I would be lying if I told you 2012 was one of my favorite years, but I do understand that gratitude, along with owning my perspective of things, are the secrets to happiness. It is true that no matter how hard or how many times Madame Universe decides to bitch-slap you, if you have these tools in your arsenal, you’re going to be okay. In that spirit, instead of wasting any time at all on pondering how astonishingly shitty 2012 was, here are some reasons it rocked!
1. My kids are healthy and reasonably happy. My little one started school and is obsessed with learning, and my big one has a teacher this year who loves and appreciates her, and makes her feel like learning maybe isn’t so boring.
2. After almost nine years of marriage, I am still crazy in love with a great guy who loves and appreciates (and puts up with) me.
3. And who made the entire dinner last night! (And poured a great wine!)
4. My wonderful parents have been able to help out again with watching the kids, and my kids are able to enjoy getting to know and love both sets of their grandparents. I hope to be able to post this one every year, but deeply appreciate the gift of being able to post it now, and for as many years as I can.
5. Despite how mediocre a friend I’ve been this year, self-absorbed at times in my own worries and woes, I have had wonderful “angel” pals show me extraordinary displays of kindness and caring. Very close friends pulling me up off the mat when I’ve been knocked down, others simply reaching out, letting me know they were thinking of me.
6. I went on a mini-vacation with a friend in Florida in June and spent four days sitting around, not focusing on anyone’s needs but my own!
7. I just got new eyeglasses after eight years and I can read highway signs again! (Talk about improving perspective…)
8. I discovered a whole world of new writing friends via social media–relative “strangers” who lend advice, share information, “retweet,” interview me and let me interview them, allow me to post on their blogs, invite me on blog hops and to join their promos, download and read and review my books. The camaraderie has been amazing. Thanks, guys!
9. And speaking of books–I still can’t believe I landed a publisher this year, Diversion Books, who put out not one, but two of my books. The second, The Girl, the Gold Tooth & Everything, acquired from a synopsis and a sample chapter. I’ve been in book publishing 20 years this year. The amazingness of this is not lost on me.
10. I just got my hair cut and highlighted after about seven months! (So just a little bit about my hair.)
11. I watched three great movies in a row with my husband last night! (Ted, The Help, Red.)
12. I got a Kindle and have already read two and a half great books since Christmas (A State of Jane by Meredith Schorr; Finding Lucas by Samantha Stroh Bailey; started The Dating Game by Susan Buchanan) and I now have the ability to be able to give back more to my writing community.
13. I’m here. (And as long as I am, I can keep improving myself and my world. Doesn’t get better than that.)
So there you have it: Lucky 13 as we approach 2013! It’s amazing that no matter how crappy and down you may be feeling, forcing yourself to name some things that are going right can really lift you.
Don’t believe me? Try it yourself. And PLEASE, share just one of these with me in the comments section below.
And check out this great idea, which will make your next year’s inventory much easier to manage:
And here’s Steve Maraboli‘s great Facebook group you can join to keep you in the practice of being thankful for all you have:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/157468344270522/
So sayonara 2012. Don’t let the door slam you too hard in the tushie. And all the best to all of you in 2013!
xo
Francine