Beautiful Beginnings

Happy New Year one and all!

I like the sound of "one and all" as opposed to simply saying "everyone" :)...If this was an article in the newspaper, that would probably be edited to "everyone" to save space, but since this is simply an unemployed momma's musings, it would do just fine! Oh, I could go on with why I like that "one and all", but this post is not about that! (So, I tell myself: stop please.)

Why does a start of a new year feel so fresh? Doesn't it just give you that tingling feeling of endless possibilities? It's like you are at the brink of opening a closed door without exactly knowing what you'd find inside, or like grabbing a pearly white bond paper to draw an elephant (that may end up looking like a hat). You can never really tell how exactly things would go and how your thoughts and actions will be received. There it is...the start of the year when you haven't broken any resolutions as yet (or have not even made one), when all your wonderful plans for the march of the months are still possible...isn't it beautiful?

Yes, it is beautiful! It is breathtaking! And I savor the moment...

           Check out the seven habits!

This new year, perhaps because I have set out to start writing down my thoughts out loud through a blog, I am more aware of the potent driving force of beginnings. (And perhaps because after almost 2 years of being unemployed, I have stopped thinking of the year starting in June and ending in March.) This reminds me of Sean Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Habit no. 2 says to begin with the end in mind. (I know I am not a teen anymore, but the original 7 habits book written by Sean's dad is for adults. Sean's is just more interesting with all the pictures and the great stories!)

So let us begin with the end in mind...These are not new year's resolutions, but are the mental visions of the end results I want to see this year ;)...

1. I have an organized schedule of cleaning parts of the house.
2. I have started giving tutorial sessions on a regular basis. (Not exactly a real job here...but an income generating project. Hurray!)
3. Our meals are planned ahead of time. (We can save time and energy.)
4. Hansy is potty trained.
5. I am on the way to becoming a "real" gardener.
6. We have a regular family devotions time.
7. I sleep earlier and wake up earlier. (Hmmm...as of now it's 2:22 am...tsk! tsk!)
8. I have read  one book a month (or more).
9. We are always early for Sunday School.
10. Hans' scrapbook for his first year of life is done and done.
11. I post a blog at least twice a month.
12. I have finally stepped foot in Boracay! (Imagine that! After 8 years in Iloilo, I. haven't. been.to.Boracay...sad really.)

Oh neat! 12 visions for the next 12 months!There you have it. I have written them down and announced them to the world...so help me God! :)

(Another list in a post...Will this be a trend? We shall see...)

P.S. They say that thoughts written down are more powerful than simply kept in the head because you are forced to put them into words and are confronted with them visually.
Have you written yours?