10 Things I Hope for in 2008
Out with the old and in with the new! 2007 seems to have flown by in a blur, and I can barely remember any resolutions I made much less whether I kept them (well…I can think of a couple, but they are not very blog friendly). To kick off the New Year, I have decided to do another ‘10 Things’ list. These are not so much resolutions, as they are things I hope and pray for this year. I have decided to split my list into tangibles and intangibles. This way I can look back on the year, and if I have achieved the tangibles I’ll know I have a pretty good hit rate.
Tangibles
1. A driver’s license – It is nothing short of depressing. At the grand old age on 28, I do not hold a driver’s license anywhere in the world. It is beyond embarrassing. It makes me shudder with mortification. It must be rectified, and so top of my list of things I am praying for this year is a driver’s license.
2. Winter sports – The theme of this year for me is adventure. I want to try new things and take risks. In my world, this equals winter sports. I have lamented very often and very loudly about how much I hate winter, so this year in effort to enjoy the season more, I want to go skiing, or snowboarding…or both. Many a bruise and bump lies ahead!
3. Beaucoup de manuscripts – This one will really take some major determination on my part. Determination to replace my laptop, determination to save up for that shiny new Macbook I so desperately crave, determination to resist the temptation to procrastinate, determination to pluck up the courage to share my work with the rest of the world…whew! Well, I guess if it was easy, then it wouldn’t be on my list of things I hope/pray for.
4. An interesting stamp in my passport – This year I want to go to a country I’ve never visited. I want to have more than a typical beach vacation. More than a trip to a European capital of culture. Somewhere in Asia/Africa/South or Central America should do the trick. Cuba would be lovely, but who knows.
5. More American friends – I am living in a British/Nigerian bubble in the US. It is a bit of a shame really as I haven’t done this intentionally, it just happened that way. All my friends are Brits or other Nigerian people for the most part. I’m not saying I don’t know any Americans, but all the Americans I socialise with are either people I know from work or my roommates! Now is as good a time as any to reverse that trend.
Intangibles
6. Wisdom – This year I pray that I grow wiser. I am already intelligent, educated, well rounded and generally very smart. Some of my choices last year did not reflect this. I know we all make mistakes, but I pray for wisdom this year and hope that this will allow me to avoid some of the pitfalls that befell me last year.
7. Perseverance – I have commitment issues. Not of the relationship variety, but generally with a lot of other things. Too often I allow myself to become side-tracked by a new bright and shiny object. More often than not, I am too far gone before I realise that I have taken my eye off the ball. In 2008 I pray that I am able to focus and persevere to achieve my goals.
8. Courage – This year signals a lot of changes for me. I pray that I have the courage to take the right fork in the road ahead. I want to find faith in my choices and the ability to follow them through and have confidence in the strength of my convictions. I want to be able to look in the mirror and acknowledge that I am steering myself down a path of my choosing, regardless of the consequences.
9. A renewed sense of responsibility – Living in a different country from most of my family and friends affords me the luxury of neglecting to call my friends and family without having to feel guilty about it. I am able to forget birthdays and anniversaries because I have a handy excuse. I don’t want to be like that anymore. It really is not in my nature to be so thoughtless. I chalk it up to extreme laziness, so in 2008 I want to reprioritise. I want to afford my relationships with family and friends the importance that they deserve. I want to nurture my bonds with those who love me instead of testing them. I want them to know that I love them just as much.
10. Love – In 2008, I want to give love to those who deserve it. I want to treat it like the precious commodity that it is and hand it out accordingly. I want to be open to receiving love. I want to be able to distinguish between real love and the impostors who so often arrive bearing her hallmarks. Most of all I want to let my love for God, and my love for myself shine through in all that I do.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE.
Tangibles
1. A driver’s license – It is nothing short of depressing. At the grand old age on 28, I do not hold a driver’s license anywhere in the world. It is beyond embarrassing. It makes me shudder with mortification. It must be rectified, and so top of my list of things I am praying for this year is a driver’s license.
2. Winter sports – The theme of this year for me is adventure. I want to try new things and take risks. In my world, this equals winter sports. I have lamented very often and very loudly about how much I hate winter, so this year in effort to enjoy the season more, I want to go skiing, or snowboarding…or both. Many a bruise and bump lies ahead!
3. Beaucoup de manuscripts – This one will really take some major determination on my part. Determination to replace my laptop, determination to save up for that shiny new Macbook I so desperately crave, determination to resist the temptation to procrastinate, determination to pluck up the courage to share my work with the rest of the world…whew! Well, I guess if it was easy, then it wouldn’t be on my list of things I hope/pray for.
4. An interesting stamp in my passport – This year I want to go to a country I’ve never visited. I want to have more than a typical beach vacation. More than a trip to a European capital of culture. Somewhere in Asia/Africa/South or Central America should do the trick. Cuba would be lovely, but who knows.
5. More American friends – I am living in a British/Nigerian bubble in the US. It is a bit of a shame really as I haven’t done this intentionally, it just happened that way. All my friends are Brits or other Nigerian people for the most part. I’m not saying I don’t know any Americans, but all the Americans I socialise with are either people I know from work or my roommates! Now is as good a time as any to reverse that trend.
Intangibles
6. Wisdom – This year I pray that I grow wiser. I am already intelligent, educated, well rounded and generally very smart. Some of my choices last year did not reflect this. I know we all make mistakes, but I pray for wisdom this year and hope that this will allow me to avoid some of the pitfalls that befell me last year.
7. Perseverance – I have commitment issues. Not of the relationship variety, but generally with a lot of other things. Too often I allow myself to become side-tracked by a new bright and shiny object. More often than not, I am too far gone before I realise that I have taken my eye off the ball. In 2008 I pray that I am able to focus and persevere to achieve my goals.
8. Courage – This year signals a lot of changes for me. I pray that I have the courage to take the right fork in the road ahead. I want to find faith in my choices and the ability to follow them through and have confidence in the strength of my convictions. I want to be able to look in the mirror and acknowledge that I am steering myself down a path of my choosing, regardless of the consequences.
9. A renewed sense of responsibility – Living in a different country from most of my family and friends affords me the luxury of neglecting to call my friends and family without having to feel guilty about it. I am able to forget birthdays and anniversaries because I have a handy excuse. I don’t want to be like that anymore. It really is not in my nature to be so thoughtless. I chalk it up to extreme laziness, so in 2008 I want to reprioritise. I want to afford my relationships with family and friends the importance that they deserve. I want to nurture my bonds with those who love me instead of testing them. I want them to know that I love them just as much.
10. Love – In 2008, I want to give love to those who deserve it. I want to treat it like the precious commodity that it is and hand it out accordingly. I want to be open to receiving love. I want to be able to distinguish between real love and the impostors who so often arrive bearing her hallmarks. Most of all I want to let my love for God, and my love for myself shine through in all that I do.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE.
Labels: 10 THINGS
posted by Monef at 5:53 PM
4 Comments:
And may all your dreams come true.
I suppose you should include even those who don't deserve your love, if you want to go all the way. ;-)
Thanks Fred.
I suppose you are right, I should be less begruding with my love:)
Happy New Year, may all your hopes come true
Heartwarming...
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