WOOHOO! The New Year has arrived….
I’m ready to kick off 2019 with my ONE WORD – COURAGE!
By definition “courage” is “the ability to do something which frightens you.” It is the mental or moral strength to venture out, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. The history books are full of social activists, like Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, who spoke out against injustice at great personal risk. Entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Walt Disney, who took financial risks to follow their dreams. They are like modern-day knights, exemplifying the rewards courage can bring. Courage can range from physical strength and endurance to mental stamina and innovation.
So why did I pick this word? Believe me I didn’t pick it, God placed it on my heart many times over the last few weeks. I have A LOT of things which frighten me… In being “courageous”, I have begun planning for 2019 – stepping out into some fearful territory. Check out some of the NEWNESS coming…
- The expansion of Rays of Hope – Angel Connection
- Monthly mystery themed “pink boxes”
- Monthly random acts of kindness to those who are struggling
- Applying for disability and learning to live with and accept my MS struggles
Looking back over my “one word”, I realize God is answering my prayers, in his time not in mine. My vision is to make a difference in the life of others but I need to know my limits. My life has always been an open door so I can help others. Over the years, I have stopped sharing those experiences – it is time to have the courage again to share the good, the bad and the ugly.
My first year selecting “one word” was In 2013 and my word was FAITH. Faith to believe when the way is rough and faith to hang on when the going is tough will never fail to pull us through and bring us strength and comfort too. Helen Steiner Rice. “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Matthew 17:20
FAITH led me to my word in 2014 which was EMBRACE. The goal was to EMBRACE all of the blessings God had in store for me. I needed to have FAITH before I could EMBRACE the me everyone else saw – confident, thinner, and some might even say fun. I learned to EMBRACE challenges as blessings without a visit from Doubtful Debbie or Negative Nellie.
Having FAITH and moving forward as I EMBRACED the blessings in my life, I had to learn to TRUST in 2015! Learning to lean on God for ALL things and TRUST him to direct my path was probably the toughest for me. I had to learn to stop taking control when things didn’t go my way. God is in control and I TRUST he will direct my path. I grew in my FAITH, knowing God will provide for my needs.
The inner gremlins were rearing their ugly head so in 2016, my word was CONFIDENCE! I needed CONFIDENCE to believe when the way was rough and the going was tough. CONFIDENCE as I learned to live with my recent diagnosis of MS. CONFIDENCE as I squashed the inner gremlins which had haunted me all of my life.
Then in 2017, it was all about being ACCOUNTABLE. Being accountable meant in all areas of my life not just my business. It meant watching what I ate, working my business as a business. Most of all, it meant being fully transparent in my relationships which was scary as HELL!
In 2018, my goal was to be intentional in my words and my actions. It started off a bit rocky but at the halfway mark, I was being intentional and making thoughtful choices in my life. Was it easy? NO! Did I struggle? Without a doubt. I learned so much over the year as I started to grow as a person. You would think when a person hits the age of 61, they have learned. Sadly, many old behaviors had crept back into my life and I needed to face them before I could move forward. I can say, I ended the year by no longer doing things by the “seat of my pants”. I plan and actually bounce things off of other people to get their input before I take action. A new concept for me but one which reaped many benefits.
All of these lead me to this year of COURAGE!
Whatever your word is for this year, I wish you a safe, healthy and Happy New Year. May this year bring you everything you desire….
Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!
Hope Wissel 