On this New Years Eve 2021, I sit at my desk just as daylight is starting to break through allowing myself to do some reflection. It’s been a hard year. Normally this day excites me, but today my heart is heavy, and the future seems unclear. I read my last devotional in my Joy book and put it on the shelf, I write for the last time of this year in my gratitude journal, and I ponder what will 2022 look like. I ponder what I did in 2021 to make the world around me better.
2021 has been hard. I lost my grandfather, my dad and my father-in-law. My eyes were opened to some people who I thought were my friends. I questioned my path and where I found myself. I questioned my future. I questioned was I doing anything that God put me on this earth to do. Yet 2021 was good as well. I grew more than I could have dreamed possible. I got the most beautiful grand daughter. I started my sessions and had the opportunity to have some quality interviews and meet some amazing people through those. Hopefully I impacted a life as well. I met some amazing people, coaches and friends along my journey that are changing my life, and pouring into my life. I learned so much about myself and had some intense self reflections about who I am, who I want to be, and more importantly who I don’t want to be. You see, I get to write my story. What shall it say? That makes a hard year somewhat better, but we must realize time isn’t always on our side. We waste so much time.
2021 taught me that life is so short and in a moments notice our entire life can change. We may not get the chance to make a wrong right. We may not get the chance to say sorry. We may not get the chance to speak kindly to someone we’ve spoken angrily to. We may not get the chance to say good-bye. We may not get the chance to pour into a life we were supposed to. I watched someone pass who lived a life of bitterness and regret. I watched someone pass who spent too much time on people who didn’t really care about them. Someone recently told me that we’re always going to have haters who are simply in our lives to sabotage, or use us, but we still must go on, and do good despite their efforts. You see I am learning that life is 10% of what happens to us and 90% of how we react. So what are you reacting to that is taking too much energy? What are you focusing on that is causing you to lose focus on what really matters? I am asking myself those questions today as well.
The only thing I am sure of today is that I want to make some consistent changes in 2022. I want to do more and talk less. I want to impact more lives and live a life of total significance. I want to go to bed each day knowing I added value to somebody and that I devalued no one. I had a friend/coach tell me recently that I had a work to do and I needed to keep my focus on that, not on the things going on around me trying to steal my focus. So my prayer for 2022 is that I can remain focused on the journey laid out before me, and less on the distractions that will try to stop me. My prayer for 2022 is that I somehow influence some changed lives and make a real difference. My prayer is that my heart remain open and my mind clear on my purpose! What shall you do with the blank slate laid out before you? Only you get to answer that, and only you get to make some real significant changes if you need to. Don’t wait, tomorrow is not promised. We don’t always get a second chance so let me ask you in closing, what will you do with the life you’ve been given? Use it for good, or spend it tearing people down, gossiping, partying, just living for today and not for real change? I can’t answer that for you, but I know what my answer is today. Happy New Year to you all!
With love for you all,
Shauna
Shauna's Sisters 