Plans, Dreams, and Goals.

Today I turn 57 years old (years young?).  My dad is 85.  Do I, can I, have another 28, 30 years?  I certainly hope so.  This past month I have begun anew to take a better look at my health, for a variety of reasons.  Most of you know I lost my job last month.  No big deal.  But I will lose my health insurance.  So, I get concerned about my health.

But I wasn't happy at that job; working for the misguided types that we find all over.  Life is too short to be unhappy.  I have always felt that but I did not always practice it.  Most of the time you get stuck doing the unsavory, mundane task of surviving.  Rents and mortgages, grocery and utility bills must be paid.  And society places us in roles that we must perform.  We must be productive.  We must work.  We must provide.  We must be good citizens.

Today, I was happy.  I went to my favorite spot in the county.  I shared the company with my family.  I spoke with my daughter 1200 miles away.   I reminisced... I thought... I pondered.  I learned a few things about myself.  I learned that I must exercise.  Physically, mentally, spiritually.  I got tired.  My body is weak.  I got depressed.  My spirit is sullen.  I learned.

I am about to embark on several journeys.  Perhaps a new career; perhaps a new livelihood.  New endeavors, labors, aspirations.  I don't know.  I am working on it.  I have a great many projects on my desk.  The must do's.  The should do's. The might do's.  I have to make myself a 'must do' on someone else's list.  I now have the time to do that.

I plan on becoming more disciplined in my own personal work.  I start that with this essay.  I was tired and should have gone to bed but I am determined to finish this.

I plan on changing my dreams into goals.  A goal is a dream with a deadline.  So.  I just need to put my plans for my dreams into actions and assign them a goal.  There are so many dreams.  So many plans.  I need to assign them goals.

The tradition is that on New Year's Eve we make resolutions for the new year.  Isn't a birthday the start of the new year, of A new year?  It seems to me that each day is the promise of a new year.  Each day we should start with a resolution, a plan, a dream, a goal.  That is what I will do. Let this be my testament, my resolution for today, for the coming year.  And for every day and year after this.  I shall wake with resolve and determination to accomplish something.

David.