Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: “Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”
That part about ‘no doubt blunders crept in’ makes me laugh. My own life is ripe with daily blunders, no doubt about it. Each day a lesson of forgiveness, letting go, and the inevitable moving on and with gratitude for the good. I’m grateful for each of you reader friends. I wish you ~
A very Happy New Year!
May the new year be one of abundant blessings:
faith in God in you, and the priceless gift of serenity at every turn,
love in your heart, for yourself as well as others,
firm courage and steadfast hope to face the rough times.
Have you chosen your guiding word for 2021? Mine popped instantly several days ago: Hope.
In the final days of 2020, I cleaned my desk. I have only been trying to get myself to clean my desk for a year. Several times, I took myself by the scruff of the neck and made a stab at the job, but always wilted, overwhelmed. Suddenly several days ago I fervently prayed and began. It is the beginning of a thing that is hard. Once started, simply moving several papers, and it was as if the desk cleaned itself. I could have been Mary Poppins waving.
A marvelous thing I have learned: if you leave those papers and files that you thought you should save but had no idea where or what to do with them lay there long enough, they become the ‘old nonsense’ of Emerson’s quote and can quite easily be thrown away.
I also learned how much I have changed. I removed books from my desk that have been there for twenty years. They were old and treasured friends. And they were not happy about my choice of moving them to the bookcase. I practically heard them yelling recriminations. I was a little sad about it. But I know that change is life, and also that I was ready for space. (It can be noted that the books are on a shelf only feet away in a direct line of vision.)
I feel ready for space in my life, but space for what, I’m not quite certain. After 2020, perhaps I feel the need to be ready for anything. Hope. I alternate between feeling strong with hope and feeling desperately in need of hope. What we focus on grows, so I shall focus on hope.
Have you a guiding word for 2021?
Blessings,
Curtiss Ann Matlock 
7 responses to “A Clean Desk for the New Year”
I just read this a 2nd time, on my phone with Kindle. I have the first four Valentine books in paperback, for many years. I have read those at least 6 or more times. You share so many wonderful, eye opening ‘life truths’, that one reading is never enough. My word for 2021 is Blessed. And your Valentine stories are a great blessing in my life. I’ve enjoyed finding the rest of the series on Kindle. Thank you for writing them.
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Thank you, Laurie, for taking the time to drop me a note. You made my day! You are a blessing to me.
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A delightful post and a beautiful desk. I wish the best for you this year my dear friend.
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I see from your homepage, I have a new book to order (breaking my own rule of “no more books”, which I knew I would break anyway. YES, on the cleaning the desk, same process as you describe going on here. Cleaning starts, then creativity arrives, and off I go, adding to the already messy environment. I have become enamoured of watercolor over the past couple of years, adding to the fun. I published JOURNEY GIRL on Sept. 15, 2020 and this year is about making a wider path for her in this world. I am scouting author websites, as I took up a paid lesson on it which ended in disaster. Now striking out on my own. Blessings to you in 2021. May I use your beautiful quote on my Facebook page and credit you and point to you and your website?
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My words are Breathe and Clear and are the theme of my Mystical Mandala for 2021. I continue to consider you a favorite author of Southern romance and cherished friend connected in a family way.
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As usual, your words are so empowering! I want to go right out and do and be everything you said! I am going to take the liberty of sharing part of this, but will give you full credit!
Have a blessed New Year my dear friend!
Love in abundance-Anne
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Dear Anne, surely your word for the year is Abundance. You are abundant love, dear friend.
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