by Sean Block |
And thus passes another year. Taking a look back, it is hard to believe this marks a decade since the new millennium. We have seen a lot of frightening and terrible things to kick off the next thousand years. But through it all, we remain standing. Now as the seasons come full circle yet again, we all take a moment to slow ourselves down. Shirk the stress of our lives, and take stock of what truly matters. The only way to stay happy is to remember what we can control and what we can’t. Hug your family a little longer, work a little harder, play a little more. Remind those who fill your heart how much they mean to you, and enjoy every second of your time together like the gift that it is.
The term ‘new-year’s resolution’ gets tossed around so carelessly now that it often means giving up junk food or exercising for a month until apathy rekindles. There is an alternative. This resolution doesn’t require a yearlong commitment but it can change your life just the same. Plan a trip. It doesn’t have to be for January; you may not go until spring or summer, but plan it now and have it to look forward to. Take the family, go by yourself, bring your significant other…whatever feels right, just go. Go to the mountains. Go to the beach. Go to the desert, the forest, the lake; it doesn’t matter. Just get your feet moving and rest your eyes on something new. We all differ, but most of us thrive on new experiences. These can be found anywhere by those willing to look.
While you’re on your trip, do one thing for yourself. Find a place during sunset, or on a particularly starry night and sit down. Just sit. Don’t think, just be. Try to feel the immensity of things. Gaze at the billions of tiny suns twinkling in the sky; the same suns that watched the first animals crawl from the seas; that watched the first humans walk on two feet; that have witnessed every second of every life from the immense to the infinitesimal. Suddenly work doesn’t seem so stressful does it? I still remember the first time this notion really hit me. It can be daunting, almost scary, but remember what we can control and what we cannot. Hug your family a little longer, work a little harder, play a little more; and remember life is there to be lived.
Note: Rest in peace Beverly, Tim and Carol. May you find peace among the stars, I love you.
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