These aren't resolutions. I won't make promises I may not keep. These are things I hope to do in 2009. Things I want to do. But life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans (thanks, John) and sometimes my best intentions don't produce the desired results.
I want to do more to help alleviate problems in the
world. Yeah, everybody says that. But I really do. Since 2001, I’ve sponsored a child born into extreme
poverty in Malawi. She’s sixteen now and we still write letters
to each other. Last year, I also started
supporting the Central Asia Institute, after reading Three Cups of Tea. I also
made small loans to two entrepreneurs, one in Indonesia and one in Cambodia through Kiva, a micro-financing organization that assists people in poverty around
the world to realize their dreams of supporting themselves. This year, after reading Mountains Beyond Mountains recently, I will extend my help into Central or South America and I want to find the best vehicle for
doing that. I’m on a fixed income and am
semi-retired, but there is always something that I can certainly do
without in order to help people who don’t have the same opportunities that I’ve
enjoyed. The Gateses may be able to
donate millions to these causes, but if millions of people donated $20 each,
we’d make as much of a difference as they do.
I want to stop renewing many of my magazine subscriptions
and use that extra money and time to read more books which are ultimately more
enjoyable for me. I have so many other
ways to find out what’s happening in the world; I don’t need to inundate our
home with so many magazines that I don’t recycle anyway.
I want to stop worrying about the number on my scales and
start thinking about my health. I turned
fifty-five a few months ago and I’d really like to hang around for two or three
more decades. I weigh myself daily. What a vain way to measure my health! I’d rather focus on building strength in my
body by changing my workout routine to include toning and strengthening
exercises. This is the year I’d like to
sign up for a real class with a real teacher instead of hiding out at home and
working out on my elliptical machine.
I want to become more organized. I have no idea how to accomplish that
goal. I’ve tried making lists, putting
things on my calendar, even setting alarms to remind me of those plans, but in
the end I just put off doing the tasks I don’t enjoy. I don’t work well under pressure of
deadlines, so why don’t I become more organized?
I want to revitalize my prayer and meditation moments. I’d say my “prayer life” except that I
usually only spend minutes each day in prayer, not hours, so I don’t have much
of a “prayer life” - just prayer and meditation moments. I’m starting out the year by attending a retreat at
Mount Angel Abbey later this month, and hope to do things like that a couple of
times in 2009. I also want to re-read A Good Life by Robert Benson, which is a
great book about this sort of thing.
Happy 2009 to each of you and my hope is that you experience wonderful things in your life in this new year. That's the best wish of all!
