Ponderings on goals for 2003

CHASING DOWN THE MUSE

Wow. That was fast. 2002, I mean. Wasn’t it just January? And when

did the Festival end? Oh, well. The “ha, ha, ha,” (my version of “ho,

ho, ho”) has been put away for eleven months, and 2003 spreads

herself wide across the room. The magical moment of clearing the

slate has come once again -- the eve of the old, and the dawn of the

new.

We get to make New Year’s resolutions! We settle back, review and

reflect on the past year, and call into play what we would like next

in our lives. We can pronounce a dream and make a plan to move toward

it. This is the space of commitments and goals.

I’m betting two of the most popular resolutions are diet and

exercise. Coming on the heels of several large celebratory meals, the

waistline of most of us shoves against the belt. But the decision to

spend more time in the gym and eat on the lean side seems simply like

common sense. I’m hoping the next most popular resolutions are about

spending more time with family and friends -- something that would

benefit us all and create richer and fuller lives.

Last year, rather than a laundry list of personal items to

address, I tried a different tack. I resolved to embrace challenges

and obstacles. I wasn’t exactly sure how this would manifest, but I

was clear that my intention was to change my relationship to

adversity. As usual, be careful what you ask for! Every time a piece

of equipment broke (which seemed more often than not), or I was

disappointed at the outcome of an interchange, I had to remember that

I had asked for the opportunity to look at obstacles and turn them

into my friends. Rather than the pity pot, I had given myself the

gift of being solution oriented without strife or whining.

I’d love to let go of those two, find an easy resolution for the

new year, but that would fly in the face of all the hard work I’ve

done. To find the next resolution requires that I fast forward to the

end of 2003 and name an attribute that I would like to claim as my

own: to see myself as a person with a different skill set than I

currently possess.

What I’ve decided to commit to is an increased understanding of

the events and people that inhabit my world. This should help me

think -- before I jump to a conclusion. This should help me pause.

This should slow down my judgments and allow me to see more clearly,

rather than assume that I know an answer. This should even let me

love more cleanly.

For giggles, I think I’ll throw in patience. Now, I’m really going

to get things cooking.

As the old passes to the new, I continue to be grateful for the

gift of good friends, the laughter that echoes through the canyon

walls and the incredible fortune to live and work in Laguna Beach. I

gaze at our scenic hillsides and our lovely ocean coves, I engage in

our entertaining political landscape, and I know that I am one of the

luckiest people on the planet.

Happy New Year.

* CATHARINE COOPER is a local designer, photographer and writer

who thrives off beaten trails. She can be reached at

cooper@cooperdesign.net or at (949) 497-5081.