Goodbye, Hello

Another year, gone. Twelve months of striving and heartache to put behind us, forever. If a psychic had told me the events that would unfold in my life this past year, I might not have believed it. Which also tells me that anything is possible.

So this upcoming year, I'm planning for change. My Diabetes will not be an obstacle, because it's part of me. It was structured into my genetic code, with a specific timeframe. It was supposed to happen.

And it makes me wonder...what else is supposed to happen in 2013? Can I be part of that process by planning accordingly?

If I am sensible about it, I will be sure to monitor myself daily. I'll pay attention to what I eat and how it affects my readings. And I will learn more about my condition. I will not be afraid to read other blogs, to take advantage of free information that could potentially help me live a better life.

I won't take it personally if my wife or my son consumes sugar in my presence. They're only human. And it's not their intention to upset me in any way. I must overlook it. That's the right thing to do.

This year will no doubt be different from all the years before it. New challenges will confront me. New choices. Each with the potential to alter my perspective. To turn my routine upside down.

I'm hoping some of that change will come about through my own efforts. By pursuing my God-given talents -- like never before.

It's time to stop telling myself "NO". I've done this a lot over the years. "That's not possible," or "I don't have time," or "It would be too hard."

Nothing that's worthwhile ever comes about without great effort. The hard thing to do and the right thing to do -- are usually the same.

So I plan to work very hard. To sacrifice whenever possible. To apply myself to a time table. Because I have dreams and I want to make them happen. Before this time rolls around, next year.

Sometimes, we need to change. It's a feeling in the gut, telling us to make a move. I've faced this sort of thing before. I followed my instincts -- and things turned out for the better.

You ever feel that way? Like something big is about to happen, something good, something you've anticipated maybe your whole life, but didn't know exactly when? Something you can't put your finger on, because its exact shape is unknown. But you can sense it, on the horizon.

Something like that is about to happen for me. It may be three months or six months or nine. But it's coming, without a doubt.

And I firmly believe, the first step is saying "Goodbye". Goodbye to disappointments this past year. Goodbye to negative thoughts. Goodbye to all the obstacles that I've created with personal road blocks. Goodbye to all objections (real or imagined) which have prevented me from trying.

Then it's time to say "Hello". Hello to what's possible. Hello to taking steps I've only dreamed about. Not crazy, but real. Commiting myself to a process. Pursuing the dream with consistent effort. Like anyone else who wants to get from point A to point B.

I used to think my path was set, like a track in the road. That I'd already been to college, made my choice, and that was it. No more choices to be made. No way to go back and do it over. No way to try again because my 'chances' were all used up.

Now I see otherwise. People make choices every day. Young and old alike. And those choices can take us potentially anywhere we want to go. There's more than one way to get there.

I've only just begun.