My New Year's Resolution

     My New Year's resulution for 2011 - mindfulness. Mindfulness is a discipline. Our culture is vehemently against it. Our American society is all about getting in the fast lane, climbing the ladder of success, running, working, and striving for the goal. Well, my goal is mindfulness.  Mindfulness is finding joy in the little blessings God places in my path everyday. It's so easy to just pass those by without a single notice.  It could be a touch of beauty in a hard place, a hint of goodness in a not-so-favorite coworker, or a scent of something wonderful in a frenzy-paced moment. Those bits can only be captured at the moment they are offered. If I'm so engrossed in busyness that I fail to sense the joy, it is lost.
    So, this year I will be looking for...

                                                                         wild beauty

                                                                        solitude

                                                                         new life

                                          happiness and fulfillment in the present 

                                                                  sweet baby cheeks

fruitfulness

                                                                           simplicity

  wonderment and exploration

the time to ponder

  
     Yes, it is time for me to incorporate the discipline of mindfulness in my days. I must be alert and watching, for at any unexpected moment I could be passing up an opportunity for joy. I am going to capture those blessings and enjoy 2011.