A brave new year.
I’ve spent the first week of this month pondering my New Year’s resolution. Honestly, I haven’t had a resolution in God knows how long. I don’t keep them and it always ends up not reflecting what I intended at the time I made the resolution.
Two years ago, I incorporated a “New Word” of the year. Everyone was doing it and so I tried it too. You know what happened? Nothing. Six months later, I forgot the “Word”.
“Resolutions” and “Word of the Year” don’t work for me.
On recent afternoon while on Christmas break, my daughters begged me to go outside. They were bored of staying in. It was a cold day, so we bundled up and headed out. They wanted to romp around and make snow angels as well as play explorers on a mission. As I observed my kids, it dawned on me—my wish for 2016. They were living in the moment, exploring their surroundings, solving made-up problems, braving each step ahead of them with a curiosity to reach an intended goal—the other side of the driveway without getting eaten up by giant polar bears.
By taking one step at a time using a jump rope, two shovels, and one pail, they were deliberate and intentional with their decision-making process. Their comments and responses to my questions as to the “whys” and “how” they were going to make it to the other side—alive and not frozen in the deep snow where wolves and vultures would come and suck out their blood, was amazing. Children are so keen on finding simple solutions to difficult tasks.
Each of our so called “resolutions” and “one word(s)” should include all of what they experienced…for our whole year and every year after. It’s a lifestyle and mindset change. Taking a risk, and living the life of an adventurer because you just never know when wolves and vultures will deter you…
