When writing the story of your life,

don’t let anyone else hold the pen. – Harley Davidson

It doesn’t matter how 2012 ended.

It does not matter if you kept last year’s resolutions or not.

You have the power to decide where to go next. You always have.

I usually end the year with an inventory of some kind. I list what went well, what did not go well, what I learned, what I still need to learn and then once finished, I declare the year complete. 2012 was a year of challenges and great growth for me. Instead of making resolutions, I followed the advice of several writer friends. I chose to live a great story (Donald Miller) and picked a word for the year to focus on. 2012 turned out to be one of the best years I’ve had in a while. I even chose to follow Ken Davis’s advice and live a year that is Fully Alive and what a difference that makes. Living a great story Fully Alive is not an easy road — you get skinned knees and bruised hearts along the way. It requires honesty with yourself and others. It’s hard work. Sometimes you say as many goodbyes as you do hellos and that is okay.

Some highlights from 2012

• My youngest graduated high school and started college as well as a part-time job. — He has epilepsy and a great deal of my life and his childhood has revolved around taking care of him and being his advocate. Now I get to watch him spread his wings and I could not be more proud. (My oldest is in his 4th year of college with one more to go — my life is changing fast)
• I’m in two movies as a paid extra, Cowgirls N Angels and So This is Christmas — I am at a loss of words trying to explain the emotional impact of seeing myself on the big screen had on me. The best I can come up with is “it rocked!” I want to do more of that.
• I rode the Tulsa Tour De Cure for the first time and will definitely raise the challenge bar and do it again.
• I started playing the banjo.
• I emceed a local youth rock concert.
• Attended the Christian Comedy Association Conference in Nashville and had a blast.
• The political climate caused some attrition in my friendships. Sorry to see that happen, learning to let go.
• Made new friends.
• I said goodbye to the church I’ve attended for ten years and hello to a new one that has women’s ministries and bible studies, two things that are important to me. This was a hard choice, but one that needed to be made.
• In 2013, I plan to ride more, participate in the Route 66 Marathon, return to Nashville for the CCA Conference. My word for the year is Resolve and I plan to continue writing and living a story that keeps me alive.

Random Thoughts:

• It’s easier to tell the truth the first time than to have to remember a lie.
• Hidden things have a way of coming back to bite you — deal with your closet before it deals with you. (Just trust me on this one.)
• You can’t have everything you want.
• Don’t take what isn’t yours.
• Don’t do something permanently stupid just because you are temporarily upset. – Temper your temper.
• Always strive to leave people and things better than you found them.
• Own who you are.
• Don’t blame others for your choices.
• Try new things.
• Fail as often as you need to before you succeed.
• Gratitude is a choice.
• Write your own story.
• Find your catalyst and be the person worthy of love, trust, and respect that looks back at you in the mirror every day.
• LIVE a life that is UNDAUNTED.