That Was Fun

As is somewhat normal, I think, people like a review of the year that just passed. I can do that. Twas a year. Where to start? Do I bring up all the negatives? Based on the latest self-help book, that would not be a good thing. So I need to focus on the positive. I will try.

Wait a minute. I have no idea what happened a year ago. Seeing it was January, it was probably cold. Actually my first week of the year was not cold. Spent it in Arizona playing golf with friends. That was awesome. Good food, good company, good golf. In reality I could complain about the golf. Or, at least, my scores. However me thinks no one would listen. Why? Because I had fun.

The week following was spent touring Manitoba facilitating workshops on how to sleep better. That was fun. Aside, of course, from the flea bitten motel we stayed in one night. During the day we talked to people about stress management and sleeping better. In the evenings we compared stories and shared a laugh or two. Again, that was fun.

Can’t believe this. I was not sure that anything positive happened this last year. Let me think. I know. The golf season started later than usual. I recall watching out the window. Hoping for the snow to melt. Hoping that the grass would start turning green. You know that saying, Spring is sprung the grass is riz, I wonder where them birdies is. Seemed to take forever. But we did get out there. And actually I got out there quite often. Lots of fun.

Work went well. Was busy most of the time. Seems that when one area slowed down a different one would pick up. Did not have a lot of time to wonder whether I should be concerned. That seems positive. Fun? Perhaps not fun. After all dealing with people in conflict can be challenging. But it is worth it when clients have an ah ha moment. And that did happen. That was fun.

I enjoyed watching my grandson grow and learn in his first year. I enjoyed having our kids close. There were golf games. There were meals enjoyed together. There was laughter. Lots of time enjoying the deck. The sun. That was fun.
There seems to be a general theme here. It would appear that I had fun. Yet I just shared with a good friend yesterday that the year had been more challenging than I cared to remember. But when I think back I had fun. Lots of it.

As humans we have this tendency to think negative. My first title for this piece was Cold, Dark and Lonely. That reflected my feelings. It is the time of year when days are short, temperatures can be frigid, and Christmas brings about a sense of loneliness for many. But when I started reflecting back I began to recognize so many times when life was filled with happiness, peace and comfort. To the point where I went back and changed the title. Sure. Let’s not kid anybody. Bad things happen. Always have, always will. It is how we deal with these situations that define who we are. And when push came to shove I had fun.

Good lesson to be learned here. Focus on the good things in life. Learn from the negatives but embrace the positives. As the saying goes; “good things come to those who believe, better things come to those who wait and the best things come to those who don’t give up.” So here is to 2014. Happy New Years. Make it a good one.