I have never shot a real bow and arrow, unless you count the little flimsy one they sold at my parents when I was a child so I could play cowboys and Indians. I always rooted for the Indians, therefore the purchase of a bow rather than a pistol. Somehow it seemed more stealthy.
I have told you earlier about my retirement. It is going very well, but rearranging my days and duties has gotten me to think about the ways I have, in the past, been too hard on myself. I am determined to quit that criticality. So go with me as I take aim at my new life.
Aim One: Remember that life is meant to be lived, not perfected. Don’t struggle with things that are out of your control. Sometimes what we all need is to relax and let life happen to us. You don’t have to know what exactly is going to happen next. You do NOT have to know.
Aim Two: Inasmuch as possible, steer clear of negative people. Negative energy is contagious, and you can come down with a really bad case of the “Why Me?”s when you hang out with negative individuals. These are the people and thoughts that will steal your joy and make you feel tired. Choose wisely the kind of people you let in your life because their energy does affect you directly. Do you want to hang out with Grumpy and Grouse, or would you rather hang with Happy and Smiley? The choice is yours.
Aim Three: Many people come up with different excuses for not taking action NOW. Some wait until tomorrow, others wait for the right time or for a sign. The problem is that they think they have more time than they actually do. Clocks tick. Time passes. If you have dreams, take action toward them today. Not tomorrow, nor next week. Now is the second best time to start. The best moment was actually yesterday.
Aim Four: Take off your mask. It can be overwhelming to keep the person you really are hidden all the time. Not expressing the emotions you feel and the way you think can only make you feel miserable and disconnected from your circle of friends. Wearing a mask is a risky thing to do because someday you might realize you have lost yourself in the never-ending journey to impress other people. Not knowing who you really are can be a really scary experience. So, don’t try to satisfy other people’s expectations of you. Just be your true self.
Aim Five: It is perfectly fine to fail. Failure isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It is just a new opportunity to learn something, to grow and to try again when the time comes. In life, things don’t always unfold the way we expect but that shouldn’t be a reason to give up. Successful people are never the ones who surrendered. They are the ones who keep going even when the road gets rough. You’ve probably heard the saying that a smooth sea never made a skillful sailor. Smooth seas and lack of failure do not a successful human make.
Aim Six: You need to remember that you are the architect of your own life. When you know who you really are and what you want most, you have discovered two of the most important things in your life. It takes courage and persistence to actually go after what you want to achieve. This kind of responsibility is feared by many people, and usually they allow others to create their dreams for them. Maybe it is because they aren’t brave enough to create their own life path or are too scared to do it alone. Maybe it’s because they fear they are going to be judged and considered crazy. But the truth is, if you have a person who disagrees with you, that means you are standing for something you believe in. Listen to your heart. Make your own blueprint.
There you go, six simple, and yet, sometimes difficult things to work on in 2026. I wish I had known and believed them all at twenty instead of almost seventy. Life is good, my friends, live it! Build your world from the stuff you are made of, suffer no discouragement, get up and dust off the seat of your pants if you fall, and find some beautiful people to share your unmasked, vibrant, true-to-self life!
