~Mark Twain
Hi, again!
I’m back to share with you my New Year’s goal. That’s goaL, singular. :)
Last year I crashed and burned on my list that seemed so reachable during the first week of January, when DC was home and on vacation! It was a great list!
It was just impossible for someone with my life and my abilities. But by golly, I learned from the experience of trying. Shucks.
Around the beginning of last November I noticed something about my appearance that gave me the inspiration for this year’s goaL. It was truly alarming to me. (no, not my weight, although like everyone else in this country, I do plan to do something about that! :)
(this is an old picture – the problem I am facing is even worse now – it shows up without the scowl)
Do you see what I’m talking about?
Here, let me zoom in. . . . .
OY!
Those mad-mom wrinkles are getting WAY too deep. When I noticed that I can see them easily even when I’m not frowning, I realized that it was very likely because I had been becoming a pretty negative-minded person over the past few months.
With the rapidity of a life-flashing-before-your-eyes moment, I could see that I was starting to be more critical in my thoughts, less grateful, quicker to get annoyed, more likely to believe the worst, etc. When I was a teenager or in my 20s that was not a big deal to my face. But now that I am a matronly 34, I am seeing that if I want those sweet smiley crow’s feet I admire on my parents and parents-in-law, I’m going to need to start putting them there!
And thus was my 2012 Goal born:
To have more smiley wrinkles and fewer frowny ones.
I like this goal because it’s a Becoming one, rather than a Doing one. Hopefully I have enough good habits that the most important Doing goals will keep getting done while I focus on Becoming the person I want to be when I’m 80.
Positive thoughts. Grateful ones. Kind and generous ones. Slower to get annoyed and quicker to laugh. More likely to believe the best. That’s where I’m headed this year! Oh, yeah!
So far, I am finding many things to smile about. Most especially, this beautiful event 16 days ago. . . .
Meet one of the newest members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Oh, how I love that sweet boy!
