CENTERS' PIECE: Merry Christmas: Take a Healthy Look Back
As the end of 2011 approaches, people often start focusing on their New Year’s Resolutions and what they want to do better in the upcoming year. I happen to think there is great value in looking BACK at the things that were done well instead of focusing on what you lacked or the goals you didn’t achieve. Too many times we don’t give ourselves credit for even the small things we do that have a positive effect on ourselves, our families or someone we happen to come into contact with. And when we hear about someone who has started a charity , donated a large sum of money or contributed time building/rebuilding homes for the poor, we might think of ourselves as selfish or lazy. I decided to evaluate my 2011 and focus on the things I did well and decided to share my list in the hope that you might start with mine and construct your own. Review is the key to acknowledging, appreciating and celebrating
>> Random acts of kindness: I describe these as acts that can cost you nothing or very little monetarily…letting a car out in front of you when the roads are crowded; helping someone in a wheelchair reach something on a higher shelf in the grocery store; stopping to help someone pick up things that were dropped, letting the other person go in line in front of you when you reach the checkout line at the same time, etc.
>> Make a friend/or friends: This sounds easy but in our busy world we often go to work, go home start all over again the next day. We may have friendly people in our lives but not people we intentionally become friends with. My own life was enriched by 11 friends when I was asked to join a Bunco group. I can’t imagine my life without them now.
>> Educate yourself: You don’t have to be enrolled in an institute of higher education for this. Educating yourself could be something as simple as learning a new program on your computer, reading a book and learning a new word, philosophy, culture, etc. Did you learn a word or two of a different language, something about your community you didn’t know before? All these things apply.
>> Engage in intentional service to your community, neighborhood, children’s school or church: Something as simple as being a greeter at church, blowing leaves off your neighbor’s sidewalk or mowing the little strip between your two houses that really belongs to him … that counts! Baking cookies for teacher appreciation or donating a box of Kleenex to your child’s class also counts.
>> Mentor: Helping a new coworker learn the ropes at work, giving tips to the neighborhood all-time quarterback … anything that involves you sharing knowledge with someone is considered mentoring.
Whether you did all of these and more or none of these at all, my hope is that you will look back at the past year and acknowledge, appreciate and celebrate the things you did very well or good enough, give yourself a pat on the back and approach the New Year being a little less hard on yourself.
