New Year, New Theme

Approaching New Year's Eve, I had no specific resolutions in mind. I set a few simple goals for myself: spend more quiet time with God, make more time for friends, learn to be bolder, and live in a way that sets me apart so that others may know that I am a child of God.
This past week I have read other people's resolutions and intentions. I've also done a lot of reflecting on my past year and what I want this year. What I have come to realize is that I don't want to set a goal for my life. My year should not be evaluated solely by my success or failure in achieving said goal. Rather, I would like to define my year with a phrase, a focus, a feeling: love.
As human beings, the thing we crave most is love. I know that I am loved by those whom I love, but I want to work harder at building these relationships and demonstrating my love to others. I want to learn to be content without romantic love, but I also want to work harder at understanding what such love looks like practically and emotionally. Above all, I want to be more aware of God's love for me and allow that to change my life.
Interestingly, my word of the year encompasses most of the resolutions I had been contemplating. The difference is that the word "love" is not a specific goal to be achieved, a finish line that must be crossed by 2019. Rather, it is a mentality that will change my outlook every day, influencing my choices and actions. I want my attitude to be one of selflessness, kindness, patience, joyfulness, and greatfulness. By understanding the love given to me, I hope to share that same kind of love with others. 

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