It's going to be the best year ever!
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
That was the message I got ... in the very first minutes of 2011 ... from someone who is important to me ... someone who's place in my life ... remains ... undefined ...
It made me feel special ... in the moment ... so I thanked him for such a nice wish ... and the instantaneous response was ....
It's HIS will.
A surprise message from an unexpected source ... kinda sorta like a fun fortune in one of those cookies ... that's how my "new" year started ...
I have wandered through the days ... the weeks ... the months since then with that little tidbit tucked away in my heart ... and it pops up ... the thought of it ... all on its own ... an unexpected word of encouragement from an unexpected source.
The year has been full of stuff ... so far ... actually full of overwhelming stuff ... and I am not sure that I have reached a place yet ...that allows me to see clearly ... whether the outcomes are more positive or negative ... whether real progress is being made in my life ... in the lives of those who are most important to me ... or not ...
... not yet ...
There's been a lot of challenges ... pruning ... changes ... hurting ... healing. So my guess is that real progress IS being made ... time will tell ....
I've been learning things. That's for sure. Things about myself ... that may have always been part of who I am ... just dormant for a very long time. And maybe not. It's possible that some of these things are brand-new & fresh ...
Impatiently waiting patiently ... for what's coming next. I've been doing that for what seems like a very long time. Reality is ... it's only been as long as ... the blink of an eye ... the snap of a finger ... the flip of a switch from "off" to "on".
June 2011 will always be remembered by me ... as the waiting month. Waiting for the plumber ... waiting for the new dishwasher ... waiting for the cable man ... waiting on the old client ... waiting on new opportunities.
And for most of the year, I was simply waiting for June ... expectantly ... because of that pesky raincheck ... that was first offered over a single candle ... very early in the year.
And for most of the year, I was simply waiting for June ... expectantly ... because of that pesky raincheck ... that was first offered over a single candle ... very early in the year.
There comes a time, you know, when there's too many candles ... it becomes harder & harder to determine which ONE is the one that counts ... the one you are supposed to make the wish on ...
So on this particular cake ... there was only one candle ... to keep it simple ... to make it easy to focus ... one candle ... one wish ... just before it was blown out the observation was made ... that possibly a little thought should be given to this one ... because it was just one wish ... and maybe it was important ...
... yeah ... maybe it was.
So the raincheck was offered up ... after the reality of the situation set in. A month or so later ... an attempt to redeem it was made ... on a snow day ...
"Not now ... not yet ... maybe in June" ...
Rainchecks are interesting things. They represent something that is offered ... that you think you want ... but when you go to get it ... it's somehow unavailable. And you wonder ... was it really available when the offer was put out there? ... Or was it just a gimmick to lure you in? ... To determine the level of interest .. the demand ... for what was being offered?
Sometimes ... if it's something you really want ... and are willing to wait for ... a raincheck is offered ... and accepted. It's the promise ... of an unrealized opportunity ... to be redeemed at some future date.
Rainchecks are generally received with enthusiasm ... with every intention of being used ... of enjoying whatever it is ... sometime in the not too distant future ... like June.
It's not uncommon, though, for them to be tucked away for safekeeping ... and forgotten ... only to be rediscovered at some much later time ... after the expiration date has come & gone.
At that point ... it is simply a flimsy reminder ... of an opportunity for something special ... that's been lost.
That's exactly what it feels like ... my raincheck that was given freely over a single candle ... validated on a snow day ... to be redeemed in June ... maybe ...
Turns out ... it was nothing more than a wish ... for a chance ... at something special ... that has never come to pass ... and I wonder, how long is "not yet"?
Just about as long as "maybe" ... I guess ..
Just about as long as "maybe" ... I guess ..
June has ended ... July is here.
In the business world, July is often the beginning of the the NEW year .. the fiscal year ... the re-evaluating of public revenues & public debt ... that's what fiscal means ... somehow, I get that.
