Our Loyola Press authors came through and gave us several ideas for moving forward in 2013.
From Robin Davis, author of Recipe for Joy:
One thing that freezes me is fear of failure—and its sneaky little cousin, fear of success. I mean, we often set goals to lose a certain amount of weight or to pray the rosary every day or volunteer once a week, and most of us have that part of us that says we can’t do it. But there’s also the whisper that’s right behind it: You can do it, but it won’t change anything. That’s the fear of success.
The trick for moving forward is to not make it results oriented.
My husband is one of the most positive people I know. When I’m feeling defeated or frozen, he likes to offer me his rose-colored glasses.
“Try these on,” he’ll say, acting as though he’s putting a pair of glasses over my eyes.
“But what if . . .”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Or what if . . .”
“Doesn’t matter.”
And he’s right. It’s not about the end result, failure or success. It’s about putting one foot in front of the other and enjoying the view with each step.
This from Jake Martin, author of What’s So Funny about Faith?
One of the things I plan on doing this year is to get off the Internet at the end of the workday and pick up a book. I realized I spent way too much time online last year and didn’t read half of the books I wanted to.
Another thing I want to get into the practice of doing is praying daily for those people in my life who I’m angry with/resent, specifically to ask God that they receive all those things I’d like for myself.
This comes from Ginny Kubitz Moyer, author of Random MOMents of Grace:
One way I plan to move forward this year has to do with praying for others. In my kitchen window is a lovely little Mary statue I bought at a secondhand shop years ago. My goal for the new year is to write a weekly prayer intention on a slip of paper and put it in the window, next to the statue. It’s a way to have the prayer intention constantly before my eyes and in my heart even during the busy-ness of my daily routine.
And from Matt Weber, author of Fearing the Stigmata:
Simple acts for moving forward:
1. Take a brief moment to stand still and check your bearings; this will ensure that you are moving forward, not backward. (For me, dedicated time in a quiet chapel or warm bubble baths are great places of reflective stillness.)
2. Clear out your mind with a 10-minute swim! Exercise has a way of helping clean out the detritus of a day’s thinking.
3. Be reminded of perspective. Stress was creeping in on me last week, but after 2.5 hours spent with Jean Valjean and Django in movie theaters, my life seems like a cakewalk.
4. Read a blog post by Vinita Wright; it will inspire and enlighten your outlook on life.
Please post your own ideas for simple acts of moving forward in 2013.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I am reading the lives of the saints this year. I have a book that has a two page piece on each saint. There are 365 different saints in the book. I think I can handle a saint a day.
I like that idea of writing down my prayer intentions daily. I ahve an adopted daughter that is going through alot. She is now 19 homeless and pregnant and is on my mind and in my prayers (constantly) that she finds the right path. I need to turn her over to God.
Pick up my cross stitching again that I find relaxing as well as I create something beautiful.
Walk.
Read.
Volunteer my time working with children within an agency that deals with social justice.
I, like Ellen, will be more intentional about intercessory prayer and intend keeping a prayer journal as so many people ask me to pray for their intentions and I need to keep track so I can be more faithful. I must also manage my time more wisely and pay more attention to the important rather than the urgent (or what seems urgent to others).
I love all of your suggestions and plan to implement all of them one way or another this year, in addition to your amazing “3-Minute Retreats” I end each day with. Thank you for these wonderful gifts.