a blank canvas
Well hello 2012! I trust everyone had a great New Year’s celebration. Keith and I didn’t do much but just enjoy each other’s company with good food and football! I posted on Facebook, this weekend, that in 2012 let us remember:
“It is never too late to become who you might have been.” -George Eliot.
I love this quote. I can’t read it without feeling inspired and hopeful. No matter what has happened in days past it is never too late to be the person we want to be, do the things we want to do, and live the way we want to live. Such a powerful message.
I think the thing I both love and hate about New Years is new year’s resolutions. I love it because it is a natural starting over point. A natural time to reevaluate things and plan to implement changes. A new year with a new beginning. I know I always make new year’s resolutions and I, too, always feel a spark of excitement at the blank canvas I see before me.
What I hate about it is that I believe that once a resolution is broken the feeling of urgency to keep going fades. It is like if your resolution is to [ insert resolution] and you break it by mid-January don’t give up and throw in the towel. Don’t wait for another New Year to make the same resolution again. Pick yourself back up and start over again that next day. Tell yourself that it isn’t too late to be that person. Keep going.
To remember, “it is never too late to become who you might have been.” That is doesn’t just apply to January 1st but to every single day of your life.
When you break a resolution do you try hard to keep going for it or just throw in the towel?
What Kelly Said 
I love that quote, mostly because it was in the final scene of Brothers & Sisters. I still can’t believe that show was cancelled.
I have mixed feeling about New Years and resolutions. I usually start something the moment I want to, so the idea of putting such a big emphasis on change just once a year seems unnatural to me. I’m also a bit of an all or nothing person, but I’m trying to work on that.
I like the feeling of a blank slate too. As far as breaking resolutions, I feel like mine usually taper off and I eventually forget about them as opposed to breaking them and purposely throwing in the towel.
I don’t believe in New Years resolutions. I believe in setting intentions and goals…I like to set myself up for success. Twice a year (August – my birthday and March – my daughter’s birthday) I take time to reflect on my goals and intentions…have I given them the time and attention, have I worked toward them, if not why…etc., Sometimes, my goals/intentions are small and achieveable, some are long term…like my need to practice patience (which is going to be tattooed on my wrist this year! I never set ones that will lead to punishment, shame, blame or guilt…only ones that will enrich my life, my world, and those in it!
Wishing you and yours a year filled with much health, happiness, peace and love & joy!
I love that quote…and I love New Year’s resolutions, even though I NEVER keep them, haha. Even though I never make it a full year with the resolutions I make in January, I still love the feeling of starting new, making goals, and just having a renewed sense of resolve and purpose.
Happy 2012 to you, Kelly!!!
That’s precisely the reason I don’t like new year’s resolutions! I just stress myself out and then give up…I totally get the “blank canvas” mentality, but it helps me to do it every day/week/month rather than wait for the new year. 🙂
Well said!
Happy New Year, Kelly!
I made a few resolutions, but really, they’re just for fun. I’ve done the serious ones before and always end up feeling unaccomplished by the end of the first week… Instead, I just keeping doing how I do… 😉
I’m making more of a ‘to do’ list for the year with tangible things, like what books I want to read and a couple of fitness goals. I don’t like the vague resolutions like ‘be happier’ or ‘get healthy,’ as I’m not sure what exactly they mean.
Oh yeah – I just took back ‘the opposite of me’ to the library. I loved it! Thanks for the recommendation.
Great quote! Sometimes, I think people set themselves up for failure with resolutions because of the “all or nothing” mentality! I just try to start each day fresh 🙂