The Perfect Year

A. Sarnoff

The "Do It All Perfectly" Year.  Isn't that what we wish for every New Year's Eve?  Isn't that the phrase that gets us to buy magazines and say we need to get organized?  I just wish I could do it all... and perfectly.  

The word I kept hearing over and over in Christmas marketing this year was "Impress."  "Impress your friends and family with...."  Really?  That isn't what I choose for my life.

A. Sarnoff

I guess I felt the need to impress in my earlier years, but not now, because I learned the secret... no one wants to be impressed.  They just want to be comfortable in your presence.  They don't want their clothes, home, food, children's manners, etc. to be judged.  If you are living to impress others, then they aren't really your friends.  Find true ones! 

Now, what do you REALLY need in your life?  Please just quickly jot it down, right now.  Let's see if we come up with the same things.  If YOU actually do this, actually jot down on a piece of paper what you REALLY need, then it is more likely to take precedence over insanity.  Do you NEED to work 50-60 hours per week?  Do you need to drive your children to five events every week?  Do you need to eat every meal out?  Do you need to be in debt?  Does your home need to be messy, cluttered, dusty, and unlaundered?  Of course not.  What do you need?

This is what I need.

A roof over my head.  An income.  My family.  Health.  Food.  Water.  Sunshine.  Laughter.  Love.  Warm and cool clothes.  Peace.  Clean spaces.  Open spaces.  Green spaces.  Serene spaces.  Friends. An intimate walk with our Savior, Jesus.

Did I miss anything?

So all of these things really fall into just 4 areas:

1)  An income

2)  A home

3)  Radiant health

4)  Choosing peace

These four areas, I just realized, seem to be the message of my life when speaking with others.  When I'm with other women, those four topics come up repeatedly.  I studied them diligently for about ten years...read hundreds of books until I made up my mind how to live, and what is important to me.  

My next 4 Mondays will detail these 4 areas.  I'm calling it "A Perfect Year" only because that is what we wish for.   It will be "perfect" only because you are being conscious of where you are spending your time and money.  If you took these four areas and worked on them a month or quarter at a time, you would focus on what is truly important to you.  For some, that might be travel, and that isn't on my list.  But that could fall into any of those four categories. 

My posts are simply an encouraging jumping off point for you to plan your life instead of life just happening to you, and feeling out of control.  There are enough things that make us feel that way - especially a loved one's illness.  That throws our life into chaos.  So I'm hoping you will reflect, and dream, and put your goals on paper this week, the beginning of a new year (or any week you are reading this).  Because, truly, it really does make a difference.  You will do little things to help move you to a more serene and stress-free life.  God bless.