Each year I spend a good share of my December thinking through the year past What went right? What did not go as planned? What pleasantly surprised me? What challenges or disappointments did I face?
Making the New Year Matter
I think about everything from what kind of mother/wife/friend I had been, to how I spent my money, and what books I read. This is when I think about how I can make a more powerful difference in the year ahead. What will that look like? Who will that difference impact? And how will I know I’ve achieved something meaningful?
As each of you think about the year ahead and set your traditional fitness and money saving goals, also ask yourself how you will give back to your community. Can you commit time to mentor a child? Be a CASA volunteer? Drive someone to doctor appointments for Cancer Services? Greet visitors at your church or synagogue? Be an ally to getting a family out of poverty through Circles of Grant County? Maybe regularly check on a neighbor who is living alone.
And did you know that according to the Lilly School of Philanthropy, if each of us committed the $5 from our coffee habits to the charity of our choice, giving across the nation would double? Maybe you could commit one coffee per week to your favorite organization—we’d love for it to be Radiant Health!
You see, as Father Gregory Boyle says, “There is no us and no them—there is only us.” Each of us makes the difference by being present in our communities and in our families. Together, we create the future we want for our children and our grandchildren for generations to come. It’s on us.
So, how will you make THIS New Year matter? What will you commit to do to create a better future for all? Post your commitments in the comments section of this blog!
