Dec 30, 2006

A New Year to Grow



Before embracing the New Year, I always feel a need to assess the past year first. As usual, I think about all that I did, the things I didn’t do or get to do, where I traveled, who I visited, and how could I have done things better, differently, or maybe I shouldn’t have done at all.

After reviewing my prior year, I usually start planning the New Year. Things I want to do, places I want to visit, goals I want to meet, and all the possibilities that lie ahead in the next 12 months. That is what I usually do.

But not this year.

This year, I decided to look back on the past 12 months not to assess all that I accomplished or where I may have come up short; instead I look back to only to review my personal growth. I look at all the challenges and situations that faced me and how I grew from them. It doesn’t matter how I handled the situations – whether I handled them well or not so well. Either way, I grew personally from that situation.


Or, at least I hope so.

Personal growth is the absolute best gift we can give ourselves. Without personal growth we can never learn to really love ourselves, nor appreciate our strengths, nor have a true understanding of who we were, who we are, and who we are becoming. All of this stems from personal growth.

So as I look towards the New Year, I am not going to write my usual list of goals or imagine all the possibilities that lie ahead. Instead, I am going to contemplate about how much (I hope) this time next year, I will have grown – which ultimately determines how much more I learned to love and appreciate myself. Because once we truly love ourselves, it is only then that we are free to truly love others.

Now that is a growth spurt worth waiting for!

Happy New Year – May it grow on you well!

From my house to your house,


Elizabeth
www.elizabethhouse.us

4 comments:

beth said...

What a beautiful post...
I feel like sometimes we look back and everthing comes up blurry...I think this year I'm going to pay more attention to everything..making sure to enjoy every minute.

Anonymous said...

How eloquint! Seldom do we reflect on our personal groth and how the people, places and situations around us help us to grow. I hope to embark on this year with my mind (what's left of my mind)and heart wide open.

Thank You Elizabeth!!!!!!!!
Sherrie

Anonymous said...

2007 has lead me to Elizabeth! I am looking forward to an opportunity to learn, encourage new friends and help spread the beauty of Elizabeth House ... I'm the new part-timer! Thank you, Elizabeth!

Elizabeth Maxson said...

Tara,

I am so happy to have you be a part of the EH family. Your energy and positive attitude will take you far no matter where you go - and hopefully you won't be going anywhere for a long time! :-)
Elizabeth

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