2014 - Stretching the "Comfort Zone"

"Come, gentlemen, I hope we shall drink down all unkindness." -William Shakespeare

I don't know about you but I'm happy to see 2013 go.  "Buh bye."   "Don't let the door hit you in the behind on the way out..."  I'm always hopeful and I'm always impatient for the new year to come.  Every year I think to myself, "I can't wait!  It's going to be the best year ever!  Woo hoo...Someone get me a horn!"   This year, it's not the year, it's the day I care about...it's the day.  I care about a day at a time...no more, no less.  That is very difficult to do and requires stepping out of one's comfort zone.  Old habits die hard.

2013 was a year of living with great fulfillment and challenges.  So much was left unfinished. So many questions left unanswered globally, locally and everything else in between.  Friends were laid off from the jobs they've had for over 30 years.  Some came down with serious illnesses and had the tenacity and the character to handle their plight with grace, strength and intelligence. They didn't do it alone either.  As the waning days of 2013 linger, we are reminded that so many have had to overcome so much and yet, here we all are...We are here in spite of ourselves.  What a warm comfortable feeling that is.  We made it into another year and none of us knows what lies in store. 

I always marvel when a new year comes and when an old one is gone like a whirlwind.  I try to figure out how I've changed or if I've changed.  My weight hasn't changed in 15 years.  I change my hair color with the change of seasons.  No matter how hard we try to fight the process of aging, there it is, staring at us in the mirror, our faces are the ultimate truth serum.  

I care about today.  I don't much care about tomorrow.  I care about how I've made others feel.  I care about whether I spent my "one day a time", feeling sorry for myself or gloriously engaging in the present; enjoying what I have and with whom I share it all.  On certain days I'm more successful than others. In 2013, I started finding my voice and continue to be heard in my way, a way that works for me and only me. Those are the days I hope to repeat in 2014.  

2014.   Let this be year, we become smarter, and bolder.  Let us laugh a lot harder and become larger than our previous life.  Let us not be fearful or hesitate to speak our minds and open our hearts.  Live one day at a time and remember to rest, relax and slow down long enough to listen to our own heart beat.  Our eyes and our heart show us and tell us all we need to know about what's important.  In 2014, reach out of your comfort zone and listen to what your inner voice is saying, then follow it.  This is how we create change.  This is how we rise above old routines and create a new set of healthier values.  Once the ball drops in Times Square tonight, pick it up metaphorically and run with it.  That's why we watch it each year. 

In 2014, we will most likely not get everything we desire. We will be faced with challenges. Like it or not, our landscapes will change and the sun and moon will cast their shadows and light our way. Let this year be a year of more kindness, more compassion and common sense. Let us have a conscience. This is my wish for 2014.  Happy new year everyone!