“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me'.”
–Erma Bombeck
I did a lot of painting, performing, and writing for you! I also volunteered, made contributions and always had a lot of fun. I’m leaving everything on the table. That’s my jam. 🥳
Happy 2022, beautiful friend! I'm wishing you and yours a wonderful year ahead with an abundance of blessings. So many people were eager to say good riddance to 2021. Of course, it had its ups and downs like every other year, but all along the way, I always found so many things for which I'm thankful.
Towards the end of every December, I do a formal year-end review and set goals for the year to come. If you want something to grow it helps to measure it. I did this last week with two partners. We took inventory and evaluated our progress. First, we wrote everything down, and then we shared it. These were our categories:
wins
challenges
gratitude
eliminate stress
dream
I had a significant challenge this year with the loss of my father. Although, I feel so incredibly grateful to have had him in my life for so long. Sadly, my children don't have this gift. But they have so many other blessings in their full and exciting lives. All of us survived another year of the pandemic. We were resilient, resourceful and remained connected. I painted, performed, socialized, volunteered, and celebrated! Exercising, enjoying nature, making music, and art helped me eliminate stress. And honestly, I've just begun to dream! So stick around; we're going to have a lot more fun!!!
I’m grateful I had my dad present for so many milestones in my life, like walking me down the aisle.
After our evaluating exercise, I write my goals down in the form of a positive Life Statement, as if they've already happened, and give thanks for my abundant life. I create one statement for each of these areas:
Health
Spirituality
Personal Development
Relationships
Business
Finances
Recreation and Fun
I use these same statements in my daily gratitude practice. If you’d like to create your own gratitude practice, or want to do a year end review, let's set up a Zoom call. Just click the button and I'll help you.
Things keep getting better. Evaluating my progress and setting goals helps me feel more purpose and meaning in my life. I move forward with the intention of serving in the most joyful way I can. Life really can be a bowl of cherries. It's all in the way you look at things. As an artist, I look for beauty in all things. I'm grateful that I can always find it.
A modern metric is our Social media stats. I'm astounded that I have over 11K followers on Facebook and Instagram, and I received almost 53K likes in 2021. That freaking amazes me! Thank you for being on this incredible journey with me. I count you as one of my blessings. If I've inspired you along the way, please tell your friends. If you have any questions about why or how I do anything, ask. I'm here to share.
Let’s crush 2022! This year can be the best yet. Unward and upward!
Love,
Leslie
xo