June Newsletter 2016
Annual Reports can be a kind of spiritual practice. Stay with me on this….
With the rhythms of life, I’ve always identified more with the academic year or “church year” than the January to December model. The “church year”: starting in September, ending in June, with two months in between to buffer one ending from the next beginning. Annual reports remind us to pause from the head long tumble into what is next to consider, “What had I hoped would happen this year?”, “What actually happened?”, and “What do I hope will happen next year?”
As we come up on the end of this church year, I encourage you to write, yes actually write, your own personal annual report. Seeing all the items in front of you has a profound effect that you cannot get just thinking about it.
What had you really hoped for this past year of your life? Did it happen? Did you forget all about it? Did you change your mind to hope for something else? Are they things you will still strive for in the year to come? Consider your hopes for involvement with our church community.
What actually happened this past year? Most people forget or don’t give themselves credit for all they have accomplished or experienced. Honor and appreciate yourself for doing and getting through all you have. What does it feel like to look at all those experiences? Have you tried your best? Are you proud, disappointed, or satisfied? How does that affect what you will strive for in the next year?
Given what happened this year, what do you aspire to for next year? Consider how you can build on your strengths, and ask for support in areas where you struggle. Develop a list of goals. If they seem, complex break them down into smaller goals that build on each other. Try to put some dates on the calendar so these goals keep moving forward and don’t get forgotten. Again, consider what goals you might have regarding our church community.
Talk to others about your hopes and goals. This is a great way to put your intension out into the Universe, to figure out the details and steps in making your aspirations a reality, and to enlist support.
“Believe in your dreams. They were given to you for a reason.” -Katrina Mayer
“Let your dreams be bigger than your fears, and your actions louder than your words….”