Hello Again!

Hey everybody!  How’s 2012 treating you?  I’ve been busy since the beginning of the New Year – I flipped my mattress, switched to a credit union, rolled over an old 401k, voluntarily read to children, and baked cupcakes.  Sounds like this year is going to be the year of Denise the Do-er.  At least, until I get tired and need a nap. 

If you’re wondering what the slogan for 2012 is, wonder no more.  There isn’t one.  Sorry, but you try to come up with something that rhymes with “twelve”.  The only slogan I came up with – and a highly unoriginal one at that – is – Don’t Worry, Be Happy.

I think, this year, I’m going to focus on not being such a worry wart.  Seriously, I worry about everything and it’s getting to be quite the drag.  Especially since most of the time what I’m worried about turns out not to be that important at all. 

For instance, let’s examine the events that happened on the Thursday afternoon before Christmas.  There was an incident at work.  Okay, incident is too strong of a word; it’s not like I inadvertently set off any missiles or anything (oh God, just think if I had that job!)  Maybe I should call it a glitch.  Yes.  That’s good.  There was a computer glitch at work.  Now, in the grand scheme of life, it wasn’t important at all.  In the grand scheme of work-life, it wasn’t terribly awful either.  But in the grand scheme of my life, a life in which I always feel like I’m about to slip off the edge of the precipice and land smack dab in the middle of failure and disappointment, it was major.  Immediately, I started to worry.  My boss was gone and I was in charge.  It was all on me.  I had to fix it.  But it’s hard to get anything fixed at 5:00 on the Thursday before a holiday.  There wasn’t much to do but worry. 

My colleagues and friends told me to put it out of my head.  They assured me that things would be okay.  They urged me to not worry.  But people, there was a glitch!!  Glitches are worrisome!  And I am a worrier.  So, I worried.  I worried on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and the day after Christmas Day and the day after that.  I worried until I was able to come back to work to try to fix the problem.    

And in the end, that’s what I did.  That’s all well and good but what did all that worry get me?  A stressful few days, that’s what.  Was it worth it?  Not really.

This year, I’m going to take a step back.  I’m going to strive to be mindful that mistakes happen.  Glitches happen.  And when they do, it doesn’t mean that I’m going to take a head-first dive off that cliff. 

I’m going to keep life in perspective. 

And maybe hum “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” along the way.