SELAMAT TINGGAL TAHUN 2008
Salam Buat Semua Pengunjung Blog Saya...
Tahun 2008 akan meninggalkan kita tidak lama lagi bersama dengan 1001 kenangan manis dan pahit . Tahun 2009 akan menyusul tiba tidak lama lagi dengan 1001 pengharapan. Adakah azam kita pada 2008 sudah tercapai? Bagaimana pula dengan azam 2009 pula? Adakah kita sudah bersedia menghadapinya?
Bagi saya tahun 2008 merupakan tahun yang penuh dengan cabaran dan ia semakin mencabar dengan kedatangan tahun 2009. Banyak sangat peristiwa yang tak mampu dikongsikan untuk anda semua. Tapi saya akan menjadikan segala peristiwa dan pengalaman tahun 2008 dari sudut kehidupan, pekerjaan, perkahwinan serta kerohanian satu pengajaran atau iktibar bagi saya untuk menyambut kedatangan tahun 2009. Saya berazam untuk mengukuhkan kedudukan saya dalam aspek baik kerohanian, kewangan / kebendaan, perkahwinan serta kerjaya saya dan semuanya untuk menjadi yang terbaik antara yang terbaik. InsyaAllah..
Saya juga ingin kongsikan beberapa artikel tentang Azam 2009 yang boleh dijadikan panduan bagaimana kita boleh menanam dengan jelas azam kita ditahun 2009.
My 2009 New Year Resolution
Everyone has heard how bad the economy is at this point, and we have officially gone into a recession. People are getting laid off left and right, there are talks of bailouts and bankruptcy, and the cost of living has skyrocketed. It seems the only silver lining in the whole situation is the dropping gas prices, and let's be honest -- how long can that last?I think the scariest part of it all is the not knowing. Will I have a job in a month? Will I have to choose food over a mortgage payment? Will I have to choose medication over the utility bill? The uncertainty of the economy and our place in the world can be a bit frightening. That is why, as the calendar turns from December 2008 to January 2009, I have decided to adopt a New Year's Resolution that will put matters into my own hands.My New Year's Resolution or 2009 is to become financially independent.
It is important for me to have peace of mind that I could survive, even for just a limited period of time, if I did happen to lose my job in this falling economy. Along with this new year's resolution, I have come up with a few steps that will help me on my way to financial independence.
01. Create A Plan - The first step to doing anything is to create a detailed plan. A plan must include achievable goals as well as a timeframe in which to achieve them. Goals without deadlines are merely good ideas that won't go anywhere. So my first step in my 2009 New Year's Resolution is to come up with a definite plan that will save me money and take me down the road of financial independence.
02. Write It Down - Something like trying to become financially independent can seem a bit daunting at first, and all of the steps that come up in the plan can make it seem impossible. But writing it down in a clear, concise way makes it seem more easily attainable. Each action should have a purpose, and writing it down will help me keep the goal in focus all the way throughout 2009.
03. Pay Off Large Debts - One of the most important aspects of becoming financially independent is to owe as little as you can to as few people as possible. And when tackling these debts, it's wise to start with the larger ones, as the smaller ones will clean up easily with the big ones out of the way. I'm not foolish enough to think that I'll get everything paid off quickly, but with enough time and work, I know I can make a dent in my own debts and get them down enough to make a difference.
04. Cut Down On Unnecessary Spending - It's easy to say that you have no unnecessary spending, but the truth is, there is almost always something you can cut back on - even if it means carpooling to save on gas money or turning off lights and appliances when leaving a room. Being that I live out of town, I could make a better habit of making one trip to town for everything that I need instead of making several unnecessary trips.
05. Start Saving Money - It's one thing to cut down on costs, and save yourself money each month, but it's another thing to actually sock that money away for later emergencies, in case the economy lets me down and unemployment knocks at my door. So, in 2009, on top of cutting down on unnecessary costs and paying off my debts, I'll be keeping the money I save in savings.
My New Year's Resolution is to Improve My Marriage
Every December people choose to make resolutions. The ending of a year seems a good time to symbolically sweep away the old bad habits and start the new year fresh. I often find myself at the snack table of a Christmas party swearing to eat healthier and lose weight with each new year. However; these resolutions rarely work and never last. So nowadays I only make resolutions I'm serious about, have given real thought to, and have a definite plan to achieve.
