All day I have been thinking about what, if any, New Year’s resolutions I would make. As you can see, I am a big fan of choosing to make change one manageable step at a time. I like looking back after a period of time and seeing the progress that was made using that approach.
Two years ago today, I was curled up on the couch, waiting for 2009 to end and 2010 to start. Since then I began a global, spiritual interfaith journey in 2010 and wrote a book about it in 2011. I look forward to sharing that book with you in 2012.
One thing that I will be doing in 2012 is not a New Year’s resolution,per se, but it was a birthday resolution. It’s called Running Towards 40, Representing for 1972. I started it in November, and have started a blog about it (it’s mostly pictures now, but I will write more about my experiences as in the New Year!) Come by and visit. I hope that this will be the basis for a physical transformation, just as My First 52 Weeks of My52WOW provided the basis for a spiritual transformation.
Other than that, I am keeping the resolution list short.
First: Be Open. One of the best lessons I learned from My First 52 Weeks came when I participated in a Kirtan- a form of devotional chanting with roots in India. During the presentation, the leader discussed heart-opening techniques, sharing:
“Life throws us things we don’t want to open up our heart for.” The more challenging, but more rewarding response, she encouraged us, was to stop saying no all the time, open our hearts anyway and let ourselves be transformed.”
It takes courage to say yes to life, and to stay open to what life has to offer. In 2012, along with all that running, I will keep my heart open, as much as I possibly can. I will continue to share the wild and wonderful worship experiences that I have with you here on this site, and will be sharing the spiritual journeys of others as well. I am excited about the future!
And Second: Less Social Networking, and more celebration of face to face relationships. Dunno. A friend of mine hinted to me that I spend too much time with technology (point well taken)…next year I am going to spend more time, face to face, with the fantastic friends that I have, and the new friends I hope to make as I share my stories.
I wish you all a fantastic new year, and a mighty 2012.
My 52 Weeks of Worship Project 
This year (2011) has been a challenging for me and as the winter holidays approached I realized how angry I have been about a situation I am in that is beyond my control. At least once a day I have allowed my anger to impact negatively on my life and health. I actually have good reason to be angry; life is not fair and sometimes we do have to shoulder more burden than we should have to in order to make sure someone else (who is unable to care for themselves) is safe and well and fed. And I am sick of it. I’m exhausted. By a lucky accident I have found a support group and have been learning ways to set boundaries and deal with my anger. After several meetings I have decided to work on practicing gratitude and not letting the situation control me. I feel better when I am calm and, when I feel the anger coming on, I purposely change my thinking, actions, words, and location or combinations thereof.. These are small steps but I am hoping to get to the point I can throw the switch and turn the anger into a more positive emotion. So it is, in a way, a New Year’s Resolution although I will be struggling with this for a long time because it is a difficult thing for me to do.
Posted by Anne-Marie | January 2, 2012, 2:13 pmAnne-Marie, I wish you all the best as you deal with the challenges that last year brought and the breakthroughs that lie ahead of you in this New Year. Life is sometimes challenging, and sometimes we have intense emotions as we walk through life and interact with others. But my wish for you, my supportive friend, is a continued journey towards peace. I know how it feels to be exhausted, and I know how it feels to realize that I am not alone, and that there are people out there who can provide support, and love, and kindness. How is your January going so far?
Posted by my52wow | January 9, 2012, 7:28 pm