resolutions

Well, here we are in a new year! Hallelujah! We are back from a wonderful trip to Australia, our other home, and thrust head first into reality. Work, daycare, cooking, cleaning, planning...you know!

For some of us the New Year is a time to reflect on the past and revise our selves with resolutions for the coming year. Sometimes we want to get fit and thin, in the hopes that being fit and thin will make us more popular or improve our love lives. Some  want to give up some particular vice, like pasta or wine, in hopes of improving ones health. Some just want to make more money so life can be more comfortable. Some of us throw our hands in the air and say 'what ever', nothing will change! And then there are those who find themselves in a perfect state of bliss. Finally everything has fallen into place and life is good! A show of hands? Hmmmm, no one? Really?

Well, Thank God for that! I mean really think about it. If life was perfect what would we work on? What would we do? How would we occupy our minds and expand our spirits? I think we would all suffer a fate worse then death if life suddenly became really easy. We would become shallow, vacuous, self serving shells of human beings. Suddenly our potential for greatness would shrivel up and fall off the proverbial vine. We would be like the little boneless fat people in Walli, floating through space waiting for Earth to become liveable again.
So my thinking is that every problem we encounter in life is an opportunity to step forth into greatness. through every problem we learn something new. We expand and grow. We become better through the process of working out the problem. If we can choose to change our perspectives and look at problems as opportunities for growth, I think we become closer to our true spiritual nature.
Last year was not the best year for me. It was not the worst year either. But it was a shifting year. And it did take the entire year to make the shift. I had problems with myself, problems with friends, problems with family. I spent so much time caring for everyone else and not much time caring for me. I was fighting against the current. There are lots of things I would like to change about myself. So I have resolutions. But the top of the resolution list, and most important, is Acceptance.
If I can truly accept myself then it will not matter if I fulfil my other resolutions to loose weight and be more creative, as I am still loveable, love handles and all. If I accept my children as they are they will always feel loved. If I accept my friends as they are they will always feel comfortable with me. If I accept my life as it is then I will find joy instead of frustration. If I can do this one thing, then all other things become possible.
This is not to say that I won't continue to try and be rich and thin!

Happy New Year!