The Year in Review ~ What a Ride!

2012 was good to me. But how good was I to it? How did I say thanks to the Higher Up for the 365 days I was given to breathe in and out?

We’re not supposed to sit quietly and wait for the world’s gifts. If you woke up today, that’s  your gift. The rest is up to you to discover, unfold, and make your own. And since the universe gives us the gift of life every day, we should show our gratitude by reveling in what it offers (doing things that make you want to exclaim, “Woo hoo, what a ride!”). I don’t know if I did enough, but I sure had fun trying.

{Olympic bobsled ride in Lake Placid, New York.}

Here’s how I said thank you for the opportunity to be here.

I marveled at the world. I explored my playground by traveling to Kentucky, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Ohio, Chicago, The Abacos, London, Paris, Avignon, Nice, Cannes, Village of Eze, Monte Carlo, New York City, Lake Placid, and rounded out the year with a quick stop in Atlanta to visit family. Seeing the landscapes, meeting the natives, and eating the local food is a great way to show the universe you appreciate your time here.

{Monte Carlo}

I laughed. A lot. Laughing is a sure way to tell the universe that you understand why we’re here – to fill each other with joy.  Jane Austen once said, “For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn.” True that.

{My Finn makes me laugh every day with his smile.}

I tuned in.  Some call it intuition, some call it the soul. I think the universe gives each one of us our own secret decoder ring, and with it you can solve the greatest puzzle (YOU) by tuning in and listening. My decoder ring works best when I meditate, pray, and sit still in nature. We all have a message inside us that is meant to be decoded. Once decoded, we understand who we are really meant to be.

I practiced gratitude. Not a single day went by when I didn’t thank God for the awesome gift of life he’s given me.

I loved BIG. People, family, new friends, old friends, all dogs, some cats, heck, the whole world. When I hugged, I hugged like I meant it. None of those half-hearted pats on the back. When I was honored to share time with someone, I looked them in the eye and cared about what they were saying.

{Minnie.}

Looking back, I guess I could have done more. But, I’m not one to dwell in the past so I’m going to end this year with a with a happy heart, a challenged mind, a peaceful soul, and a tired body. (Make that a really tired body.)

I hope you covered a lot of ground this year and more than a few things made you exclaim, “Woo hoo, what a ride!” Here’s to 2013 – something tells me it’s going up be a Karousing kind of a year!

{Keep exploring.}

Gratitude is a Practice ~ Make It a Priority (November 22, 2012)