This is our January “New Year” Self-Improvement edition. You will find many New Year Tips from many of our friends and clients. I am sure you will find something in these pages that will help you improve the quality of your life. I was once told that the term “self improvement” was incorrect and that all of us are wonderful just as we are. I guess I could use the term self-enhancement, or self-awareness but I think we can all use some smoothing around the edges and a tweak here and there. I use the new year to look back and then quickly move forward. There is no use living in the past. The things that we have done wrong, just don’t do them again. The things we have done right, keep doing them. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You are a very special person with your own unique history and future. The past has blown away with the breeze and dawn brings a new day. So make the most of it. Don’t let others control your life and write your story. None of us is perfect or even close. We all have crosses to bear and triumphs to celebrate. Create attainable goals for yourself and enjoy the challenge. Take control of your health and learn more about how you can be healthier and happier today, tomorrow and forever. Don’t be fearful of the unknown. The unknown can be an adventure and take you places you have never been. Learn to enjoy yourself. Embrace your peaks and valleys and make each experience a personal journey. Stop blaming others for everything or anything. Let go of old grudges and let forgiveness become your mantra. When I look at myself in the mirror, I see a 68-year-old man with no hair on the top of his head, a white beard and declining hearing and eyesight. I also see a man who loves his wife, his daughters, his grandsons, his bother and sister and all his family and friends. I see someone imperfect but with plenty of potential. I would like to lose some weight, exercise more and be a better person to all those around me. That quest never ends. But I am not unhappy with what I see. I am glad to be here on this planet, perhaps making a difference and just enjoying life as it unfurls around me. I enjoy my job, my life and my journey. I have things I still want to do and accomplish, but I also acknowledge those things I have done in my life and I am very proud. My regrets give me pause, but I have learned from my mistakes and have challenged myself to be as good of a person as possible. I honor my deadlines but I don’t batter myself with guilt if I miss my mark from time to time. Much of this comes with my passing years. This must be the wisdom of elders I heard about as a youth. My quest for self-improvement is ongoing. Much of my quest is to satisfy some promises I made to myself many years ago. Many of those goals are coming true, as I have become a grandfather, I am writing again and I have been married for 30 years now. We are here on this planet for a very short time. It does no good to chase our tails in the search for things too difficult to catch. It’s better for you to take a long walk in the woods, dip your toes in the ocean and warm yourself in a beam of sunlight. We can all improve who we are, but you don’t have to change who you are. That’s the lesson to learn about self-improvement I think. You stand a much better chance of reaching your goals if you first lift yourself up and celebrate those things you already feel good about. When looking for self-improvement, remember, the product is much more important than the packaging!
Happy New Year! JB Lester, Publisher
Tags: January 2020