All posts tagged intentions

Lessons from 2023

This past year has given me many opportunities to learn and grow. While I’ll admit, not all of those “opportunities” were welcomed—despite all that, learn and grow, I did.

While, I’m not by nature a list-maker, I have put together a list of some of the lessons I learned from the year gone by. I’m sure there were more than what I’ve listed here, but these are the ones that jump out at me as I write this post. Perhaps some of these will resonate with you.

So here, in no particular order, is my lessons learned in 2023 list.

  1. Know who your real friends are. I am so fortunate to have some wonderful friends in my life who really came through for me in 2023.
  2. We all falter. I don’t care who you are. Don’t worry that other people might think you look weak. They go through their times too. You just don’t see it.
  3. You can’t please some people no matter how much you might want to. I’ve come to understand that some people don’t want to be pleased. It gives them nothing to grumble about.
  4. Not everyone is nice; some people are mean and petty. Sad but true. And yes, they will use passive aggressive measures to get back at you. Do not stoop to their level no matter how tempting it might be. Ignore their behaviour and move on.
  5. Be kind to yourself whenever possible. Kindness is a a trait we like to extend to others but sometimes we forget to extend that same kindness to ourselves and even those closest to us.
  6. Don’t believe everything you’re told. (This was a big one for me this past year.)
  7. Ask for clarification when you don’t understand something. Instead of becoming offended over something someone says, ask them what they mean. Don’t presume to know. In this age of messaging and texting we are losing the ability to understand the meaning behind what someone is saying. Emojis can only convey so much.
  8. Sometimes you have to go on blind faith. If you find yourself unable to “enjoy the journey” try focusing on the end result instead. I know there are people who don’t agree with this and that’s okay, but sometimes that’s all you’ve got. I say whatever gets you through.
  9. Don’t dwell on the crap of the past. Be grateful when life improves for you and try not to ruminate about what was.
  10. Some years are just tougher than others.

I am looking forward to 2024. I expect it to be much improved over the past several years. I’ve some intentions I plan to put my attention on and if the universe is willing I’ll manage to fulfill some of them.

Happy New Year to the readers out there there and my thanks to all of you who have and continue to support me as a writer and, more importantly, as a person.

What lesson/lessons did you learn in 2023?

11 Comments
by Laura Best on December 29, 2023  •  Permalink
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Posted by Laura Best on December 29, 2023

https://lauraabest.wordpress.com/2023/12/29/lessons-from-2023/

Helloooo 2017

I always enter the New Year with a sense of excitement. It’s not so much that I’m anxious to see the end of the previous year, but it’s more the thoughts of what lies ahead in the months to come. I’m like a child in that sense. Who are we, if at times, we cannot see the world through the eyes of a child, but old and stale and far too grumpy for our own good.

I’ve often heard people express their thoughts on how horrible the old year has been and how they’re looking forward seeing it come to an end. While I can understand where they’re coming from, I’ve never had that feeling for some reason. It’s not that every year has been stellar because it hasn’t. Like everyone else I’ve seen my share of sorrow and sadness, but I’ve also seen plenty of joy and laughter. Hopefully, these things eventually balance out. There is so much for us to take delight in in our lives, but I sometimes think we dig too deep into the gory parts of life, ignore all those special moments we’ve experience through-out the year, simply because they aren’t grand enough or don’t sparkle brightly enough to warrant our attention when sometimes those tiny moments are what keeps us going.

With all that is going on in our world at the present moment, I’m sure some people are dreading what the year ahead will mean for us both personally and globally. Believe me, I’ve had those feelings myself. Much of what is to come is out of our hands. There’s nothing we can do to change world events. What we can do is to try and change our reaction to those events as best we can. We won’t always be able to stay positive. Sometimes we might become quite angry and depressed. But hopefully, that positive outlook will win out in the end as we remember to cherish those small magical moments that are peppered through our day.

Already this year seems special. This year Canada celebrates 150 years of confederation. And have I mentioned that 2017 marks East Dalhousie’s 200th Anniversary? Now that’s something that only happens every 200 years! Most of us won’t live to see it again. 😉 I’ve decided this year will be the year for adventure. I’ve a few things coming up that I’ll share as they unfold, but really, the true adventure will be all those things that are not yet in the planning stage. You know, the things that happen right out of the blue when you least expect it. Maybe some small things, maybe some big. Kind of like winning the lottery, only there doesn’t have to be any money involved. While lots of money is nice, welcomed even, it isn’t a requirement for living a happy life.

Last evening I sat down to write my list of intentions for the upcoming year and to look back on last year’s list. It’s just something I’ve been doing for awhile now. Of course not everything I intended to have happen happened, but I was pleased by what I saw. It’s just a different way to reflect upon life. I’ve never been one to make resolutions. There’s just something about it that seems too restricting, or maybe too forced. Whatever the case, I plan to focus on as many delightful moments through-out the year as possible. And I am hopeful they will outshine any of the not so wonderful moments that are bound to come along.

