A New Beginning.....

It is here... we are officially well into the first day of a new year. I am not late with this because I celebrated too late last night, though I did actually see the first seconds of 2012 arrive. I am here late in the evening because I have spent the day doing nothing! What a great feeling!

The new year is always exciting. I do not know why we think we only start with a clean slate on January 1st. Why not August 1 or May 1? So, it is every year. We ponder how we can improve on the last year and make our lives better. A diet, more time with family, less stressing over little things, eat more salads....I have tried them all. By February 1 I am in FAIL mode. This year I am not going to get caught in that trap.

I am going to think in terms of better, but it is simple...I am going to talk less and listen more. OH GOODNESS, for me that is bigger than trying to loose 50 pounds! I am verbal by nature. The classroom was heaven for me....trapped students who were forced to listen to me for 90 minutes each day. I loved it but I have lost my audience. I have to remember that not everyone wants to listen to EVERYTHING that is on my mind all day long. I am going to try. I am focusing on a few other things too but this is at the top of my list....starting now!

Wish me luck!!!

We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential

~Ellen Goodman