Friday, January 6, 2012

Potential

"We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room,
drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched.
Maybe this year, to balance the list,
we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives...
not looking for flaws, but for potential."
Ellen Goodman
And, that, is what I love most about a new year: the potential hidden within it. For me, there has never been anything more filled with potential than an empty appointment book (if you don't count the patient appointments carried forward from December). There it is, open, blank, pristine pages filled with plenty of room for new events, new patients, new educational experiences, new friends, new moments in an old marriage, and opportunity after opportunity to grow.
In which areas would you like to grow this year? Do you want (or need) a new skill set for your work? Do you aspire to higher education? Is this the year that you start, or finish, that B.A.? Is there a hobby that you have wanted to explore? Will you be more social this year, or maybe, less social? Who will you prioritize (you, your spouse, your patients, your God)? Has that church or shul down the street seemed interesting? Do you need more quiet, contemplative time (at the mosque, the beach, or in your own backyard)? Would you benefit from a serenity corner at your office? Will you eat more salads and less sugar this year? The choice is entirely yours.
This is YOUR year; the only year that will ever be 2012. Will it end with a contented sigh or a groan of regret? Will you feel more completely and wholly you? Or will you feel the same, or saddest of all, diminished? As trite as it may sound, if you want to change your life, then you must change your attitude. Can you change your attitude alone, or would you have a greater chance of success with a supportive partner (spouse, friend, therapist, spiritual director)? Now is the best time to decide what you need in order to experience success with your goals in 2012. Reach out, take a risk, and to paraphrase the Army's slogan, "Be the best YOU that you can be." Wishing you a wonder-filled 2012.

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