As a year comes to a close there is a natural tendency to reflect on the things we hoped to accomplish.

• What are the commitments we want to hold onto moving forward?
• What commitments do we need to modify because our lives changed during the year?
• What commitments do we need to let go of because they don’t carry the importance they once did?

Typically this exercise leads most of us to start the year off with resolutions we hope to keep, only to be disappointed when we come up short. Last year I shared with everyone another approach called One Word 2011 which fellow blogger, Alece Ronzino, shared on her Grit and Glory blog.

 “I’ve never been a New Year’s resolutions girl. I just can’t bring myself to do it. I think I tried once. And a few months later when I couldn’t even remember what my resolutions were — or where my list was — I felt like a miserable failure. And I’ve never made resolutions again. But last year I decided to choose one word to focus on, my own personal non-resolution…resolution.” –Alece

I too have struggled with the resolution/disappointment cycle, which for me usually led to disappointment when my best intentions lacked the commitment necessary to achieve the outcome I desired. Based on a history with failed resolutions, I decided to try Aleces’s approach and joined the One Word team of bloggers. I spent one year not focused on resolutions but staying in tune to one single word to see how that focus might influence my year. One look at the Top 10 Posts of last year illustrate the impact “pausing” had on this past year and our outlook for the future.

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I absolutely love Christmas! Christmas was my favorite holiday as a kid and it’s still my favorite as an adult. And while Christmas has always been a favorite, the reasons for it being my favorite has changed over the years.  

The love I had for Christmas as a child centered more on the gifts I anticipated receiving from Santa, Mom & Dad, and all my relatives.

The love I have for Christmas as an adult has little to do with the gifts and everything to do with the traditions I value so much.

Early in our marriage, and even before we were engaged, Shari and I took the time to discuss those huge decisions which could become conflict for couples during the holidays. You know those biggies which in some was define you as a couple! 

Christmas Tree type, artificial or real? Real…Both of us!

Christmas Tree Lights, colored or white? White…Both of us!

Candles or Wreaths in the windows? Both…big deal to her, neutral to me!

With the big 3 out of the way long before the season actually began we could let the anticipation build as the year progressed.

Christmas 2011

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 Who am I to make suggestions on how to pray?

This one question almost kept this post from being published on Leveraging Life. Satan has been having a field day with me, causing me question if I was worthy of following up my post, Who Is Getting Your Leftovers. That was until early Sunday morning when a favorite quote popped in my head.  It was almost as if I had been given permission. 

 Do not tell people how to live their lives. Just tell them stories. And they will figure out how those stories apply to them. Randy Pausch 

After re-reading Randy’s words from his amazing Last Lecture, I realized sharing the story, my story, is the only role I have in this.  Any application is between you and God.  Continue Reading…