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Friday, January 13, 2012

Make 2012 the Best it Can Be

2012 is the year of the dragon. How can it NOT rock?

January is a month of infinite possibilities. A whole new year stretches out before us, and we make promises to ourselves about how we’re going to make it the best it can be.

What happens, of course, is the same every year. We do or don’t keep our resolutions based on our personality type, or on the feasibility or necessity of those goals. Regardless of our personal efforts, life spins on, ever-changing and some of it will be good, some bad. The world will lose good people. More will arise when they’re needed. Villains will show their stripes, and someone, somewhere, will be at war. People will get hurt and others will have moments that seem to outshine the sun. And pretty much all of this will happen no matter what any one of us tries to do.

That doesn’t mean we can’t, or shouldn’t, do our best to make it a year with more good than bad—in our home, our work, our neighborhood, our nation or our world. The little things add up and our efforts can and do make a difference in the lives of ourselves, and others. So I’m not proposing that we just sit back and do nothing in 2012, but rather than make sweeping resolutions I may not be able to keep, I have a few little goals I bring out every year—then do my best to achieve as many of them as possible, as often as possible.

1)      Try new things. New physical activities, new styles of food, new music, new places to see, new authors to read, new types of stories to write. Get out of that rut and enjoy all of what the world has to offer.

2)      Make new friends and reconnect with old ones who have fallen by the wayside. Let the people you care about know it, often and well. This is my very favorite thing about social networking, btw. It lets me stay connected so easily with friends and relations all over the world.

3)      Take care of yourself. Rather than swear to exercise this long, this many days, look at the big picture and just remind yourself that your health, mental and physical, is important to the people who love you. Then do whatever you need to do to get there and stay there.

4)      Cut yourself some slack. Focus on the important stuff, and don’t let the little, day-to-day annoyances overshadow the beauty all around you. Bad things, big and small, will happen in our lives. Don’t let those blind us to the good stuff because they seem overwhelming.

5)      Do good things. As small as holding a door for the grumpy person behind you. As big as massive charitable projects. Whatever opportunity you have to make someone else smile, take it.  You’ll be the one who benefits most.

So there you have it. Cindy’s five goals to a better world. Does this mean you won’t see me on-line whining about deadlines or offspring? Not a chance. I’m as human as the rest of you, and I know without a doubt that some days, I won’t come close to a single one of these goals. I’ll be curled in a corner with a bag of Dove squares whinging about my life. But that’s kind of the point. None of us is perfect. (Wouldn’t it be scary if we were?) But little by little, day by day, we can all muddle through together, and come out happier for it.

Everyone have a fantastic 2012!


Okay, now here’s a bit of happy 2012 to me: Wrong Side of Town, my contemporary romance from Resplendence Publishing, is now in paperback. Come meet Zach, Laney, and the whole town of Hawthorne, Texas, available at Amazon.com.

Comment below to win a free copy of Wrong Side of Town. Entrants in the US or Canada will get to choose between a digital copy and a paperback, while those outside those countries will have their chose of digital download formats.

20 comments:

Unknown said...

Love the suggestions. These are great and I for one will be trying a few. :)

Congrats on the print book.

anny cook said...

Loved the book...love the cover! Excellent post!

ami_shaw said...

Enjoyed reading your list of resolutions, Cindy. We all have to make an effort to get out of that rut. Better to face change than to sit wondering what lies on the other side of the lawn.

Sandy said...

Okay, I totally agree with you, Cindy. Great cover. Congrats on going to print.

Paris said...

I love #1 and think it's a great way to start the new year! I also like the idea of reconnecting with old friends. Sometimes life gets so busy or complicated we forget the people who make us smile. I count you as one of those, my friend so smiles to you and best of luck in 2012!

Pommawolf Emeraldwolfeyes said...

Congrats on the release in print!
I am so with your on all of your 5 points. The older you get the more you hopefully realize what is most important in life. Life is too short to worry about those things that are too big, and beyond some things that cannot be changed. But that doesn't mean you have to roll over and wallow in misery either. I so believe in looking at the glass half full rather than empty, and also that you can make a choice as to what battles are worthy of a fight rather than battle against forces that are not worthy of you or those that you love and care about.
Stop and take a deep breath and appreciate the beauty in the world around you, care about what a difference you can make in someone else's life each day no matter how small you make think it is at the time.
Thank you for your words of wisdom that offers wonderful thoughts and ideas for the coming year...*S*
Thank you for the giveaway too!

Darcy
pommawolf @hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

Good advice. Now it we can just follow it.

jean hart stewart said...

Love your list of resolutions. No. 5 is my personal mantra. Have a great year, girl, you deserve it.

Unknown said...

I just got signed up with one of the local TV stations, that has coupons for local businesses 50% off every Wednesday. My best friend & I have resolved to take advantage of this opportunity to try out some new restaurants during 2012. Hopefully, they are all fantastic, but even if they aren't, it only cost us half as much to find out.

drainbamaged.gyzmo at gmail.com

Katalina Leon said...

Those are great goals Cindy. I especially want to try more new things and reconnect with old friends.
I hope the year of the Dragon is a great year for you.
XXOO Kat

Cindy Spencer Pape said...

Kathryn, that is a GREAT idea. And thanks, everyone, for your support. I love being surrounded by such positive people!

Fran Lee said...

Oh, please everyone...instead of going to Amazon to purchase Resplendence books, but them from the publisher's website...the author loses 3/4 of her royalty if you buy through Amazon.

Amazing post, Cindy...thanks for all the insight and advice.

Harlie Williams said...

Very good tips. I'm already dealing with a terrible blow right now but I figure let's get all the negative done early, not later.

Can have the cover model? Just asking....

Marika
maw1725@gmail.com

Harlie Williams said...

Fran...I always buy from the publisher site. :)

susan said...

This new year I am making goals and going to try and keep them as I want to live a little longer. I just turned 65 and I want to start over on a few things. eating healthier is at the top and then exercise comes next. In Feb I was in the hospital with blood clots and they went to my lungs and left leg. Had they gone to my heart or brain I would not be here typing this comment. I am now forcing myself to do things so I want these two goals to be at the top of my list. Happy 2012 everyone. susan Leech garysue@dejazzd.com

Cindy Spencer Pape said...

Good luck, Susan! Health matters! And Fran, the print version is only at Amazon, at least right now. Marika, if I knew who he was, I'd share. Promise.

Tessie Bradford said...

Cindy,
Huge congrats on your print release! And your suggestions for things to focus on in the new year are fantastic!

Kenzie Michaels said...

How in the hell did I manage to miss this book? Congrats on the print release...

And Fran? I always buy from the publisher too:) I can't put Kindle books on my Sony.

Cindy Spencer Pape said...

The winner is...MARY.

Mary, please email me at cindy(at)cindyspencerpape(dot)com
to talk about your prize!

Thanks to all of you for the fantastic comments.

Tina Donahue said...

Happy 2012, Cindy - love the cover of your newest book. :)

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