New Years Resolutions

I am always glad to see the passing of another year. I am not one of those people that believes that that the “time of my life” was somewhere in the past. I do not covet youth, not even my own. I look forward to becoming wiser, more colorful, shedding the naivete of my youth. I imagine being an old woman, wrinkled and round, wise and content in my soul.

I am glad to see 2008 come to a close. It has been a difficult year. Perhaps, more difficult than most, but with the onset of 2009 comes opportunity, a new start and the beauty of new beginnings. I have great anticipation of what will come into my life this year and I have decided that I will be very specific with my intentions. As it stands right now, I have created the life for myself that I have always imagined. I have a job that I love, I am going to start teaching at Portfolio Center and I have ample time to paint. All of this has come to me through hard work, not settling for “good enough” and having enough courage and confidence to ask for exactly what I want. I am truly happy and appreciative for everything that I have. If it never got any better, I would be satisfied.

My resolutions for 2009 are the following:
Take more risks personally and professionally
Be honest and remain unattached to the outcome
Get clear and what and who I want in my life
Each day, write down at least one thing that I am thankful for

"Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas." -Calvin Coolidge

FEAR!!!

I was talking with a friend about fear the other day and it got me thinking about the role that fear has played in my life. According to FDR, the only thing we truly have to fear is fear itself and I couldn't agree more. The thing about fear is that it is like emotional cancer; once it is alive in your mind, it spreads to all of your emotional tendrils. Having been completely incapacitated by fear and anxiety at one point in my life, I have an intimate understanding of this. What I learned from that experience was the importance of knowing who I was, believing in the internal resources I had to manage any situation and that it was up to me to manage my perception of my life experiences. A lot of learning for a 12 year old. I think I made a little pact with myself then that has stayed with me over the years...that I would never let my fear control me again. That is not to say that I do not get scared; after all, I am still human, but I've made conscious choice to understand that fear signals opportunity to grow if I can slow down and examine what is causing the discomfort.

What I know so far....

Life is short and living with regret over the past, fear of the future and lack of presence in the here and now is a sure-fire recipe for misery.

There is very little, if anything, we have control over short of how we choose to think about and perceive our reality.

Always find the courage to do what you are most afraid of.

True friends are more important than anything else in life.

Be honest. It is easier in the long run, even though it is sometimes difficult.

When you love someone, you should just say so.

Look both ways before you cross the street....you could get hit by a bus and then it would all be over.

Urban Cottage

To all Mary Campbell Original Art collectors out there, please visit Urban Cottage in the Virginia Highlands where my newest pieces, and some golden oldies are being sold. Urban Cottage is a lovely montage of home decor items, gift items and furniture. VERY cool stuff, including my friend Lee and his wife, Laurie's, hand made super cool signs. So, readers, get the hell out there and support both the economy and your favorite local artists!

From the blog of Daniel Pink

This is fabulous. I love it. I've always thought there was a special place in hell designated for people who pester animals in cages...and,perhaps, the people who put those animals there...but that is another blog for another day.