New Year, New You
Every year, people set New Year’s resolutions and become discouraged when they can’t keep up with them. There are a couple of reasons for this. The first, is they make unrealistic resolutions. Are you really going to give up something you love, such as chocolate? The second reason is that there is no real life changing passion behind such a resolution.
I have found that when I have made a real change,there was a life changing event that caused a shift in attitude, which led to a positive result. This was not necessarily at the turn of the new year. There have been three examples to date that I can recall.
The first is humorous, yet still an example of how experience affects our thought process. In the sixth grade, my neighborhood friends had discovered a discarded fortune telling game in the alley. I didn’t feel comfortable playing with it. Just to spook me, they asked it what year I was going to die. It said 1982.
This was the year the planets aligned, I graduated from high school and turned eighteen. In the news, doomsday predictors said the world would come to an end. That never happened. I graduated from high school. I turned eighteen. Well, as silly as it sounds, I waited up until midnight, December 31, 1982 and when I didn’t die, I fell asleep. That had been on my mind for six years.
The second and most profound incident was my decision to go back to college and finish my degree. My children were in about first grade. I was fired from a part-time kindergarten aide position because I misspelled a word and because I wasn’t firm enough in disciplining the children.
As I walked home, I was humiliated. With tears rolling down my cheek, I pulled my baseball cap over my sunglasses. As I was doing some self talk, I vowed that I would go back to school and get a degree, so I could be my own boss.
When I arrived home, there happened (coincidence or destiny) to be a brochure in the mailbox about a returning adult program at a local college. I made an appointment with the financial aide office and enrolled in school. It was the best decision I’ve ever made. Once I obtained my degree, I obtained a professional job, which opened new doors of opportunity and confidence to try new things.
The third incident was earlier this year, when I survived a car accident that could have ended in serious injury or even death. Somehow, after the accident, I didn’t let small things bother me anymore. I decided that the world would have to solve it’s own problems. I am still available to help others, but try to go to sleep at nice with peace on my mind.
As you think about your New Year’s resolutions, don’t stress over things you can’t change. Change the things you can and decide what really matters.
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Author, Laura Schroeder, has experienced life change first hand. To join an online community of care, visit her website at http://lauramschroeder.com There, you will see the blog, hear podcast stories and see offered available products. To contact Laura, email at laura@lauramschroeder.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laura_Schroeder |
Posted: December 28th, 2009 under Goal Setting, Other Recommended Authors.
Tags: Achievement, Action Steps, New Years Resolutions, Success
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