The Party’s Over or Is It?
New Year’s Day is finally here.
2006 is behind us.
Christmas, other holiday celebrations and New Year’s Eve parties are all done but the cleaning up and the mild headache associated with a bit of imbibing.
Then there is the date change. If you’re like me, it will take a few checks to make the mistake of writing 2006 before we get in the habit of writing 2007. After all, we’ve been doing it now for 356 days.
Visiting family and friends are on their way home. Your house can get back to normal.
Then there was the rush to get last minute donations in order to get a good tax benefit from them. It’s all said and done now. No chance to change it.
In addition to all this, and for all the hours it took to get Christmas decorations up, many of our friends and family already have the lights down, the decorations put away, and a house back to some semblance of normal.
Yes, the party is over.
Or is it?
There are some things to think about as we begin 2007. Consider these.
1. We’ve had a renewed sense of hope and a significant reminder that spirituality can be and is important to us and others around us.
2. For those of us who want to effect changes in our own life, it’s a time of reflections and renewal that we may be able to make some positive adjustments to our lives.
3. We had a chance to deepen connections with family and friends. This may just make our 2007 a happier one as we continue nurturing those relationships.
4. 2007 brings opportunity to offer our skills and financial resources to others who are less fortunate than us. It’s a clean slate of time and talent sharing just waiting for us to embrace the needs of others.
5. This year brings us the opportunity to decide how we can effect change through various political arenas. While all of us may not be passionate about this as others, there are many of us who will make a difference thought actively participating in the political life of our country – even if only at the polls. Yes, 2007 gives us a clean slate to work on making positive changes in local, state, and national political arenas.
6. 2007 also gives us the opportunity to take better care of the world and environment we live it. Becoming more aware of how we use the natural resources we are blessed with is going to be critical for us and our future generation’s survival. Conserving and being kinder to our environment will be important for all of us to consider in 2007.
7. Becoming a better parent or caregiver is even more important in 2007. No one said it would be easy, but taking care of children or ailing parents is a task many of us are facing today. 2007 brings a renewal of that responsibility to those of us in those positions. We must both raise responsible citizens and take care of those who sacrificed much for us. Find resources around you that will enable you to be better at those tasks.
8. One last thought. Taking care of ourselves. Now that is probably one of the most important ones we can consider. Making even subtle changes in our lives will help us all be better for us and the ones in love.
My wish for you today – as we begin 2007 – is that you embrace positive actions in your daily life that will have a profound impact on you, those you love and care for, and those you work for. You may just find that making these efforts will afford you the best year of your life yet.
~Joellen
Tomorrow I spend time on one more very important consideration for 2007. Since, to me, this one is the most important of all of the things we should consider, it will have it’s own “day.”