2007 as a mirror
"...to judge by the content of their character"
One of my core ideas is that each of us should strive to improve ourselves, to be improve ourselves. However, I have not met anyone who was able to change themself overnight. It takes time, if for no other reason than habits are hard to develop, and even harder to develop.
Time, then, is needed to see how we have progressed
- Still living quite simply. It is very peaceful, and I end up giving away so much of my salary I can't afford much else anyways.
- Bought a house. Not for the prestige or status, but because once it is paid off I can probably retire.
- Still taking care of Dad, and Sheila.
- Took care of Mom for a few months. Managed to get her hernia taken care of as well, before she went off to India
- Found out how ruthless I can be when pushed. It's disquieting.
- I'm now helping 3, and soon 5, friends pay for college. I will not say who, for my privacy and theirs. It seems a fitting thing to do.
- I'm not as healthy as I was a year ago. Too much work, not enough sleep. Barely enough time to take care of myself. That's my big thing to work on this coming year.
- My love life is my own, and not to be mentioned here.
- I've been promoted 2, possibly 3 times. I love the new challenges, but it's a lot of stress, to keep going at this pace.
- My sense of self has gone from manic/passionate (high school) to passionate/cynical (college) to bitter/cynical (2 years ago) to bitter/mourning (last year) to bemused/despairing (this year). I'm starting to see a pattern in how my emotions and mind react and change through experience.
- While parts of my life (love, friends, family, hobbies) are fairly straightforward, work is now so complex that I'm starting to see beauty only in simple things.
- I'm starting to become torn between wanting to understand everything, and only to be left in peace.
- The family of my heart has grown larger.
- It has become a little easier for me to be myself. I don't need to project a part of myself to hide the rest. I can be myself, and be comfortable showing those quirks and foibles to others.
- The limits of how clever I can be are not yet apparent.
What about yourself must be true? What traits, quirks, talents, and ideas are absolutely critical to who you are?
Have they changed this past year? Are any of them new?
What have you done, to be true to how you see yourself?
For example, I see myself, fundamentally, as a good person. Therefore the sum of my actions and inactions should have brought about more love and wisdom in the world than despair or ignorance. More humor than sadness. More joy than sorrow.