Celebrate and Acknowledge!/2012 A Banner Year

Oh my.....what a week it's been. There is so much I could write about..so much swirling around in my always ruminating head! It's the New Year! Do you feel the energy of a new beginning? I certainly do. Recently read an article about New Year's resolutions. Don't make 'em - you won't keep 'em. And it will make you feel like Charlie Brown and the football to be making the same vow year over year and then breaking the resolution year over year. It's not good for us when we revisit failure with more failure. So, don't make resolutions. Just feel the energy of a new year and be open to new possibilities. Be present.

I also think it's really important to take stock of what has passed and focus on what worked, what was accomplished. You might be surveying the landscape of your life critically right now, bemoaning the anemic things, the failed initiatives, the work yet to do. But how about what you DID accomplish in 2012? It was a dastardly difficult year for many of my friends but certainly there are things to celebrate and acknowledge!  My list looks something like this:

• I ended up the year thinner than when the year started.
• I got my hands around my finances, did battle with the IRS, got my cash flow under control. Still working on all of that, but mostly I did the work and slogged through some really difficult issues.
• I booked my first professional singing gig.
• I did Landmark and got a ton out of it - it is now an underpinning of a healthier life.
• I graduated from therapy! That should have been number one. Not only do I save $150/week but I now have interpersonal skills and self awareness I lacked before. I'm way nicer and happier than I used to be!
• I made amazing new friends and strengthened bonds with old friends.
• I didn't walk away from friendships (my old M.O.) when people hurt me.
• I survived a year without Patrick...loving him still but learning to live well even with the empty spot in my heart.
• I got my office moved - shed myself of the overhead of that huge empty storefront. I adore my new home office thanks to Victor.
• I got organized, taking on projects that begged to be done - no longer scary corners of my house filled with crap. I'm getting simple and Zen.
• I maintained my beauty - took care of my appearance.
• I took the Getting Things Done seminar and I'm now getting things done!
• more, more more

Sure I could also list the stuff I stumbled with and the crappy things like falling down the stairs and reinjuring my knee. I lost a dear friend due to a disagreement (recently reached out to her but she is apparently not interesting in working things out). There were deaths. Wait!  I'm not going to go there..not going to create the list of shame and sorrow! 2012 was a banner year in ways that count.  I learned, I grew, I finished things, I stayed in the game. I'm still here.

Your challenge today could be putting pen to paper and listing all the things that were good about the past year. I'm sure there is a lot you can be grateful for and proud about. 

Peace and let's have a kick ass 2013!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sarah