Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Looking Back as a Citizen...

Everyone says they're cliche, but I love the practice of making New Years Resolutions.  For me it's part of goal setting, and a reminder to keep aiming to be the person I most want to be in life.  I often miss the mark, but none the less I'm still aiming! 

So for me the process of New Years Resolutions begins with looking back.  And as this year is not just the close of a year, but also the close of a decade I really want to look back and think about where I've been and whether or not I'm the person I thought I would be. 

For all of us this decade has brought great tragedy.  The terrorist attacks of 9-11, the tsunami, the financial crisis, Hurricane Katrina, Chinese earthquake, years long drought in Africa and many more.  But it's also been a decade of great advancement.  Much progress has been made in the world wide battle against HIV, we have seen the strength of a nation standing together and supporting those families that lost loved ones, we have pulled together to help with international and domestic relief efforts, and we have reached out and helped our neighbors as they have lost jobs and homes.  We've started to grow our own produce, and save money, and plan more conservatively for the financial future. 

At the end of this decade, I'm proud of us.  Proud of us as citizens of America, and proud of us as global citizens.  Yes, there are areas for improvement, but I often see my fellow Americans reaching out and doing the right thing.  I have been amazed to see activists across the world push for social justice.  To see the best and brightest students from my university become teachers in foreign countries, Doctors who practice medicine internationally, provide education and job services to break the cycle of prostitution in India, become lawyers fighting for human rights with International Justice Mission, to work in orphanages in Africa.  I feel so honored and so privileged to know such giving people personally, and to be inspired by their choices throughout the years. 

As you prepare for the New Year, what are some things that have made you proud of your fellow citizens? 

*I have tried to link each photo to where it came from, if I pulled a photo from your blog and didn't link back please let me know and I'll be happy to correct my mistake! 

2 comments:

Love this post!  I've been so busy looking ahead to 2010 I almost forgot we are ending a decade.  Thank you for helping me reflect a bit on these past ten years and look outside of myself and what I've accomplished.  Happy New Year! 

Maybe, they are right though.  With my ex, I really wasn't happy.  It wasn't going anywhere.  I guess I just clung to it with the hopes of a fabulous vacation to Australia (that's where he's from) and with the fear of having to start over again.  But those things aren't worth not being happy.  I'm glad now he cheated on me.  I'm glad that it took that for me to finally be done with the situation.  To finally have him break free of me.  It hurt.  I was sad.  Some days I cried.  Some days I didn't eat.  Some days I partied til 5am.  Some nights I went on dates just to feel alive.  But after meeting the man of my dreams, every douchebag I've ever dated and broke my heart was so worth it, if it's what it took to meet LC.  I'd do it all over again without a second thought.  It sounds cheesy and lame, but it's true.  And if you don't have that kind of love for PBF, then girl, just pick up the pieces, and keep on moving on.  The pieces will eventually fall into their places.  Life is too short to be less than anything other than ridiculously happy.  If you ever need to talk, I'm just an email away=)