In my world ... July is the beginning of a new year, too. My life is lived out from one July to the next ... because lives begin on the day you are born ... and the days that make a year ... in a life ... are counted ... one-by-one ...
from that day forward.
from that day forward.
I woke up yesterday ... it was the first day of July ... the first day after June ... and the first thought of the day was about that wish that was sent my way ... at the beginning of the traditional year ... about the best year ever ... and I was thinking ...
Yeah ... well not so much ... not this year ... not yet ...
Being the word snob that I am ... I decided this might be a good time to take a closer look at "best" because like so many other things in life ... quite possibly the meaning has been lost or distorted somehow ... along the way ...
... and sure 'nuff, I was right ...
...hmmm ... "most productive of good" ... that probably doesn't always mean ... easy ... or fun ...
Then it occurred to me that the wish was intended for MY new year ... not the new year of the rest of the world ... and MY new year doesn't start for a couple more days.
Then it occurred to me that the wish was intended for MY new year ... not the new year of the rest of the world ... and MY new year doesn't start for a couple more days.
So I decided to sit down ... and review the resolutions I made for myself as this new year started ... to see where I am at ... with those ... and how far I still need to go ... to get there ... where I want to go ...
as MY new year begins to unfold.
as MY new year begins to unfold.
Honest. Before I even had my first cup of coffee ... I was thinking about reviewing & re-establishing my New Year's resolutions.
I never make this stuff up.
I never make this stuff up.
Coffee in hand ... I decided to check my email ... before I took a look at those resolutions ...
Just a few minutes first ... for those positive messages that fill my inbox ... either because of subscriptions to things or forwards from friends ... and the daily readings of my horoscope that amuse me so much ... because God often uses them to poke ... and prod me ... by sending me surprise messages ... that affirm what He's already telling me ... from unexpected sources.
Just a few minutes first ... for those positive messages that fill my inbox ... either because of subscriptions to things or forwards from friends ... and the daily readings of my horoscope that amuse me so much ... because God often uses them to poke ... and prod me ... by sending me surprise messages ... that affirm what He's already telling me ... from unexpected sources.
Today's Solar Eclipse can be a harbinger of an energetic shift
within your family. You could bury your head in the sand and be totally surprised by what happens,
or you can co-create your future by living the change you seek.
Start by sitting down and writing a list of resolutions,
as if it is New Year's Day.
as if it is New Year's Day.
And I wonder anew ... why am I always surprised when He does that to me ?!?! Seriously. You'd think I'd see it coming ... by now ... but I never do ...
Not yet.
So I went back to my very first blog post of the year -
January 1, 2011 New Year's Resolutions - and here's what I found:
Choose happy ...
People before things ... always ...
Pray more ... wish less ...
Follow my heart ... whereever it leads ... at all costs ...
People before things ... always ...
Pray more ... wish less ...
Follow my heart ... whereever it leads ... at all costs ...
Be open to new adventures ...
Let someone in ... even if it hurts ...
Focus less on changing ... & more on being ... who I am ...
Focus less on changing ... & more on being ... who I am ...
Don't lose sight of what's really important ---
like hand-holding & smiles ...
Embrace what's coming next with
joy & enthusiasm ...
Believe ...
Pretty sure I am going to stick with those resolutions ... and tomorrow ... I will make MY birthday wish ... it's not a secret ... what it's going to be ... it's the same wish that was offered to me on New Year's Day ... by someone who was on the verge of their personal new year ... at the time.
Sure hope they are grasping the concept of "most productive for good" as they continue to navigate their way through the changes ... resulting from that single wish ... made over the single candle ... because there's no doubt ... it is important.
... the best year ever ...
That's my wish. I am embracing it confidently. Because "It's His will". That's what my friend said. And I believe him ... and Him.
... it's a raincheck ... with NO expiration date ... I'll take it ...
yes, indeed ... all that & a bag of ... M&Ms ...
Happy Birthday to ME!
www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com
(c)July 2011
serendipity!
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