Thoughts on the year ahead...

We are on the cusp of a new year; tonight will ring in the start of a new year!! The paper's are abuzz with forecasts for the financial markets, job markets, and opportunities in the new year (Will emerging markets keep gaining; Moving past Madoff; Futures pare gains on Jobless Claims). The buzz has me thinking about my life; what do I want out of 2010?

This summer I was having an existential crisis. Where was my life going, what was I doing, did I care about anything, etc. One day I jotted down a few thoughts about myself and things I am committed to...
I am called to the work place
I am called to non-Christians
I am called to be a light in darkness
I am called to serve

So in 2010, my career is on the list. I've been working hard to grow at work and to move up the corporate ladder, so to speak. I have a wonderful boss and we've spent the last year chatting about growth and development. I've applied for 3 jobs in the past few months and have an interview next week; BUT I've been talking to another Senior Director about an AMAZING position which will open up in the next few months. It would be a huge challenge, with amazing potential. So, I'm thinking, praying, working diligently asking for wisdom as I continue to grow at work.

An old college acquaintance of mine wrote on her blog yesterday, "I really want to be a more peaceful person. Enjoying life in the moment and not trying to rush things along. I’m going to spend the year meditating on Philippians 4:4-9. I want to have a gentle spirit. I want to be anxious for nothing. I want to think about things that are true, pure and lovely. And oh, to have the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. Peace, peace, beautiful peace. I crave it." I can totally relate to this!! It is also what I think of when I think of our non-Christian friends. So many of them want peace and don't have it. I hope that 2010 is a year of peace in my heart, trusting God more deeply and in that way being an arrow pointing people back to Him.

My husband is a semi-professional athlete. So we live a bit of a different life, one that revolves around training schedules, weekends away from home, and being contentious about what we eat. I'm not always good at that, I like to eat out and recently have gotten into baking cookies for the holidays. We've made it a goal to eat out less in 2010. We're cutting back to once a week and eating in the other 6. I think this could be fun!! If you have any favorite recipes send them our way!!

Along those same lines, I want to be more fit in 2010. I've always considered myself a fit person, but I got a "Wii Fit" for Christmas and it says I am 33 years old!! AND I should bring my BMI down to 22 instead of 23. That means, according to my new trainer, that I should loose 5 pounds. That sounds impossible to me! I haven't weighed that little since high school. BUT I'm going to try; be a bit more conscious about what I eat and stay diligent with my running and exercising. I also have 2 races I want to run this spring the Parkway Classic in April and the Annapolis 10 miler in August! Should be a great year!!

In closing I'd like to steal a quote from my friend Leah "Silly 2009 life plans, when will you realize you have little say over what really happens?" Only time will tell what actually happens in 2010!