A new resolve to do the exact same

I didn't really make any new resolutions this year.  I generally am not that big on them as I don't really see the point in waiting til a new year commences to make changes you see necessary, however I do understand that this point in the year is often a time for reflection for many and probably a time when we identify areas in our lives we want to change or improve.

Instead, I decided to stick with my goals for the previous year.  My goals for last year were to find opportunities to serve others, and to be more positive.

There is a wonderful woman I know who always seems to be cheery and helping others.  I used to think this was just her nature, that she was a positive, glass-half-full kind of person.  She always seemed to know who was in need of help or a friend and was there before anyone else.  I put this down to her being high up on the "social news" chain and she must get the info before the rest of us.

Turns out I am wrong on both accounts. I don't really know her well but this woman has a large family of her own and plenty of reasons she could be negative, but she is one of the kindest, most patient, giving, selfless people I know.  She made me realise that positive people aren't just genetically wired that way, it's a choice they have made and they work hard at it.  I have also learnt simply by observing her that she doesn't just act when she hears of someone in need, she seeks people out, and she makes a conscious effort to do it.

It's likely she would have absolutely no idea that I even think of her this way, but I wanted to develop the qualities I saw in her.

My Mum was ALWAYS in the kitchen making meals or baking cakes.  She was always making something for someone else, but was smart enough to make a double batch so our dinner was done or we had a treat as well.  As a parent now myself, I realise that this is very time demanding, but I also didn't really know any other way at the time.

I so admire this about my Mum, and she has made me want to be more thoughtful of others and to MAKE time to serve.

So early last year, I decided that I would find a way to do more for others, but being physically limited, I knew it had to be something that didn't take away from me looking after my own family too much.  I love to cook so I decided that once a fortnight (sometimes a week), I would bake something to give to someone else.  Sometimes I had a specific person/family in mind, but if I had no one I baked anyway and someone always popped into my mind.

This was a goal that I can say I genuinely enjoyed and it truly made me happy.  It made it easier to work on my other goal to be positive.  I don't think I am a downer normally anyway, but I still wanted to improve.  Making yourself be more positive has a strange effect - soon enough it becomes genuine.

As 2012 rolled around, I was thinking of things I wanted to improve on or change and instead I wanted to do what made me the most happy and strangely enough this came from my goals for 2011.

So just to put it out there and keep me honest.......my goal for 2012 is to do the same as 2011 - what a challenge!