WHEN WILL YOUR DREAM COME TRUE? CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 176

2013 will come to an end in a little over 5 weeks from now.  Your  to-do list is probably very long as you prepare for any  or all of the upcoming holidays.  When you reflect on 2013 do you think you were successful in achieving your goals?  Did you even set goals for 2013?  Did you make any of your dreams come true? 

2014 is like a brand new slate on which you can write your hopes, your plans, your dreams, your goals, and most important the steps you must take to accomplish those things.  Make a vow to yourself. Repeat it each day by saying, "In 2014 I will

ATTAIN MY DREAMS."

WHEN DO YOU START A NEW YEAR? CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 95

Today is September 1 here in the United States.  For me this date has always seemed like the start of a brand new year because when my children were growing up it was the start of a new school year for them.  The lazy heat-filled days of summer would be over, and the cool crisp days of fall would be welcomed as the prelude to all of the holiday celebrations.  January 1 never seemed to me like the start of a new year except for the date changes.

As adults when my son and daughter talk about things which happened in the past they identify the timing as what grade they were in school.  They don't refer to a calendar year but rather to 3rd Grade, 6th Grade, or junior high or high school years.  September is the month when families get organized, clean closets, make master calendars to keep up with all the activities, enjoy the start of football season, and see trees turn from green to orange and gold.

September is a new beginning so what plans do you have?  What changes will you make?  Will this be a memorable year for your children or grandchildren?  Although times have changed and the world is in great turmoil, life still goes on so make the most of it

YEAR BY YEAR

CHANGING LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 6

In order for our lives to change we have to stop doing everything the way we have always done it. I believe it was Albert Einstein who said, "The true definition of insanity is doing everything the same way and expecting different results."

Being myself a devout creature of habit, I know change can be difficult to accept until you face the fact that you do not like your life the way it is.  Begin writing down how you want your life to be:

• What things do you want to do?
• What things do you want to have?
• What places do you want to go?
• What things do you NOT want to do?
• What things do you NOT want to have?
• What places do you NOT want to go?
• What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

When you are writing don't worry about what is possible or not or how you will make things happen or when.  Don't worry about spelling, punctuation, prioritizing, or legibility.  Just write.  Continue to add to this list, and removing items is also an option as your wants change.   I know this process works because I started doing it years ago, and here are just a few of the things I wrote on my lists:

• I want to have a boy and a girl whose names will be Scott and Susie.
• I want to be able to put my children through college.
• I want to be as philanthropic as I am able.
• I want to be Vice President of a company.
• I want to have a Cadillac.
• I want to renovate an historic house.
• I want to convert the historic house to a bed & breakfast inn.
• I want to own my own business.

At the time I wrote them I had no way of knowing how or when these things would happen, but in time they all came to pass.  I never stopped making plans and expecting the plans to become reality so today's message is:

Make Plans

Life Is What Happens When We Are Making Other Plans

Whoever coined that phrase knew about what he or she was speaking.  I have always been a person who plans, makes lists, utilizes planners and calendars and schedules.  Although since my surgery I have tried to resume those habits, I seem to be lagging behind in getting back on track.  I make a plan, and then I have to change it because a medical appointment must be kept.  I make a plan, put it on the calendar and find I must cancel it or reschedule it.  I now write things in pencil because I have to change plans for various reasons.  Unexpected visitors, too many phone calls from pollsters and/or telemarketers, as well as other interruptions have totally discombobulated my plans.

All that being said, however, I know it is really up to me to take charge of my time and get back to business.
I have begun listing new items on our website www.malcolmfortots.com and our ETSY shop www.malcolmfortots.etsy.com so please check back on both sites frequently to see what progress has been made.

The holidays are rapidly approaching so my mind swirls with ideas and plans for the various special celebrations of the season.  As I add them to my ever-lengthening lists, I also am thinking of new things to include in my blog in 2013.  I so much appreciate the thousands of page views my blog has had since its inception, and I hope to broaden its appeal in the New Year with the changes I am contemplating adding.

Thanks so much for continuing to read my posts.