So Long 2012: Hello 2013

I was once told that in the 1830s a bill was put before the United States Congress to close the patent office because everything that could be discovered had surely been discovered by then. Therefore, there was no more need for a patent office. I don’t know if that is urban myth or if it actually happened, but even if it didn’t happen I’m sure there were people in the 1830s that thought there would be no more inventions.

In hindsight and knowing all that has been discovered since 1830, you and I can laugh at how absurd that idea was. But if we had been living in the 1830s we may have been among the naysayers. Naysayers only believe what they can see and what they have experienced and even then they are jaundiced by negative perceptions.

On this last day of 2012, I think there is something to learn from this. A new year brings with it new beginnings and who knows what wonders await us? We can be naysayers and think that the future will be exactly like the past—nothing new, nothing better. Or we can be excited about the possibilities of what is to come—new things to learn, new friends to make, new experiences, new growth, new tender mercies and miracles. As Mr. J's mission president, Stephen R. Covey, used to tell us every time we saw him, "The best is yet to come!"

So as the clock begins to strike to take us into 2013, I hope you begin the year by thinking, “The best is about to begin,” and then expect it.

No More New Year's Resolutions!

The new year is fast approaching and the time has come when people choose their New Year's Resolutions. But I've found that a list of goals becomes overwhelming and by the end of January I'm discouraged and done with resolutions so I don't set goals instead I pick a Word of the Year. I have loved the benefit doing this has brought to my life! Three years ago my word was rejuvenate, two years ago grateful, and this year it was anchored.

To make the Word of the Year work best choose a verb—an action word—and then constantly remind yourself of your Word of the Year. For example, when I chose rejuvenate, I let the word underscore everything I did. If I was cleaning house, I’d think about rejuvenating it—doing it better and/or more effectively than ever before. If I was studying, I’d think about rejuvenating my studies—having more enthusiasm and excitement in my study. If I was with friends, I’d think about rejuvenating my friendship—not taking friendship for granted but cherishing it and giving more to it. Instead of feeling like something extra or burdensome to do (like a goal often seems), a word resolution simply enhances and invigorates everything I am already doing. In this way I help the natural process of letting the Spirit renew and guide me day by day without getting discouraged or being tempted to give up. I love it!

I'll share my 2013 Word in a day or two (It won't surprise any of you who have been following Good News! for long.) but in the meantime, what words are you thinking about? And what experiences did you have last year with your 2012 Word of the Year?

(Just for fun leave a comment and guess my 2012 Word.)

Resolutions

A new year and a new decade is approaching. For years I always made new resolutions as part of my celebration. Like most people I didn’t keep all of them, but I find that when striving for a goal even if I don’t keep it all the time I do better than if I have no goal at all. But last year D1 introduced me to something that I really enjoyed doing and so I thought I’d pass the idea along to you.

Instead of goals or resolutions last year I choose one word to define my year: positive. All year long I repeated the word and thought about being positive and finding the positive in any situation or in other people. The surprising thing was to watch how one word made such a difference in my life. I’d start to feel discouraged or sad at something that was happening and then I’d catch myself and simply say, “Positive, Sherrie, positive,” and the feelings would change and I’d start to see things differently; I’d see the good instead of the bad. It never felt oppressive or burdensome like goals sometimes do. I never had that, “I have to do this” feeling.

This year I had trouble deciding between the words simplify and rejuvenate. I finally choose rejuvenate. I want to rejuvenate old friendships, present friendships, my Church calling, my teaching, my prayers, my faith, my health, my life—everything! Whatever I’m doing I’m going to put more enthusiasm and effort into it and see how I can do it a little better. I’ll let you know how it goes.

If any of you want to pick a word and make a "word resolution" leave a comment here about the word you have chosen. That way we can get ideas from each other and besides that committing to something in writing always makes the commitment stronger. We'll help each other keep our commitments!

Happy new word!

Let Go and Let God Lead!

Every day when I awake I find the scar looking better. My hair has grown a fraction of an inch. My strength is coming back. I’ve never looked at those kinds of things as miracles, but now I do. Think about it. I am doing nothing to make any of that happen! I just leave it to God and He makes it happen. Let your mind wander a little more and the majesty of the miracle is astounding. I am doing nothing to keep this world rotating or to hold it in its place in the vast universe. God does all that! I am doing nothing to breathe, and yet every moment I take in life’s breath. My heart keeps on beating without me doing anything to make it happen. Somehow the pinto bean salad I ate yesterday is being changed into nutrients which in turn become blood cells, skin, energy, hormones and everything else that is needed to help heal my wounds and fuel my body. Amazing!

One of the reasons I think this amazes me so much is that I was raised in a very goal oriented family. My father read all the self-help books about setting goals and then left them on my bed for me to read. My mother wasn’t into the reading, but I’ve never met such a task oriented person in my life. If you took away her to-do list, I’m sure she’d curl up and die. There was a valuable work ethic for me in this environment that I am very grateful for, but what I am learning now is that I’m not in charge. Just as God keeps my body going, and the earth rotating, He’ll guide me to the things I need to do. He knows why He sent me here. I can see now that much of my goal setting and striving has been counterproductive.

God sent me here to earth for a purpose. To discover that purpose I need to ask myself, “What am I here to give?” and then give it. When I do that I tap into the spiritual and open myself to all kinds of possibility and happiness. If I get caught up in “What am I here to get?” I trap myself in the confining boundaries of the ego, and I wander in unhappiness.

I just wish I’d learned this earlier. I wish I had done a better job of teaching my children this. Life isn’t about grades or which schools you can get into or what scholarships you earn or what type clothes you wear or even what you achieve. Life is about discovering what you have to give and then doing everything you can to make the world a better place by giving what only you can give.

But I’ve got to repent. There is nothing I can do about the past. Wishing won’t help at all. Instead I must move on and trust that God will teach them what I failed to teach them. But then, my children are wonderful. They’ve probably already learned it!