So Christmas has come and gone, and I’m also finally finished with all the Christmas posts! (Wow, those took me a long time, and in my last post, internet explorer crashed on me and I ended up having to re-do half of the post! Lesson learned: always save drafts as you go!)
Speaking of lessons learned, I’ve been reflecting a lot on this past year and thinking about what were some of the greatest lessons that came my way. As I say goodbye to 2010 and hello to 2011, I want to share with you 2 indelible thoughts that I had the privilege of hearing in the past week.
The first one came from Mrs. Pelletier a few days ago. We had all just come in from the nippy cold night air, and it reminded her of one day a long time ago… She was in a salon, getting her hair done, on a very cold day in Terrace; the women there were all shivering and griping to each other about the cold weather. Then in comes an older lady, in her 80’s, known for being very active still. And she just said, “this weather is so invigorating!” Mrs. Pelletier said she always remembers that comment, how it’s all in your attitude.
What a wonderful way of looking at life. Because we certainly can’t control what the weather is like, what little annoyances or catastrophes and tragedies might come our way; the only thing we can do is shift our perspective, manage how we think or feel about things.
This is something that I have been striving to implement in my life. One of my worst faults is that I worry incessantly, and tend to be negative and pessimistic. It is something I am trying to change everyday. Some days I’m more successful than others.
So the next time I’m annoyed by traffic, or weather, or other more serious life stresses, I will remember that I have the power to rise above the negativity by changing my attitude.
The second lesson came from Mr. Pelletier. One morning, I looked out our living room window at the snow-capped mountains in the distance, and remarked how beautiful they were, how beautiful this city is. Mr. Pelletier agreed, and we admired the scenery together for a few moments. Then he said, “Well, everyday is beautiful. Everyday that you’re alive is beautiful.”
And that about sums it up. I am still in the process of formulating my resolutions and goals for the new year, but I know that the most important goal I can make is to smile and laugh and feel thankful each and every day, to remember what a blessing it is to just be alive.
And with that, I’m off to ring in the new year with our dear friends! Have a safe and happy new year everyone!! 🙂
