CHOICES.

We don’t always get the choice of what happens to us–in fact, sometimes, it feels like we rarely get that choice. But we ALWAYS have the choice of how to react to circumstances, the people, places and things in our life.

This past year I’ve had….a husband who had open heart surgery…then I developed Bell’s Palsy…then I was diagnosed with bilateral brain tumors (benign)…then I had treatment…then due to budget cuts I lost the job I loved….then I had complications from the treatment…then I had complications from the meds they put me on for the complications….. well you get the point.

NONE of that was my choice.

By far the biggest impact on me personally was losing my job–a forced retirement you might say. I’d been working in the field for way over thirty years but had some sort of paying job for almost 40 years! That is a long time!

Then, poof–no job!

I admit I’ve been fighting retirement since August when school started. I checked about jobs obsessively–even got a substitute  job as a speech pathologist and found a private client. It helped but I stll felt like I was floundering in the water.

I describe it as being in a tunnel. One life was over but couldn’t get through the tunnel to see what was waiting on the other side.

But LIFE IS ABOUT CHOICES!

And I’m ready to embrace my new retired life as a full-time writer! I’m still not sure how life is going to look but I am NOT willing  to sit on the sidelines and wait to see what happens. I’m going to start making the CHOICES!

My first choice is:  I’m might be retired but tha doesn’t mean I’m FINISHED nor EXPIRED!

I’m making 2013 a year of GROWTH for me, personally, physically, spiritually, and in my new career as a full-time writer. To that end, I’m reading several non-fiction books to get me moving down that path.

John Maxwell’s:  15 INVALUABLE LAWS OF GROWTH.

Joel Osteen: I DECLARE!

Heather Hart: A YEAR OF BOOK MARKETING

From time to time, I’ll share some of the nuggets of wisdom from these books and other books and resources that I discover.

TODAY’S QUOTE comes from 15 INVALUABLE LAWS : “The law of diminishing Intent says, the longer you wait to do something you should do now the greater the odds that you will never actually do it.”

Life might happen to us, but we can change our lives by the choices we make in the bad times and in the good.  Having a pity party is a choice that won’t help anything. Baking cookies to give to a friend is a choice that will make someone else happy and maybe yourself as well.

LIFE IS ALL ABOUT THE CHOICES.

How about you? What’s your plans for the year? Do you have some big plans or some small simple steps for making some changes? I tend to be a small steps kind of person. Are you going to sit on the sidelines or are you going to start making choices that will move you forward? What are you waiting for?

What other MUST READ books are out there to help me grow this year? Got a recommendation?

PS.  Don’t forget to check out my BLOG CRAZY CONTEST–winners get Amazon Gift Cards. Details at www.lillianduncan.net

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