Happy New Year!

Good afternoon everyone. Happy New Year to all of you ! I hope my January letter finds you all healthy, warm and rested after the Christmas break. We all know that January, the start of the new year, often motivates us to work on some New Years resolutions. So here are 10 New Year’s Resolutions that will help lead you ultimately towards enduring happiness. These come from Matthew Kelly as well as myself. 1) Celebrate Your Progress ! Wherever you are at as you persevere through your struggles with separation and divorce, or life itself, stop for a moment. Take a look back upon the previous year and celebrate how far you have come to today. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Toast yourself today with a glass of wine or a cold beer ! 2) Just Do The Next Right Thing. At this moment in time. In every daily decision you make, practice keeping in your mind the following question. What would Jesus do in this situation? 3) Character. Develop yours, put it first. Work on increasing virtue in your life this year. 4) Meaningful Work. People yearn for meaningful work that allows them to contribute. Find what you love to do and do it. If you don’t know what you love, ask the Holy Spirit in prayer to give you something to love and strive towards, one baby step at a time. 5) Live What You Believe. 6) Go beyond Instant Gratification. Be disciplined. With food, drink, exercise, spending, with prayer, the sacraments, scripture reading, etc, etc, etc. 7) Simplify. Unburden yourself. Clean out that closet and give your old clothes to charity. Re-organize that garage. De-clutter those kitchen cabinets and drawers. Simplicity is the way to clarity and can help reduce stress. Mother Teresa says, “Live simply so that others may simply live”. 8) What’s Your Mission? Service to others. Focus on what you are here to give, not get. 9) Why Worry? Easier said than done, I know. Hand over each worry in prayer to the Holy Spirit and Jesus and they will help take the weight off of your shoulders. 10) Lower Your Expectations Of People To Zero. It’s impossible to please people who are impossible to please. Go where you are celebrated, not where you are tolerated. So that’s it from me this month. A bit of a different perspective on some new year’s resolutions but when practiced, I am sure will enhance your happiness and motvation over this next year. I am hoping that 2018 will be a special year for all of you and that it will bring you great peace, abundant healing and a renewed sense of hope for a brighter future as you continue to walk hand in hand with our Lord. Blessings, MJ. xo