Does it seem to you that the years are flying by? It does to me. When I open my photos on my phone or computer and I see that transpired over the past year, I am amazed at what we did as a family, how our grandchildren have changed and grown from January to December and how life has flown by.
I was recently reading and studying and read that today we live in an exaggerated state of “Urgency/Emergency.” Everything is urgent! Everything must be done right now or W-H-A-T? Just typing the words is absurd! And yet it is true.
- As a child I remember my Mom, not going to bed until….
- Every dish as washed, dried and put in its place.
- Every floor was clean.
- Every item taken out for the day was put back in its place.
- All laundry was washed, dried, folded and put away.
In other words, when she woke up the next morning there was nothing left undone from the previous day. It didn’t matter how tired she was, how sick she was or what was going on in the family, these things were of great importance to her and her priorities.
You will remember be writing for years and years on this blog, that we as adults tend to emulate what we saw modeled before us as children in the home we grew up in.
I am just the opposite. The most important thing any day is to go to bed and get my rest when I am worn out, played out, tired or ill. I do not press on. I know that the things left “undone” will still be right there the next morning. Yes, there are times when I feel the weight of our home bearing down on me and times when I know for sure I can finish whatever was left undone the next morning with lightening speed and I move on to the next thing.
What about you?
As you reflect on the year just ended, what did you leave undone?
What goal did you achieve or is till there to be accomplished?
In my personal/spiritual life, I grew tremendously in 2024, and I learned a valuable lesson from God.
I learned that when I let God’s timetable play out on His terms, my life is much less stressed and fulfilling. So many times, over this past year, I wanted to charge ahead and do things, make big decisions and my Heavenly Father distinctly said:
“Janice, WAIT on Me. I will give you the GREEN light and there will be no doubt it is time for you to move forward!”
It takes spiritual maturity to bend my will to HIS WILL! I can highly recommend it in your life too.
Let me ask you to take a short inventory of your own spiritual life from this past year. Ready?
Pull out your calendar for 2024 and start looking for those days where a SMILE comes across your face. How many are there? Those are things you want to repeat in 2025!
Now look as see how many times you “served” in your spiritual giftedness. Do these dates and times and energy give you a sense of JOY or do they drain you with the feeling of “I Have to….?”
What about your going to Church each Sunday, or attending your Small Group Bible Study times? How do these make you feel?
How many family vacations, or special days are on your calendar? Do these give you pause to smile of just exhaust you?
What about your scheduled MD visits, getting your hair done, nails done, going to the dentist and so on? Do these bring you JOY or exhaustion?
Let’s look at your “Date Nights” with your spouse. Does you pulse quicken on do you have a tear on your cheek at the lack of these special times together?
What does all of this have to do with your life anyway? Good question! It has everything to do with your mental and bodily state of being, by noticing and being aware of what your year looks like in retrospect.
In essence, repeat that which brought you JOY.
Stop doing what drains you.
If you lack something that enhances your spiritual life, start anew and make that a priority in your life on your calendar.
You know people, neighbors, friends, and acquaintances are not meant to be will you for your entire life. Yes, there may be a couple, but for the most part people are in your life for a “Season” and then they and you move on or move away and that is okay. Be thankful for the JOY and time they brought into your life and let them go.
Let me tell you about my Calendar Ritual which I do between Christmas and New Years. I get my supplies together, which includes:
- Last year’s calendar
- The New Year Calendar
- My vast collection of stickers
- Colored pens
Then I go month by month and write in all the birthdays, anniversaries, special events for the year, holidays, and other items. I use my stickers to make the days stand out! Yeh, it corny, but I don’t care. I love remembering those in my life I love and want to remember what is special on those days of the year.
Well, that’s a wrap for 2024.
How did you do?
janice@janicebastanicoaching.com
8914 Collina Ct.
Granite Bay, CA 95746
908-229-3797
www.janicebastanicoaching.com
www.johnmaxwellgroup.com/janicebastani