Saturday, January 3, 2015

    


FOR THIS NEW YEAR, 
MAKE INTERNAL RESOLUTIONS

BY ANTOINETTE RAINONE
      I began this blog in November 2013 to invite you to share a journey with me ... a journey to find your wings ... to discover your life's dreams no matter how young or old you are. The more I write, the more I realize the true meaning of finding your wings.
      Finding your wings is not something external, like how to land a dream job, or how to change careers in mid-life, or how to check off all the awesome to-dos on your bucket list. 
      Finding your wings is an internal journey.    
      I thought about this internal journey this past Christmas when Pope Francis met with Vatican employees. He asked them to do 10 things — very much like New Year’s resolutions.

      Pope Francis' Top Ten Resolutions for 2015:
     – “Take care of your spiritual life, your relationship with God, because this is the backbone of everything we do and everything we are.”
     – “Take care of your family life, giving your children and loved ones not just money, but most of all your time, attention and love.”
     – “Take care of your relationships with others, transforming your faith into life and your words into good works, especially on behalf of the needy.”
     – “Be careful how you speak, purify your tongue of offensive words, vulgarity and worldly decadence.”
     – “Heal wounds of the heart with the oil of forgiveness, forgiving those who have hurt us and medicating the wounds we have caused others.”
     – “Look after your work, doing it with enthusiasm, humility, competence, passion and with a spirit that knows how to thank the Lord.”
     – “Be careful of envy, lust, hatred and negative feelings that devour our interior peace and transform us into destroyed and destructive people.”
     – “Watch out for anger that can lead to vengeance; for laziness that leads to existential euthanasia; for pointing the finger at others, which leads to pride; and for complaining continually, which leads to desperation.”
     – “Take care of brothers and sisters who are weaker … the elderly, the sick, the hungry, the homeless and strangers, because we will be judged on this.”

      As we journey into this brand-new year, let everyone of us look within ourselves and concentrate on becoming a better person. Let us especially work on healing the wounds of the heart. If we don't have forgiveness in our hearts, the bitterness will create a toxicity within that will hinder us from doing all the great things we were destined to do in this life. 
    FORGIVE, AND YOU WILL BE FORGIVEN!   
    Remember, as we take care of our spiritual life and our relationship with God — the backbone of everything we do and everything we are — all our dreams will fall into place.

Find Your Wings ... at any age. Happy New Year!