a new year, a new (or at least improved) you (and me)

Two weeks ago I hopped into a cab and headed toward the doctor’s office*. The cabbie was uncommonly conversational, as he was rambling on about resolutions for the new year.  

“What are your resolutions?” he said.

I paused, and said, “I guess I haven’t really thought about it.”

“Well you should think about it,” he replied.

Umm, alright dad, I thought to myself as I internally rolled my eyes.

“Do you know your life’s goal?” the cabbie followed-up.

What? My life goals? I thought I was paying for a cab ride, not a counseling session about my future.

With nothing to say, the cab driver looked in the rear view mirror and said, “Well you should think about it. You can’t get anywhere without knowing where you’re going.”

So I’ve been thinking about it. A lot actually. I’m a list-maker by nature, so I spent the following days writing out everything I’ve accomplished in the last decade, reflecting on where I’ve come from, where I am, and where I want to be (the ever moving target, sigh).

I could write for days about the always present “life” question, but I’ll get to the point. Not every year has stand-out accomplishments. Sometimes the accomplishment is merely standing still, growing through circumstances, rather than changing the circumstances.

This has certainly been the case for me this past year.  And though I cannot say the past year was the best ever, I can say I have learned a lot more about myself, my character, my needs, my wants, and what I want my future to be.  By standing still in my circumstances, my foundation and understanding of myself has grown stronger.

Knowing what I know now, I am left feeling optimistic.  This next year has much potential. New friends, new hobbies like cooking, new obsessions like my camera, and more importantly a better understanding of me.

Any year that starts off as 1/1/11 is bound to be lucky, right? Happy New Year.

* long story—I had a nasty stomach infection, but nothing antibiotics couldn’t fix.