Wishing all my readers a happy 2017. May it be filled with many special moments along the way.

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by Laura Best on December 31, 2016  •  Permalink
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Posted by Laura Best on December 31, 2016

https://lauraabest.wordpress.com/2016/12/31/helloooo-2017/

Welcoming 2015 With Some Writerly Intentions

I love the start of a brand new year. I’m sure I say that every year around about this time, but it’s SO true. A brand new year is so full of possibilities, like a blank page just waiting to be written on or a field of unblemished snow where not a single soul has tread. Guided only by my imagination at this time of the year I feel as though anything is possible. It’s like starting all over again and there’s something most exciting about beginnings, especially for a writer.

I don’t make resolutions but I do like making a list of intentions, things I intend to accomplish, hopefully in the upcoming year, but if not, somewhere farther off into the future. For me, that feels doable without too much pressure, yet allows me to have some goal in mind at the end of it all. And I don’t fill my list up with far-fetched notions, dreaming only big dreams. While big dreams are wonderful, life is also made of up a lot of little dreams that in hindsight can prove to be just as important as the big ones. Aimlessly wandering through life can have its drawbacks. Applying just the right amount of pressure never hurts. At least that’s my philosophy!

So what are some of the things on my list? Below are a few of the writerly ones.

1.I intend to finish the novel I’m presently working on and start sending out submissions for it. There’s nothing more exciting that having several submissions out in publishing land awaiting a rejection or an acceptance, and nothing sweeter that having an editor email and tell you they want to publish your work. I recently had a short story published in Transition, a magazine put out by the Saskatchewan Mental Health Association. While it’s presently in hard copy it will be available on line and I’ll share the link on my blog when it’s available.
2.I intend to pen more short stories in the future. I’ve had several ideas come to me while working on this last novel and I’ve jotted things down just to make sure I wouldn’t forget. I’ve said before I miss my short stories so I need to remedy that.
3.I intend to say yes to writerly opportunities as they arise. Just recently I was offered the opportunity to read for a group in January. I’m excited about this and hopefully more opportunities will arise!
4.I intend to continue supporting other local authors. This has always been important to me. Nothing makes me happier than to help out a fellow author. I obviously can’t buy every book from every local author but, as I mentioned in my post here, there are plenty of ways to support our author friends.
5.I intend to continue blogging. Notice that I’m not vowing to blog every day or even every week, just that I will continue in some shape or form. I know there are some who say we should choose a schedule and stick to it, but that’s not realistic for me. It makes more sense for me to spend more of my time writing fiction than blogging. I’ve met some great people through blogging and made connections I otherwise would not have made so of course I plan to keep blogging.

So there you have a few of my writerly intentions for 2015. Perhaps it will inspire you to come up with a list of intentions yourself. I’m excited for all that 2015 will bring both on the writing front and on a personal note. The sky’s the limit!

Anyone want to share one of their intentions, writing or otherwise?

19 Comments
by Laura Best on January 3, 2015  •  Permalink
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Posted by Laura Best on January 3, 2015

https://lauraabest.wordpress.com/2015/01/03/welcoming-2015-with-some-writerly-intentions/

New Year’s Intentions

I’ve always loved the thought of a brand new year, like a sparkling white field of snow spread before me, unmarred; perfect and new. I wait for it with anticipation. I have never been one for New Year’s resolutions. Our resolutions tend to fall to the wayside a few weeks into January. We promise ourselves we’ll loose weight, start an exercise regime or give up bad habits. We undertake to be less judgemental of others, have more patience, be more loving, all with a strong resolve that this is the way we will better our lives. And we do mean it…Damn it!

So I scrapped the idea of a New Year’s resolution many years ago.

Instead, on New Year”s Eve I create of list of intentions for the coming year. I prefer the word intentions instead of dreams because dreams sometimes have a way of eluding us, something that we hope for but can never attain whereas intentions seem very plausible; something that we intend to do or accomplish. If we intend it we CAN make it happen and why not?

This past year has been an amazing year for me. What once occupied a space on my list of intentions has become reality, sometimes surpassing even my own expectations. My first novel was published, I participated at Word on the Street, attended book signings, and met so many, many wonderful people, hopefully learned a bit about the publishing industry and so much more. It’s been a year of much joy and happiness. It’s been a year for family and friends.  A year when perfect strangers have bestowed acts of kindness upon me that will never be forgotten.

I haven’t yet sat down to write my list but I know that number one will be.

I intend to always give thanks for all the remarkable blessings in my life!

So, Happy New Year to you all! Thank you all for your support and your over all remarkableness…May your intentions become reality….

 

As we head into 2010 what are your intentions for this brand new year?

27 Comments
by Laura Best on December 30, 2009  •  Permalink
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Posted by Laura Best on December 30, 2009

https://lauraabest.wordpress.com/2009/12/30/new-year%e2%80%99s-intentions/

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