Make 2010 the Year of Action

Will You be on the dock watching the boats or on one in 2010? Photo Credit: M. Thoney

As we celebrate the start of a new decade and say goodbye to the first ten years of the 21st century, many of us have mixed emotions and feelings about what 2010 and beyond will bring to our lives. Will the economy recover? What will the market do? Will the planet warm excessively, as some believe, and what if any effect will that have on us?  Will the sky fall? Who knows? Maybe, maybe not...

While we all have concerns about some or all of these things, as well as other things that happen in our lives, the reality is that we have no control over the economy, the market, the climate, or many other things that we worry about needlessly. One reality that we can and should control is how we live our lives, and what we do with the precious time that we have to spend with our families and friends.  Do we want to spend that time commiserating and worrying about the ills of the world, or do we want to have a little fun?  When we’re 90 and rocking on the porch looking back at our lives, will the memories be of doom and gloom that MIGHT have happened, or will they be of the great times that we spent with family and friends doing things together that were fun and worth doing?

One of the Best views of our City (from the water) Photo Credit: L. Sandoval

We all have the desire to do things that bring joy and pleasure to life, but the difference between those who look back happily and those who look back and wish they had done more is that the former group took action and made the good times happen. How many times have you stood on the shore of Lake Michigan on a sunny day looking at the sailboats out there and wished you could be with them? How many boat shows have you attended where you fell in love with a beautiful new Beneteau, yet you put off the decision to make the purchase because the “time isn’t right”, or you “just aren’t sure”, or you “wanted to wait and see” what might happen in the next year? And all that really happened is that you lost another season of fun on the water, and you’re now a year older and still not sailing.  How many more times will you put off the decision that will fulfill your dreams and will make a positive change in your life?

Every year that passes puts us all a year closer to being that person who is rocking on the porch and looking back at what we’ve done with our lives.  What we will look back at will be what we do today.  Is this the year we start creating those wonderful memories, or will this be another year of standing on the shore and wishing?  Will we take the necessary action to make our dreams come true, or will we be staring off into space on our rockers, wondering what we missed?  I hope we all choose to go sailing!

See you on the water...Happy New Year!