Inspiration

“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.” -Paulo Coelho

Rather than deciding on resolutions, my favorite part of a year coming to a close is reflecting on the adventures that the year yielded. I won’t blog about my entire reflection on a cold morning at my go-to beach spot, but I will say 2010 was quite a year. Its roller coaster fashion afforded highs, lows and a few surprises - all of which came with lessons learned and personal growth.

I ended the year with many visitors providing company for my sister and I (we were home alone for almost 4 weeks!). Some were high school friends, some were college friends, and many were friends I was reconnecting with. I love the kind of friends that despite losing contact with, can come back into my life as though we’ve never lost touch. Perhaps the end of the year reminded me to appreciate relationships I have with others and to invest time in keeping these relationships.

After sending a mass text in the first few minutes of the new year, I woke up to a variety of messages. My favorite response read, “ Happy New Year to you too! May this year be your year of opportunities!” It’s possible, that what I am more hopeful for is that I recognize and intelligently take the opportunities given to me this year.

The first full week of 2011 has already been a bit of a shocker. I started the year with a raise, scrapbooks, and a lot of time with my cousins. My parents and brother surprised us by coming home a day early. To add to the shock, my parents came back wanting to talk about their five year plan to retire and include us in financial decisions.

While it is exciting to see them reach this point in their lives, my siblings and I are worried that the next five years may be too life changing to make some of the financial choices my parents are requesting. Do we want to take over a mortgage payment, sell our childhood home, or rent it out during the months they plan to be away? We chose to reevaluate our options in 3-4 years. This is a reminder that I’m getting older. This time,rather than panic about getting older, I plan to embrace the changes that come with growing up and striving to become the best version of myself.