![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/c2tblog-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Time-675x450.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nI\u2019ve seen the resignation on faces. I\u2019ve heard it in voices.\nIt feels as though many of us see ourselves as helpless right now. Being\nresigned to helplessness is a slippery slope. If we are helpless then what we\ndo doesn\u2019t matter so we may as well do whatever we want and consequences be\ndamned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes our thinking isn\u2019t so blatantly rebellious. We\njust reason our way around anything that might shake our established beliefs. And\nit happens so quickly we don\u2019t even know we\u2019re doing it. Perhaps it\u2019s normal\nwhen faced with uncertainty to grab onto the nearest comfort or run from new\nthoughts. I\u2019m not sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am certain what we do makes a difference even when we can\u2019t\nimmediately see the results. So as we wind down this year in the midst of an\naccelerating health crisis, I encourage you to trust yourself enough to\napproach the coming year with the belief that what you do matters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most of us can change one thing we never believed we could\nchange. In changing that one thing, we open the door for vast positive contributions\nto our selves, our families, and our communities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have trouble making that leap, try asking yourself the\nquestions below. Then take one of the answers and do it. It doesn\u2019t have to\nlook like anything you\u2019ve thought of before. It doesn\u2019t have to be accomplished\nto any certain standard. Just think of this as a learning experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s begin the experience of learning to make a difference:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s one thing I\u2019ve learned about myself in 2020 that surprised me? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Is there a way I can use that knowledge to improve my life or my community?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s one thing I am willing to give up so that I have time for ___________(that thing you say you want to do but never get around to)?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s one thing I am willing to give up to help my friend?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s one thing I\u2019d do differently if I felt appreciated?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s one thing I\u2019d do differently if I felt like part of a winning team?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s one thing I can do that will make my life better?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s one thing I can do that will make my family\u2019s life better?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s one thing I can do that will make a friend\u2019s life better?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s one thing I can do that will make a stranger\u2019s life better?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s one thing I would do if I were brave?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s one ability I have that I can use differently?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s the worst thing I\u2019ve ever done? If my friend did that, would I forgive them?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What can I do to be a better listener?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s one thing I\u2019m willing to say no to?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s one unexplored solution to an ongoing problem?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s one feeling I always avoid and what would change if I felt it?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s one habit I want to give up?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s one habit I want to develop?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, these are simple questions. But so often we fail to\ntake the first step toward significant improvement or significant contribution because\nwe imagine the task as so large that we resign ourselves to failure. But once change\nhas begun, it\u2019s just a matter of commitment and time before you see that what\nyou\u2019ve done has made a difference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Knowing you can make a difference even in the worst of\ncircumstances will equip you to weather any storm that changes your life\u2019s\ncourse without the need to control the outcome. I know it may just sound like\nwords right now, but try it. See what happens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 2021 is upon us. Like 2020 it will not be a cakewalk. We can choose to make a difference and become captains of our own destiny, or we can hold back and feel helpless. If you\u2019re not sure which way to go, now is the time to decide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I choose to make a difference.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This excruciating year is winding down and now it\u2019s time to decide. Will we use the disruptions of 2020 as an opportunity to learn and improve, or will we dig in our heels and double down on pre-pandemic positions? Will we choose to explore our values and priorities and then realign our lives around them, … Continue reading “Time to Decide”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[2977,2976,2974,2975,965],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4219"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4219"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4219\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4229,"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4219\/revisions\/4229"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4219"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4219"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4219"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}