No Time Like the Present

11 Apr 2011 2 Comments

by toyacam in The Year 2011

As I reflect on the fact that we just entered the second quarter of 2011, I remember a few things:

1. New Year’s Eve. Each one for me in the past ‘so many years I can’t remember’ has been spent in a church. I surprisingly have not tired of this tradition. There’s something about being in what is considered by most to be a “safe place”, and connecting with my creator at a time of such significance. It’s at this time that I get a chance to really look to the new year and embrace all that God would have for me in it.
2. Grown-up moments. Over the past 15 years or so, I’ve had many “grown-up moments”. Many of which occurred during my four years at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. I remember walking alone outside some of the campus’ beautiful historic structures, beaming with pride because I had been able to survive on my own. As the baby of my family, I was literally an extension of my mother’s body. I was nearly adjoined to her side every day of my life. The tearing away of such a close bond was painful, but eventually I healed and began life as a self-sufficient young woman. Those days are far behind me now. Since that time, several things in life have brought on new grown-up moments. Starting my first job after graduation, moving into my first apartment in the big city, getting married, and having children are all events that have made the list. But early this year, I experienced a very different kind of grown-up moment. This one felt like I was having brain surgery without anesthesia. Many things in me were changing–I felt pain–but the pain I felt without the change was far worse than anything the change could bring on its own. I found myself smack-dab in the middle of a major life transformation that I had not seen coming. This thing would not leave me alone–and I know it’s not done with me yet. In recent weeks, I’ve come to realize that my commitment to the change is as crucial as the change itself.
3. Commitments. Which brings me to today. Right now. This moment. As I write. I made a mental commitment to start a blog this year. My reservations were: What’s the point of a blog? Do I really have anything important to talk about? Who cares what I have to say anyway? For those of you who have made commitments to do something different in your life, know that if you can overcome the nay-sayers in your own head, you will have the power to overcome the nay-sayers that speak outside your head. Let me say it another way: Your biggest enemy will always be yourself. Once fear is put in its place, no one else can stop you from moving forward. In my case, Fear had a dirty roommate named Procrastination. Apparently, they ignored the eviction notice that had been posted midnight 1/1/11. I naively bought into their many excuses, only to realize that I was the one being played. So, in keeping with the promises I made to myself early this year, I’m taking care of business and kicking out freeloaders that keep me from progressing.

So now that we are officially in the second quarter of 2011, are there things that you’ve neglected since the start of the year? Some call them resolutions, some say goals, others call them commitments. Whatever you call them, go ahead and delete the Evite to Fear & Procrastination’s dinner party and tell those lazy bums where to go. There really is no time like the present to jumpstart your plans, goals, and commitments for the year. And as I recall, some of the most exciting come-backs happened in the second quarter.