The years seem to be accelerating and I find myself trimming my focus with each passing day. I don’t make resolutions, but I do reflect on the year coming to an end. It’s easy for life to run away from us and for our living to become rote, but life is too short for that.

To begin with, I ask myself:

  • What is important to me?
  • What has worked; what has not?
  • Where do I find joy?
  • How do I mitigate life’s moments of inevitable grief?
  • How do I intend to manage toxic individuals or situations?
  • What helps me avoid being caught up in the maelstrom of chaos surrounding all of us?
  • What do I want to hold on to and what do I need to let go of?
  • What meaning do I want to give my life?

In all honesty, I’ve been asking myself these questions all year, but I take some extra time to reflect as the year ends.

Some things I know instantly, some I need to reconsider.

I want to be there for my friends and family; showing up for them. Sometimes the logistics might be challenging or the time might not be right, but I try to remember that providing support is not about me. Showing up is a form of love I give freely.

Just a month before Christmas, I spent two weeks with my oldest daughter who was recovering from hip surgery. I kept saying to her, “I am so grateful I can still do all of this,” even though I was spent at the end of each day. The time with her and my grandchildren was a precious gift.

Limiting time and setting boundaries with toxic people has been a lifesaver, as has not engaging or reacting.

Focusing on the one thing where I can make a small difference is rewarding, and right now that is literacy.

Every day, I find something that makes me laugh and often I send silly videos to friends and family. Belly laughs help me not to take things too seriously.

Accepting what I cannot change alone is big.

Relationships that disappoint need a new lens with which to view them.

The assault of breaking news can be assuaged by instead reading a wonderful book and limiting time on line. I cannot manage others, only myself.

Art, music, books, and nature fill me with gratitude and good energy, and life!

I am learning to turn away from people who don’t know how to be there for me, and instead focusing on the abundance of love I’ve been gifted. Sometimes we spend far too much time longing for what we do not have at the expense of what we do have.

Kindness has always rewarded me in ways I never anticipated. Honesty and the ability to apologize at times and an open heart are important.

We are all imperfect human beings who, as Ram Dass said, ‘are all walking each other home.’

I consider how I hope to be remembered and how I might move through my days in accordance with that hope.

It is important to remember that time is running out and our moments are precious and to be celebrated. We need to prioritize what we value. Such things bring sweetness to my existence.

Happy new year to you–may the coming year be happy and healthy!