Thursday, December 31, 2015

New Year's Resolutions: "Living life with no regrets."

A former hospice social worker,

"Here are ten ways to start living life with no regrets.
1. Let your loved ones know you love them.
The experience of love is one of the best things in life. When you love someone, let both your words and deeds be loving. No one is promised tomorrow, so tell your loved ones each day how much they mean to you. Not only will your relationships grow, but you will as well."

ME:  Good enough.

"2. Follow your dream.
So often, we are so busy trying to live up to the expectations of others that we do not allow ourselves to follow our own dream. Pursue the longings of your heart. When we ignore them, we miss the opportunity to reach our full potential and experience that deep fulfillment that following our dreams can offer."

ME:  Wait, wait,  what if my dream changes- what if it is really, honestly whacky?  How about this variation:  Follow G^d and His dream for YOU- remember, we were "BOUGHT with a price"!!

"3. Trust your gut instincts.
Your intuition is your best source of guidance... your gut is that "all-knowing" part of you that if paid close attention to and acted on, will never lead you astray."

ME:  What about indigestion?  What about lust?  What about our fallen nature.  NOPE!  MY gut has proven ENTIRELY untrustworthy!!! Won't trust it as far as I can throw it!!

"4. Keep your work at work.
Earning a living is important, but not to the exclusion of other things. To fully participate in all aspects of life, such as spending time with loved ones and enjoying meaningful activities, we should leave work at work. Without a proper work/life balance, we miss out on the things that are most important to us. When we reach the end of our lives, it is not our work that matters, but the people we loved."

ME:  Yes, we ought NOT to be obsessed with work!!  BUT, what if our calling by G^d involves NOT leaving work at work?? I say Go with G^d!  He is our source of significance.  Harder to live than to say.

"5. Take risks.
Staying within our comfort zone may be safe, but it is impossible to achieve greatness by living cautiously... take the risks needed to propel us forward and achieve a fuller, more gratifying life."

ME:  Follow G^d, the risks will take care of themselves and we need not endeavor to be "risky".

"6. Take life less seriously.
Life is far too short to be spent worrying about things that are beyond our control... not to take life so seriously and is a key ingredient to having a more enjoyable life."

 ME:  YES! Don't take life so seriously, we won't get out of it alive anyway!  BUT, do take G^d seriously- He loved you enough to DIE for you!

"7. Turn "failures" into stepping stones.
Don't quit when you perceive you have failed. Instead, use the experience to learn from and grow.  A failure is always a stepping stone in disguise."

ME: We can learn from our mistakes, but an easier approach is to learn from OTHER"S mistakes.  Scripture is a great guide here!

"8. Practice forgiveness.
 Some people stay stuck in bitterness their entire lives and never move beyond the pain. By choosing to forgive, we release ourselves..."

ME: Good call!

"9. Be yourself.
When we deny any part of our authentic self, we die a little death on the inside. Our uniqueness makes us who we are. By being true to ourselves, we also give everyone else permission to do the same."

ME: NO way!!  I hope everyday that I am LESS like myself... and more like The Christ.  "For me to live is Christ...".

"10. Practice kindness.
Intentional kindness is life-giving. It works wonders in ... improving relationships. A Being kind is an easy practice that enhances our own lives and the lives of others."

 ME: Absolutely!


"Our lives are meant to be lived fully and completely, without regret. We never know how long we have, so let's start living a life free of regrets today and every day."

ME: Perhaps true, but SEZ WHO?  If I am sovereign, I get to decide. If I am not...



1 comment:

  1. Good Job Brother...Not everyone understands we need saved from ourselves...

    ReplyDelete