What an incredible year it was last year.
I could go on and on about what happened to Ron and I this past year, but I won’t. Instead I would like to urge all of you to quietly reflect on the past year and see if you can put everything in perspective.
Let’s take a look at what happened …
You grew
You expanded yourself
You tried new things.
You were healthy.
You were sick.
Some things you tried failed and you fell.
You picked yourself up and tried again.
Some things you tried were stupendous.
You smiled and kept walking and then tried again.
Babies were born.
Some people we loved got sick.
Some people we loved died.
You fought with someone and got angry.
You were at peace.
Some of you started a new business.
Others were “liberated” from a job and moved onto to something better.
We had fun.
We loved.
We got sad.
We still loved.
We made new friends.
We lost some old ones.
We loved again.
Now if you look at the list and think about it, what is the one thing that last year gave to you?
Think about it. I can wait.
Every answer will be different. Just like no two snowflakes are alike, no two answers to this question will be alike. Sure it gave us some very nasty things, but I don’t want you to focus on that. It’s too easy to focus on the negative. Rolls easily off our tongues right? It’s easy to talk about the hurtful things. I don’t want to focus on that right now. I want you to turn around and look at the other side. I want you to list all the positive things that you learned! The things that made you pause, look deep within yourselves, and then allowed you to move forward.
My answer?
I learned about love.
I learned how to accept people for who and what they are.
I learned to never give up! I learned to keep walking no matter what happens.
I learned that change is beautiful and leads to even better things if you allow it to.
I learned how to forgive others.
I learned how to forgive myself.
I learned about love.
I learned that we might forget the details about what happened but the feelings will stay with us for a lifetime.
In fact, let me say that last one again …
The details will fade, but the feelings will last forever.
So remember the love. Remember the peace. Remember the beauty. Forget the rest. They are not worth remembering.
Fear is simply … False Evidence Appearing Real
Forget the bad stuff that happened. Learn from it and move on. I know it's hard, but it's worth it in the end.
Forgive those that wronged you. Forgive yourself as well if you need to. Then move on from it all. Turn your back on it and walk the other way, and please don't turn around and look back! Just walk. One step at a time if you have to. Remember, as my good friend Connie Domino says ... forgiveness doesn’t mean you want a relationship with them, it simply means you wish to move on. Forgiveness is selfish. You do it for you, not for them.
You don’t have to remember the words that were spoken, nor do you have to remember the details. The good, the bad and the ugly will all fade in time and you will be left remembering feelings.
Choose to remember the positive ones! Choose to remember the feelings of love, kindness and compassion.
Why?
As I've said before, change the inside and your world will change on the outside. The outside reflects what is going on in the inside. Keep love on the inside, and love will appear on the outside.
Remember the best thing that happened to you this past year and take the smile that comes to your face, and the warm feeling that appears in your heart, and start your new year off with those feelings. Start the year off with love and happiness!
In the end, there is only one thing you should remember when you reflect on everything that happened …
Remember the love.
Copyright © 2008-2010 by Katharine C. Giovanni
About the Author: Katharine Giovanni is an international Concierge Training Expert, Award Winning Author and consultant, Certified Concierge Specialist (CCS) and Speaker. She is the Founder and Chairman of the Board of ICLMA - The International Concierge and Lifestyle Management Association as well as President and co-founder of Triangle Concierge, Inc. Katharine can be reached via her website at http://www.triangleconcierge.com
