But why?
After all, in about ten months (maybe sooner, depending on which store you shop at), we'll start seeing Christmas decorations for sale. Sometime around then, or maybe sooner, or maybe later, we may do some Christmas shopping. And at some point, we'll start complaining again about how those Christmas decorations are come out in the stores earlier and earlier, yet inside, we'll be whistling along to the Holiday tunes playing overhead.
Advent Season, the four Sundays preceding Christmas, is a time of preparation, marked by themes of hope, love, joy, and peace. These are the themes that (should) come out at Christmastime, but are they not themes we should practice year-round?
So I've decided to mark each day (starting this past Jan. 1st) with something I learned, realized, accomplished, or whatever. I've already started by marking them each evening on Facebook ("Day 1", "Day 2", etc). My goal is to have something each and every day for the year.
Whether or not other people will find my items inspirational, positive, uplifting, or exciting is not up to me... these are things that I've learned or gained. And maybe someone can learn or gain something in the process of any of those days. Again, it's not up to me.
Already, I've had comments from people... how I'm different than months or years ago.
I can't say it's from this - for all I know, it could have something to do with not carrying an extra 70+ pounds around. Beats me. But I know that I'm happy, and people around me who are matter the most are happy.
I can only hope that it continues from there.
I don't know why exactly I started something like this - maybe it was because I saw someone in the store the other day who was a dead ringer for the Jeff Dunham character "Walter". Or maybe because people say I scowl too much. Or maybe a combination of everything.
But whatever the reason, I'm enjoying that ride now!
Plus, I look at it like this - I'm sure that somewhere in my brother's office or home, there is a board somewhere that is already counting down the days until Christmas.
It's easier for me to count up - 1, 2, 3, 4...
(but when I run out of toes, I'll have to look back at previous posts)
The ultimate goal is to show signs of hope, love, joy, and peace every day.
"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present." ~Unknown
