New Year, New You

That is always the theme for January as the new year starts. For me, I don't make resolutions and I haven't for a very long time. I feel as I have grown and especially matured, that is the key word, 'matured', I don't need to set myself up with resolutions that I then get disappointed by if I didn't keep them and achieve them.

We all grow, but do we all mature? Some yes, some no. Maturity has nothing to do with ones age. My definition of maturity is how I am acting as a person and feeling as a person. I am always proud to tell people how old I am, I am not ashamed of my age. Do I always act my age? No and I can admit that too. But, I do know when I need to be serious.

My silliness is about having fun and using humor to get thru life. It's not about acting immature and putting shame on myself or my family. I always tell my kids about how they need to act in public, for they represent themselves first, then represent our family. I have to heed to that same representation.

My family has come a long way from when my marriage first started. We prioritized and didn't compromise on our dreams, but were very realistic about our lives. We didn't compare our lives and situation to others. We had to ask for help a few times, but never took advantage. I hated doing that, but we really didn't have a choice. For the sake of my family, I had to swallow my pride. We all have to do that once in awhile.

I think that is how we succeeded. By comparing to others, you lose sight of what you want because you are always looking at others and not looking at yourself. I've never wanted to be like someone else or have what someone else had. We always looked at ourselves and decided what we had and could have in a very realistic way.

I made my choices in life, I had to be accountable for those choices. Guess I went thru life with blinders on so I could focus soley on what I wanted, not what others were doing or had. Once in awhile, I would say to myself, 'Wow, look what they are doing', but knew realistically, my time wasn't able to fit in what that person was doing, so I moved forward. I've never cared what other people thought of me and I think that has helped me get thru life too.

If I had let what others were doing affect my life, then I wouldn't be where I am today. We all go thru our challenges, but if you are realistic and live the way you can and are able to at the moment, your time will come to see your dreams come true.