From Caterpillar to Butterfly

Welcome to Thoughts of a Bright Mind in a Dark Room....a new year, a new blog.   You probably can guess by the title and photo what it will entail.  Let me state up front that it will always be my best of intentions to always try and inspire, illuminate and maybe even amuse those who wish to visit here. 

Every year, we all seem to go through it, establishing resolutions or changes we hope will stay for good.  We make our 'top ten'.  Well, this year, mine has become the 'Top Twenty'.  Exercise more.  Eat less.  Lose weight.  I expect now you may be wondering if those first five have just melted away?  Seriously, what do you think?  The most exercise I have managed to pull off this first week is de-decorating and grocery shopping and maybe a few dozen trips up and down the stairs. 

Some of my other resolutions, or should I now say, goals include:  Save more money.  Write everyday.  Let me expand on that one.  I mean write something WORTHWHILE everyday other than a grocery list or school note.  Take more photos and aspire to a more accomplished amateur photographer.  That might be two in one.  Make at least four cards (my other obsessive hobby) per week.  Be more positive.  Listen to music more often.  Read more novels.  Finish all those home projects that have been begging to be completed over the last five years.  Discover a new career I will love.  I will elaborate here too.  

For the last 18 years I have had a wonderful and fulfilling career being a fulltime mom.  My kids, like everyone else's, are wonderful and incredible.  Yet, as in every other family, in two years the nest will empty.  So, with that comes my next goals --- finish some online classes and obtain that Master's degree that I have longed for recently.  I would also like to sell a photo or two and maybe some cards.  And, of course, the most noteworthy of resolutions of all ---- love my family more and find more patience in my life.  That may not equal 20, yet give me time, I am sure I will add more.  If not, my family most assuredly will!

Yet with all these goals to aspire towards, undoubtedly there will be setbacks and failure.  I will not worry over what does or doesn't happen.  I am focusing my energy on four ‘Ps’ this year:  patience, perseverance, positivity, presence.  Patience, for change takes time.  Perseverance, for with change comes weakness and failures and one must not quit at the first failure.  Positivity, for a good, positive attitude helps dissolve the weakness and failure or at least to deal with it more quickly.  Presence, for one must be completely committed and involved in the process of change for it to work.

Some changes are well underway, as here with this blog.  It's purpose is to explore my thoughts, document my changes of success and/or failure, and to share them all with whomever decides to pull up a virtual chair alongside me.  It also is a challenge to get me writing more, photographing more and creating more and combining them all.   And, just as a caterpillar weaves its cocoon in preparation to change into something better, I look forward to my own transformation as the year passes and to have it here to look back on in retrospect.

Here's to 2010 being a year of great changes!


N. Elaine