Happy 2015!
It’s a brand new year and many of us view it as an
opportunity to set new goals, strive for new achievements, and to find
redemption and renewal. There are so many different ways a new year can bring
hope, and yet, sometimes we start off setting the bar so high, we can never
realistically hope to achieve our goals. I happen to be one of those people who
set the bar so high I can never find a ladder tall enough to reach the dang bar
in the first place! So here are some of my resolutions for this year. If I am
actually learning from my past mistakes, these will make meeting my goals fun
and exciting this year, and if I haven’t learned anything, then the first blog
post for next January ought to be a real hoot!
Resolution 1: don’t take it personally
Every week, I am left feeling hurt by encounters with
people. There are opinions and comments that, although not directed at me
personally, leave me feeling as though I have been personally attacked by
people. For example, last night someone told me they never saw the point of
reading a book. For them it was a waste of time that could be used to actually
accomplish something, and I was devastated. The person actually said they didn’t
mean to put me down, but for them to imply that I was among those who “waste”
their lives in pages of books left me feeling angry, hurt, and not just a
little betrayed. This person meant no personal implications, but I couldn’t
help but find them, and I know this will not be the last time, but I resolve to
remind myself to step back before I take personal offense to something and to
determine if a comment is meant as a personal jab, or just a general opinion.
Resolution 2: try to forgive
This year I realized there are many things I’ve told myself I
have forgiven people for, but when I really sat down and thought about it, I haven’t.
Once someone has hurt you it is very difficult to trust that person again, and in
the cases where multiple hurt has been inflicted by one person, there are very
strong walls, and a very deeply rooted mistrust. I am not sure what this
journey will look like for me, but this year I resolve to begin forgiving. This
does not mean I will accept mistreatment, this does not mean I will trust
certain people, nor will I allow them to return to my life, this only means, I am
choosing not to punish myself by holding on to the hurt. I will love myself
enough to learn how to forgive, and I will grow stronger for it.
I’m going to stop my list here for now. Knowing myself, new
resolutions will spring up as I progress through these two and I can’t wait to
share this year with you! Thank you faithful readers, I truly appreciate your
dedication to my blog and I look forward to writing more for you this year!
