Sixty-nine New Year’s celebrations. Tomorrow will be number seventy. I don’t remember any specific New Year’s resolutions from past years that I kept. Maybe that’s because I make resolutions as an ongoing process.
Yesterday, I picked up a family on Ft. Walton Beach. A mom, two of her sons, and a daughter tossed their bags in the rear of my VW Tiguan. One of the boys carefully placed his fishing rod on top of the other luggage. The mom sat up front with me.
Uber instructed me to take the family to the Destin/Fort Walton Beach airport.
“Where are y’all from?” I asked.
“We came from Chicago.” She answered. “See the middle one back there? We flew down here Thursday after Christmas to celebrate his birthday. Today was the first good weather day, so we practically had to drag him from the pier.”
“My husband and one other son had to stay in Chicago. This was our first trip to the Florida panhandle, but we will definitely return.”
I asked the birthday boy, “Did you have any luck fishing?”
“Yep. I caught fish every day, even in the rain. Fish don’t care.” He said.
His mom and I continued our conversation. She discussed the possibility that she and her husband would love to retire in this area, but they were still a decade away from that decision.
“You never know where the kids and their families will settle. We have the same challenges as our parents. My parents wanted warmer climates, so they moved to San Diego. My dad passed away, so my mom moved closer to us.”
Her conversation made me think about all our “life decisions” each year. 2024 was a pivotal year for me. Retirement. But not really. I never planned to stop working, not that it is financially viable.
If I were honest, I do have goals or “resolutions” for 2025. I want to write, and I want to speak to audiences. As an Alabama football fan, I’ve learned the importance of “process,” as demonstrated by Coach Nick Saban.
So, here is my plan:
- Practice gratitude. Despite the challenges we face as humans, my life has been filled with blessings, more than I can count. I’ve met people worldwide and had the opportunity to see good and bad. My challenges have been tough, but I’ve seen so much worse. My sources of gratitude are my family, friends, and the people with whom I’ve had the privilege of knowing.
- Awareness. Sixty-nine is a weird age. In some circles, my last job at Little Sisters of the Poor, for example, I feel more like “middle-age.” But in most cases, I’ve reached an age of discernment. So, at the end of each day, I’ll revisit the times when I moved toward or away from the person I want to be. What did I learn?
- Messages. Did something happen that was meant to steer me in a particular direction? I’m still driving for Uber. Whether through conversations or observations, am I learning something that is supposed to define my pathway?
- Others. If you are a long-time reader of my blogs, you know I’ve often expressed the need to pray for my riders and others needing help. I hope I never let a day go by that I don’t ask God to intercede.
I didn’t invent this plan. I keep a card in my wallet and on my desk. Matthew Kelly and his colleagues at Dynamic Catholic distribute these cards worldwide. My “process” came from them. I’ve copied it below:
THE PRAYER PROCESS
GRATITUDE: Begin by thanking God in a personal dialogue for whatever you are most grateful for today.
AWARENESS: Revisit the times in the past twenty-four hours when you were and were not the-best-version-of-yourself. Talk to God about these situations and what you learned from them.
SIGNIFICANT MOMENTS: Identify something you experienced in the last twenty-four hours and explore what God might be trying to say to you through that event (or person).
PEACE: Ask God to forgive you for any wrong you have committed (against yourself, another person, or Him) and to fill you with a deep and abiding peace.
FREEDOM: Speak with God about how He is inviting you to change your life so that you can experience the freedom to be the-best-version-of-yourself.
OTHERS: Lift up to God anyone you feel called to pray for today, asking God to bless and guide them.
PRAY: The Our Father.
I have so much more to learn. If I have one singular resolution, it is to continue my life education using the knowledge my family and friends share with me. My mother and one of my best friends passed away at the age of sixty-nine. I am nowhere near the person they were. Thanks for sharing your time with me. You continue to bless me with your support.
My title says, “A Very New Year! Happy?” I hope and pray that your 2025 is successful and very HAPPY!
God Bless,
Tommy
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