for yourself, only don’t wait until the last years to make good on it. Start the list and start checking things off right now. You will never be in good enough shape, have enough money or enough time, so just cut loose and do it.
Advice is worth what you pay for it. But I know something in this has spurred that little voice in the back of your head. Don’t ignore that. It’s there for a reason. Go ahead and take a chance, live a little. Life is short. Eat dessert first!
Happy New Year 2010!!
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