2016 - Year of Transformation & Mercy

While I was reflecting on 2015, my #yearofgratefulness, I was also thinking and praying about an appropriate theme for 2016.  I had an idea of what I wanted to accomplish in 2016.  I knew that I wanted this to be a year of true, genuine, living.  A year where I stopped hesitating, and starting going full force toward my goals, hopes and dreams.  A year where I stopped thinking of the things I wanted "someday" and started enjoying and taking advantage of all the things that are here for me RIGHT NOW!

I had lots of ideas but no idea as to how to put them in to words, or a theme.

On Sunday morning, sitting in Mass, it somehow came to me.  Transformation.  2016 is meant to be a year of transformation.  It is the year when I will say YES to the things put before me.  When I will say NO to fear, and YES to success.   It is the year when I will say NO to the things and people that hold me back, and say YES to the hard work necessary to achieve my goals.  When I will say NO to doubt, and say YES to faith.

2016 is also the year I will say YES to Mercy.  Being a Catholic it is hard to come up with my own theme for 2016, when Pope Francis has already declared this a Jubilee Year of Mercy for the whole world.   Can anything really beat mercy?  Probably not.

And so - in 2016, I look forward to being absolutely TRANSFORMED by mercy. 

Will you join me on a #mercychallenge 

Will you accept Christ's mercy in your life? Will you extend mercy to others?Will you perform corporal and spiritual works of mercy? Will you allow your life to be transformed by mercy? 

Was 2015 a #yearofgratefulness

I started off 2015 with a New Year's Theme instead of a resolution.  For those who weren't following along back in January, my theme was gratefulness.   I decided to "invent" the hashtag #yearofgratefulness... I don't think it worked.  I suppose you have to be a major figure like Pope Francis before you can declare the year of anything and have other people listen.

I guess the real question, is did I listen?  Did I live a year of gratefulnes?

Well I think I did.

Sometimes. 

Yes.  I tried to be thankful for the small things.  For the moments with friends and families.  The leftovers they sent me home with.  Having a job, health insurance. and a roof over my head.   Being able to pay my bills.  A car, and only a small number of car problems.  A promotion at work.  Coworkers who I enjoy working with.  Chocolate.

Yes, this has been a year filled with a lot of gratitude.  It has also been a year filled with a lot of angst.  A lot of anxiety.  A lot of moments when I wished for more responsibility and opportunity, instead of being grateful for what was in front of me.  A lot of moments of insecurity and jealousy as I watched people around me celebrate engagements, births, marriages and other milestones, while I just plodded along.

There were moments when gratefulness was a lot harder than I expected.  My #yearofgratefulness reminded me to be grateful anyway.  To be grateful when its hard.  Sounds like success to me.