Wednesday, December 29, 2021

My last blog for 2021...A new word for 2022

 


With being back in school, going to basketball games, and spending time with grandsons I haven't had much time to blog EXCEPT for the Wednesday Hodgepodge, thank you Joyce Daley for bringing this back.  

As the year is coming to a close, I began thinking about my WORD for 2022. I use to set resolutions but always ended up breaking them within a week.  This breaking of resolutions caused me to change my thinking and begin to think of a WORD for a year. A word to help me focus on the positive and guide me through decisions I might need to make. A word that was a gentle reminder for me to stay the course.  I even told my close friends my WORD and they often would remind me when I began to vent and rage about a situation.

Last year before choosing my word, I reflected on the past year.  I chose the word, RELEASE for my word of the year.  I wanted to release disappointment, anger, bitterness, control, and drama.  We all experience these in our life.  I was wasting my time on dwelling on disappointments (especially in people); I needed to let go of the disappointment and celebrate life.  Anger/bitterness was draining my energy.  I was reliving my past and being so angry/bitter. Because I was reliving my past, I wasn't enjoying the present. We all love some type of drama...tv shows are full of drama.  But I needed to block out all the drama and begin living right now.  I wanted people to change and I had to learn no matter how hard I tried, some people will never change.  Many situations are beyond my control and I had to accept that.  ONLY Prayer can change people/circumstances.

Like I mentioned earlier, I told my friends my word that I had chosen.  Many times I would call my friends and they would help me through a circumstance....I would pray over a picture, cry, yell, and cry some more.  BUT my world Release always came to my mind.  Without question, I have learned to release.  When something happens (it always will) I just say Release and my feelings disappear.  Letting some things roll off your back is healthy for you.

With all this being said, My WORD for 2022 is EMBRACE.

I want to embrace others to be successful, embrace differences, embrace something new, embrace new learning, ...and whatever else I can think of.  I have made 62 trips around the sun.  Some years have been heartbreaking, but the majority of my years have been happy.  I want to embrace what time I have left.

EMBRACE 2022!

So until next time...Keep on Keepin On and Enjoy Life (which is my blog title!)


Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 





 yFrom this Side of the Pond



Thank you Joyce for picking the Wednesday Hodgepodge back up.  If you want to join, just hop on over.



1. How young is young? In the past, according to various organizations who decide these things, age 60 was the 'border age' to old. The World Health Organization has done new research recently and divided up the categories as-0-17 (underage), 18-65 (youth or young people), 66-79 (middle-aged), 80-99 (elderly senior), 100+ (long-lived elderly). Your thoughts on this particular breakdown, and also your thoughts as to where you land?

Personally, I like the new breakdown...I am still in the youth/young people category!!  I need to remind my body of this...lol

2. TIME magazine has declared Elon Musk person of the year in 2021. What say you? If you want to know more about how they choose you'll find that info in the link here. If you were choosing, who would be your person of the year? 

Really had a hard time with this one...maybe because I quit watching the dreadful news.  If I had to choose a person, it would be a group of people; volunteers (whether serving in soup kitchens, helping the elderly during the pandemic, packing backpacks full of food for students who attend school).  Volunteers who are in it for the OUTCOME and not the INCOME.

3. I read here ten habits of extremely likable people which include-they greet the world with a smile on their face, they ask questions, they're consistent, they put the phone away, they remember names and use them, they keep an open mind and don't pass judgement, they're authentic, they're kind and generous, accountable for their mistakes, and they send thank you notes.  

So, are you likable-lol? Which one of these habits could use some further developing in your own life? What is one habit/quality you'd add to the list? 

Somewhat likable.  Unquestionably I could work on remembering names more (I can't blame it on age anymore since I am now in the category of youth/young people lol) and to quit passing judgement.  When I begin to pass judgement, I remember the words of my oldest, precious daughter who would often remind me.  "Mom just because someone is kinda hateful or looks like they hate the world, you don't know the news that person has received or what is going on in their life at the moment."  Daughter #1 had a way of putting me in my place real fast.



4. One non-holiday related task/job/goal/dream on your to-do list that you hope/plan to make happen before the new year rolls in? 

Drawing a blank....  Daughter #2 birthday is December 26 so maybe trying to get her a special birthday present.

5. Share with us some of your holiday plans. 

My holiday plans is attend church on Christmas Eve then I usually go to my aunt's house afterwards.  I really don't know what plans I will have, if any on Christmas Day.  I am waiting on daughter #2 to tell me what they will be doing. 

For New Year's Eve, I plan on being out of town and spending New Year's Eve with friends.  I don't want to be by myself on this date.

So, I will just wait and see.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Took a short trip to Georgia this past weekend.  Met some old college friends.  The weather was rainy, windy,and storming but that didn't put a damper on our trip.

Took in some beautiful sights.