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Time to wipe slate lean for new year
(by Christine Thome - January 03, 2011)
Christine Thome
Beyond My Control
Time to wipe slate lean for new year
I hate this time of the year. Not because Christmas is over and I feel stuck in limbo until Jan. 2, but because I never have windshield wiper fluid when I need it.
It never fails that just enough moisture will kick up from the truck in front of me, hit my windshield, and require the use of windshield wipers. But the precipitation is never enough to completely clear my view.
Upon pressing the windshield fluid button, I get only a few spits of blue fluid, which just smears the precipitation and makes it even more difficult to see.
While pressing my body against the driver's side of the car so I can peer out of a 3-inch square of clean window, I finally find a gas station that still has the squeegee and cleaning fluid in every pump station. In this day and age of companies charging extra for every little convenience, I am amazed these still exist.
Amazed, but thankful.
After cleaning each window and considering cleaning the entire salt-covered car, I get back into the driver's seat, start the car, and move on.
The difference is amazing. The view is clear, bright and far reaching. Before I cleaned the dirt from the window, I could still operate, and although my vision was hampered, I could still get to where I had to go. It just wasn't a very pleasant experience.
This got me to thinking. Maybe 2011 should be a time to wipe the grime from the windshield of my life.
Most of us manage to get where we need to go, but wouldn't it be a better experience if we could get rid of the stuff that hampers our way and diverts our vision?
Stop the negative thoughts and gossip and look for the good in people; even those who annoy you. It might be hard to find, but there is a little good in everyone, and if you make the effort to find it, it will benefit both of you.
Don't take life too serious, none of us get out alive anyway. Always laugh at yourself, but make sure to laugh with others.
My favorite motto is "keep it simple, stupid." Don't get caught up in what everyone else does or owns. Do what's right for you and for your family, right now.
But while you're looking forward and clearing your vision for the present and the future, don't forget to check that back window. It's always easier to move forward if you've cleaned up your past.
Make amends to people you have hurt. A phone call, a handwritten note, or a personal visit to apologize and take responsibility for your past actions has the potential to make your shoulders and conscious much lighter while bringing much needed closure to others.
No regrets. If you wish you had finished college or taken a different career route, do it. It might take you a little longer and you might have to work harder than others, but life is not about time but what you do with your time.
Reinvent yourself. If you look in the mirror and aren't happy with the person who stares back at you, change. Become assertive, become kinder, become more outgoing, spend more time with your family, volunteer, stop drinking, stop smoking, or exercise more.
Perhaps the best tool for 2011 will not be the latest and greatest electronic gadget, but a virtual squeegee and cleaning fluid that will allow us to wipe away the grime and make life a lot more clear, bright and far reaching.
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