I love lists, and I love to list down resolutions so that they act as a sort of compass for the coming year of the priorities I would like my family to focus on for the next 365 days. I must say that the silver lining from my 1 week of bedrest in the last week of the year was that I had the time to pause, reflect, and think carefully about how I would like 2014 to be.
1. Make our lives more meaningful.
We will simplify and slow down our lives and take on activities which are enriching in mind, body or spirit, and not those which are sapping of energy or time.
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| Will spend more time at home chillaxing with good company |
2. Focus on building relationships.
In the business of life, we tend to neglect the cultivating of friendships. We tell one another that “One day we must catch up” but never make an effort to do so. The theologian Thomas Aquinas goes so far as to say that “There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship”. Wise man.
3. Pay attention to our health.
Our diets have always been too heavy on meat, so this year, we will have more salads and eat everything in moderation. Having been immobile the last week of 2013, I will remember to stop rushing around and be more aware of not over-doing things.
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| One of the most practical Christmas gift hampers we received |
4. Spend time in the great outdoors.
Gadgets have become too much a part of our daily lives. We need to spend more time outdoors and connect with nature, to let the stillness and peace prevail. It will be good for our bodies and good for our harried souls.
5. Be of service to others.
Only by serving the less fortunate will we be constantly reminded of how blessed we are. And by giving of ourselves, we cannot help but find happiness. It is also a great antidote to today’s self-centeredness in our children. We will strive to be of service to others in big and small ways.
6. Lighten up and laugh often.
We tend to have so many things on our minds that we can’t let go and have a good laugh. Sometimes we are so stressed and tensed that we don’t see the humour in anything. Looking at the way Kate laughs, with pure abandonment, I learn to put our adult worries and problems aside, be in the moment, and see the pure joy, that is Life.
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| I love to hear those belly laughs from babies |
And above all, I will live life with a new-found sense of excitement and passion!
Care to share your list?
~ www.mummyweeblog.com – a blog on parenting 6 kids in Singapore ~