For 2009 I resolve to improve my marriage. I was leery of choosing this as my resolution since it is not a tangible thing and it will be completely subjective. However; it is greatly needed with this country's love of divorce, more important than ever. As a couple, we agreed to remove the word divorce from our vocabulary before we married so since I'm stuck with him until one of us dies, I feel I may as well make the best of it!
The first thing I plan to do to improve my marriage is re-read Dr. Gary Chapman's The Five Love Languages. From this book I learned how different people express love in five main ways. This was eye-opening for me as I soon began to realize, my husband and I "speak" completely different love languages! Every time my husband came behind me and hugged me while I was trying to cook or fold laundry was his way of expressing how much he loves me, not just trying to get in my way or distract me while I was busy. For his part, he learned that my always making sure one of his favorite snacks were in the house equaled a big hug and kiss from me. Therefore, I will start the new year by reading Dr. Chapman's book again since it has been seven years since I last read it, and I could use the refresher course.
Secondly, I will begin praying for my husband on a daily basis. Not the selfish prayers for him to quit being so selfish or to please get the better paying job, rather I will pray for his benefit. I choose to pray for God's Will, spiritual growth, and for peace in his life. If my husband is happy with himself and his relationship with God, naturally he will be happier with me.
This leads directly into the third step I will take toward improving my marriage; improving my relationship with God. Too many people discount the importance a personal relationship with God has on a marriage. God wants nothing more for me than to be happy and loved. He would never want me to have a bad marriage. It only makes sense that the closer I draw to Him, the closer I'll draw to my husband. I'll be the first to admit I'm a very stubborn person. In this day and age, submissive is not viewed as an admirable trait. As women, we are to be strong, decisive, and assertive. However, as a Christian, I am to be tender and submissive to God and my husband. This does not come easy to me and will be key to the success or failure of my 2009 resolution.
The fourth step follows the third closely; I must learn to be content. I have a great life; I'll be the first to admit. I have a wonderful husband who thinks it great that I stay at home to raise our three young children. We own our home, have a steady income, two vehicles, a dumb dog who puts up with anything our kids do to her, and a wonderful system of extended family and friend who provide me with unconditional love. What more do I need? My choosing to stay at home as well as having three kids means we don't have lot materially and money is never in plenty, but it means I'm there for everything. I never miss my toddler's "firsts," my daughter's newest story, or my son's latest achievement; things working moms rarely get to enjoy and those without kids miss entirely. I may not have the latest clothes, or many clothes that fit at all. Yet I constantly find myself unhappy with my life. I have an active mind that yearns for the stimulation my previous office job provided. I go shopping and lament the things I can't buy. I live in a wonderful small town with a great child-centered school, yet lament the fact that it takes over an hour to drive to the mall (you know, the one I can't afford to shop at anyway!).
The fifth and hardest thing for me is to make more alone time with my husband. With three young kids, one in diapers and another is special needs, it is incredibly hard to have a date night. We do not have any family nearby and no friends that we feel free to call on unless it was a need, so to get away we have to resort to a babysitter, which can get expensive as well as hard to coordinate. Furthermore, to have a date, I must clean the house, arrange for the babysitter, and usually plan the date on my own. My husband wants to simply say we need a date and leave the rest up to me. So for me, I feel it's more frustrating than relaxing. Yet, isn't that the most selfish thing you've heard? I don't want a date with my husband because it's difficult and frustrating. However; time alone with my husband is vitally important to the health of our marriage! Therefore, I must make a concentrated effort to spend more time with my husband. Time where conversation is not centered on the latest animated movie or conducted with said movie playing the background. We need to talk without every third sentence being directed toward the child pulling on our leg. Even if I don't make a formal date, I need to arrange time after the kids are in bed where I focus on my husband and not just sit in a recliner and stare mindlessly at the TV until we go to bed.
If I wanted to succeed in business, I would need to invest a lot of time and thought into it. If I wanted to succeed in a new hobby, I would need to learn about it, and then invest time, money, and devotion towards it. Therefore, it only makes sense if I want my marriage to succeed, I need to study it, both a reflection of how it is and how to make it better; I need to focus on improving the components of it, my husband and myself; and I need to invest a large amount of time to improving it. Great marriage don't just happen, they are built with a lot of hard work and over time. In the end, I feel I will reap the rewards of focusing on my marriage in the coming year.
By Shikara Cerak, published Dec 16, 2008
"Semoga Tahun 2009 Adalah Tahun Kita"
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