Welcome, 2009

I can't say I'm sorry to see 2008 go. There were some lovely moments this past year, but overall it wasn't all that great. Part of the ebb and flow of life, I know, but I'm not going to honor it for all the things it wasn't.

2009, however, I am psyched about. I feel it in my bones that this will be a great year.
On New Year's I always make a list of personal, private resolutions - I like to think of things I want to accomplish, whether stopping or starting - and also a list of things I want to give myself a break about.

My top three resolutions for 2009:

3. Be Present. This is a top 3 resolution every year, not because I don't achieve or make progress, but because it is SO important for me. I'm a classic pisces, a classic INFJ. I'm in my head all the time, and my thoughts fly by so fast that it is easier for me to get lost in my mind and forget to savor every moment. I want to be present. One of the great lessons of Buddha is 'When you are sitting, sit. When you are eating, eat. When you are walking, walk.' or something to that effect. The idea is that in this world that raises us on the caffeine of multi-tasking and distractions, that we are more fulfilled and can contribute more when we focus solely on the task at hand. Even something as simple as walking. It's a piece of the greater journey towards Zen, and 2009 will be another 365 steps closer to Zen for me.

2. Be Open. I freely admit that I have a hard time trusting people. I don't let them in. And in addition, I need a lot of alone time every day to recharge because I'm not a naturally social person. A lot of people don't understand this, and mistake it for being "antisocial", which is a misrepresentation. It's easy for people I care about or desire to be close to to perceive me as being aloof because it takes a long time for me to open up to them. This year, 2009, I am going to work harder to put myself out there to those I care about or want to get to know. I realize there will be occasions when I am taken advantage of, or treated poorly, or betrayed. That's part of life, I know. But when I turn around to see the people who know me well, and value me as greatly as I value them, because I opened myself up to allow our relationships to grow, it will be more than worth any trivial pain along the way.

1. Love. Love love love love love. The most important lesson I took away from 2008 is that love makes us and molds us. The more we give, the more we receive, and the greater our love is for others, the greater our capacity becomes for being loved. I love my friends and family dearly, and I just don't say it enough. It gets lost in the day to day. So this year, I'm going to focus on Love. Loving myself, loving my friends and family, and loving the world for what they are.


I don't do resolutions the way some people do Lent. "I'm going to give up chocolate" or "I'm going to lose 10 pounds." I think that is setting yourself up for failure. I prefer to reflect on what I've learned and resolve to work towards becoming a better person, understanding that it won't happen right away, and I won't always get it right the first time. But I will eventually get it, and I will be happier and healthier because of it.

Now, let someone who really knows the gift of a new year start 2009 off right: