New Year- New Goals, New Ideas

It's so hard to believe it's 2010. Twenty-five years ago just saying "2010" conjured up images of space-age homes and flying cars. I know, I was there in 1985 thinking those very things. Back To the Future II sure did get it wrong.

Then we partied like it was 1999 to bring in Y2K, breathing a collective sigh of relief when our computers didn't crash, meanwhile realizing all that bottled water we stocked up on wasn't even necessary after all. And boom- the new decade begins.

While I'm a fan of some technology (yeah, I think my GPS is pretty cool, and texting can be fun... and blogging, it's perfect for someone like me!) I do find a lot of this Internet stuff a little overwhelming. Like Facebook or MySpace. And YouTube. Call me old-fashioned, but I just don't really get all of it.

Perhaps I'm being hypocritical, after all I keep a blog. Two, in fact. But they're for me... not for all of my former high school classmates to look up so I can boast about how great my life's turned out. Which, by the way is all MySpace or Facebook is, in my opinion anyway. There's nothing remotely creative or individual about these sites. Users upload canned layouts and other people's music to express their own individuality. People tell my they do it "to keep in touch". Or, "to make new friends." Again, call me passe, but if I wish to keep in touch, I'll pick up a phone. And if I ever feel like making new friends, I know how to do that, too. A picture of someone on a MySpace page does not constitute "friend" by my definition.

Where am I going with this mini-rant? Well, 2010 is going to be a great year for me. While so many are worried, with the economy and our country's ongoing troubles with crime, poverty, war... and so on- I've decided to shut myself off from most of this. Not be uninformed and ignorant, but rather instead CHOOSE only to focus on what life is really about- not the problems I cannot control.

I can control whether I want to be happy. I can take the circumstances that I'm in right now, which are pretty good, and CHOOSE to make them even better, or become stagnant and live in the monotony of everyday. Or I can surround myself with inspiration taken from unpretentious little things- like the snow outside or the simplicity of my favorite primitive decor. I can be rushed every day, or I could take the time to smell the roses. Or my coffee. Or a Yankee candle.

I believe if we all CHOOSE to take better care of ourselves and adopt a "less is more" approach in our lives, we might find many of the world's problems would take care of themselves. Love thy neighbor, do unto others... that's all equally important!

I'm not really one for resolutions, but I intend on moving forward in different directions in 2010. This year I look to turn my passions into my work. I aspire to grow more financially savvy- by saving more and spending less. Thrifting, by the way, isn't only frugal, it's just good common sense in today's economy. The only downside is more and more people are catching on. Errrrr...

I resolve to keep better correspondence with those I've only chatted with briefly throughout 2009. Hopefully not with just a quick email, either. I think one of the greatest gifts you can receive is a card or hand written letter from someone miles away.

So this year is more about simplicity for me. I searched the thesaurus to find the right word, and the best I can come up with right now is uncomplicated. Ahhh. That's it!