Pay It Forward

With a new year underway I find myself thinking about what I want to accomplish this year and what effect the past year has had upon me and my loved ones. It has been a bitter-sweet year in the life of this cowgirl and I can't help but think that the lows have helped contribute to the wonderful high points of the past year. Such is life; a perfect balance of positive and negative.

Some days it feels like the world is falling to pieces at my feet. Sometimes I question everything I do and worry about keeping a step ahead of the "wolves" that lurk. Most people that know me probably think that I have no worries in the world and that I am the most centered person they know. I can honestly say that being centered is my daily goal...but sometimes my scale spins out of control and the needle falls off.

I don't believe in "New Year Resolutions". If you have to start every year with a new promise to do something that you can't make in July then you probably need to evaluate the merit in a resolution. That is why I like to just think about my "New Year Resolution" as a business plan for my personal well being or what I am going to do differently to stay a centered human, over-all great mom, caring and helpful daughter, wonderful wife and great Cow Girl.

It's all pretty simple actually. I think that you have to surround yourself with good people. You see, I have been MOST influenced in my life by a certain person. I think that the influence of good people defines who we are...as does the influence of not-so-good people. I guess that helps the aruguement of leading by example! There is a song in the musical "Wicked" (Ironic?lol)that hit my heart. Here are a few of the lyrics:

I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you...


These lyrics are so true about the influences that have shaped my life. I think that we all need to think about the people that fill and influence our lives. We are in charge of our own happiness and we have the ability to make the choices that influence our happiness and life-balance.

I want spend this year surrounding myself by those people and I want to be one of those people in return. I am who I am because of the great people in my life. I want them to feel the same about me. It's like an emotional "Pay-it-forward".

This post is not intended to be a regurgitation of melancholy emotions. Actually, tonight I was just wanting to put some thoughts down on paper...so to speak. I hope that six months from now I can look back at this post and laugh at what my Pay-It-Forward idea for making life balanced has done for my soul. And hey, maybe somebody who reads this post will benefit too! Like the song says, "Who can say if I've been changed for the better. But because I knew you, I have been changed for good."

Best wishes to all this new year!