Have you seen Rome? I remember just unbelievable beauty. And a vibe in the air that felt (to me) even more intense than New York City. There were people EVERYWHERE. The streets were jam-packed with cars and motorcycles. And in other places like The Spanish Steps, life seemed to grind to a halt with people just hanging out, some singing, someone giving away puppies, and others just drinking and talking with no particular sense of responsibility or urgency about anything. (I suppose this isn't terribly different from fraternity parties I attended way back when - maybe my nostalgia was just kicking in!) I have to assume that Rome definitely took some time to build and develop its spirit. Plus if I remember ANYTHING from social studies (you can't even pay me to play trivial pursuit), it began long, long ago as a small city and transformed into a big empire and all that. Yes, Rome was built one incremental step at a time.
I have to remind myself of this often. I dream big and then get frustrated when I find myself unable to quickly follow-through on my plans. In my life, I don't recall any overnight, miracle successes. I took one-day-at-a-time. And looking back, most of my fun was working with other people in the preparation, whether it was practicing marching (yep, former band geek here), school play rehearsals, even dating - all those daily rituals led up to the natural conclusions of winning a band championship, giving a really great acting performance, and getting married! I suppose in the back of my mind I wanted those things, but they would have been terribly bittersweet if I suffered the whole process through just waiting for the end result.
My baby reminds me to appreciate where I am right now, to "play" versus "push" my way through life. That the wrapping paper is to be tasted just as much as the gift! :) To really enjoy every moment in my life even if it doesn't seem to be supporting a "goal" I've set for myself.
So on the eve of this New Year, as I've pondered and pondered how humongous and unrealistic I could make my goals this year (smile), I've decided to consider instead how to take smaller, incremental steps each day, that make me truly happy.
I would love to hear your thoughts. Happy New Year, my friends!
2 comments:
As a mom of a 12 month old, I had been feeling restless- wanting to get on with my career, my life. I was getting burned out on diapers and the monotony of my mommy days. I had to take a step back and ask myself if today was my last day on earth, how would I want to spend it? I realized that I would want to spend every moment with my baby and my husband. Other than having my husband take a day off of work, I was doing that very thing. That realization helped me relax and better enjoy my mommy days. I also sometimes feel impatient about restarting my career, about building Rome in a day, but there will be time for that. You are right- I can take baby steps toward those major career goals and feel fulfilled instead of shortchanged.
HAPPY NEW YEAR..
I'VE READ THROUGH SOME OF THE ARTICLES, "ROME WASN'T BUILT IN A DAY" PUTS IT IN PERSPECTIVE.
I TEND TO RUSH INTO EVERYTHING I DO AND NEVER FIND TIME TO RELAX AND ENJOY THE SMALL THINGS.
I'M GOING TO TRY TO "PLAY" RATHER THAN "PUSH". I DON'T BELIEVE IN NEW YEARS'S RESOLUTIONS ( I NEVER STICK TO THEM) !!
A NEW OUTLOOK, A DIFFERENT APPROACH OR ANYTHING THAT CAN AND WILL MAKE ME REACH MY GOALS IS A PLUS.
THANKS FOR THE TIPS. I HAVE TO BE MORE CREATIVE IN MY DAILY LIFE. THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE. AND, I HAVE TO BE THE ONE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. BUT A FEW WORDS OF ENCOURAGMENT NEVER HURTS.
MY GOAL IS SIMPLE "DO YOUR BEST". GOOD MANTRA, BUT SOMETIMES IT LACKS THE SPECIFICS I MAY CHOOSE TO AVOID SUBCONSIOUSLY. SO, I WILL TAKE SMALL STEPS INTO THE NEW YEAR..
IF IT MEANS TAKING LUNCH AN HOUR LATER, THAT'S A BIG STEP FOR ME. I NEED TO LEARN TO STOP STRIVING FOR PERFECTION. I KNOW THERE IS NO SUCH THING, BUT MY ACTIONS PROVE OTHERWISE.
I WISH I HAD SOME WORDS OF WISDOM TO SHARE, BUT YOU CAN SEE I NEED TO WORK ON MYSELF FIRST. BUT, I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING SOME NEW EXPERIENCES HERE SOON. IT'S NICE TO SHARE MY JOURNAL AND TO GET SOME FEEDBACK, OR JUST TO LEARN A NEW WAY OF THINKING.. THANKS FOR THE "POSITIVITY".. I'M OFF & RUNNING.. SLOWLY THIS TIME..
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