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Our New Year Letter

What can be said about the year of 2016 that has just ended? So much controversy, so much strife, so much discontent, and so many set backs in the minds of many. We have been bombarded by it from so many directions. The uncertainty is palpable, the negativity overwhelming. As I sat at my computer, attempting to key this New Years letter, my mind vacillated between what is going on in my own life and the world around me. There have been some super highs and some super lows in both worlds… my “home world” and in the world at large. As I pondered the similarities and differences between the two, I keyed in sentences to then erase, rewrite, erase, rewrite. What to do, for I was getting nowhere. First of all, switch to writing with a good ole pen and paper where thoughts seem to flow much better from the tip of the pen pressed to paper.

As I switched over to the “old fashioned” method of writing, it dawned on me that part of this negativity in the world today is spread so quickly by technology. Yes, it has been spread by face to face communication as well, but so much more quickly and abundantly by the increased use of social media,  the computer,  the television etc. Just as these technological advancements and immediate forms of communication have brought huge advantages and ease to our lives, they have brought disadvantages as well… in particular you cannot get away from it. When negative messages are spread, they are done so much more easily without the presence of a face to be looked at when communicating the message. No body language to perceive, no facial expressions to be received, that might halt those words of negativity.

I know one thing and that is if I had my television, my phone, my FB page, and computer screen broadcasting and delivering all the lows that were happening in my life on a minute by minute basis, it just might be a death sentence on pushing forward and showing up everyday in a positive direction regardless of the negatives. I would spend so much time reading and re-reading about those lows, receiving the negative information over and over again that I would have little time left for figuring out how to find a solution to those negatives… I would only dwell on them, let alone maintain a positive frame of mind.

Low points and negatives can actually be a platform for change, IF instead of a wallowing in and dwelling on them and spreading them, we can change our thoughts and behaviors to focus on what we CAN DO to alter these lows and negatives. What do I have control over and what steps can I take to move past them so that I am controlling them to some extent and they are not controlling me? For the people and things that I have no control over, and there are many, I always fall back on the phrase I heard years ago that has been one of my mantras with my kids. I hope that they fall back on it in their futures, for now I know they feel that they are just words mom is spewing. Those words are, “you may not be able to change some things that happen to you in life but you can change your reaction to those things.”

Personally, this year has really pushed me to live in this statement, to dig deep, to find out what I am really made of. It has challenged me to no end and helped me to build our mission statement here at Life’s Patina. This statement became a definitive in my mind that I not only want to bring to LP, but to my own life and the lives of others in full. A mission statement that is built on personal interactions, experiences that make you feel something, elevating the ordinary, and celebrating and finding beauty in all of life… the good, the bad, the past, the present, the highs and lows…all of it!

Our wish for you in this new year that will continue to ring with uncertainty and negativity is that you continue to hold onto hope, the power of your own thoughts, the power to bring positivity into your own life and keep it there and live with intention in all of this. We hope to see you in person in this year of 2017 so we can continue to connect names with faces, share our experiences, and share our passion with you. We will continue to share little tidbits of how we go about living our mission statement at Life’s Patina through our Facebook page, our website which will go undergo some tweaks in the early part of this year, and our Instagram and Pinterest boards.

 

Join us in making positivity a powerful force in 2017!

xoxo

~Meg and the team at Life’s Patina

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  1. Barbara Dougherty says:

    Dearest Meg,
    Your words have deep meaning for me and I’ll assume most of the people who look forward to reading your blogs. I wish you well in the New Year. Keep those positive thoughts flowing as you enter decisions to be made in the coming months. Positive energy is coming your way today and throughout your highs and lows. Snow on the ground and a beautiful sunny sky making me thankful for what we’ve been given.

    • Meg Veno says:

      Dear Barbara,
      Your comments mean so very much to me, thank you for writing them and for sending positive energy! We can always use refueling in that department. Yes, the snow, the sun, the beauty of each and every day…some more than others, often carry us through and it becomes hard to refute all that we have been given. So many blessings, too numerous to count. Thank you for reminding me!
      I look forward to seeing you again soon Barbara and I will be sharing more soon!
      xx
      Meg

  2. Pop says:

    Meg so true this whole world
    Has changed so much if you
    don’t stay positive you will sink with it excellent job on this piece

    • Meg Veno says:

      So very true Pop! So very true! You have to keep your spirits up and keep smiling!
      Love you lots and thanks for commenting!
      xoxo
      Meg

  3. SUSAN cONSALVI says:

    Lovely letter…..thank you for sharing……

    • Meg Veno says:

      Dear Susan,
      Thank you for both reading and responding! I appreciate your feedback!
      All the best on 2017!
      xx
      Meg

  4. alicia Acampora says:

    Meg, that was lovely and my thoughts and prayers are enveloping you like a big bear hug. I pray that 2017 is better to and for you and your family.
    Hugs
    Alicia Acampora

    • Meg Veno says:

      Dear Alicia,

      Thank you so much for reading and for your thoughtful prayers. We all can use them on a daily basis so I am grateful to you for sending them our way! I am envisioning 2017 to be full of peace and healing… for all of us.
      Thank you for responding Alicia and for the hugs!
      xx
      Meg

  5. Judy Doyle says:

    I don’t spend much time on the negative….it just draws a person downward. I don’t fret if a choice I made doesn’t work out and celebrate when one does. I don’t look for someone to pat me on the back….I do that quite easily myself. Yes there is sadness, mistakes, and sometimes I should keep my mouth closed…however, there are so many positive people and happenings in my life (as small as they may be, I relish them) that they take precedence over the negatives.
    I wish you a very Happy 2017 – I so enjoy your writings and hope soon to come to one of your events.

    • Meg Veno says:

      Dear Judy,

      I am so very glad that you enjoy the blog posts and that you have let me know that! It truly keeps me going! Yes, you are so very correct, there are so many positive events and people in our lives that when you focus on that, we can outweigh and get past the negatives. Your thoughts are so right on Judy! I too hope that you can come out and visit very soon. I would love to meet you in person!
      All the best as this new year progresses!
      xx
      Meg

  6. Dee says:

    Thank you for your thoughtful and uplifting New Year’s letter. You are spot on! We are not promised that their will be no storms, but we are promised that we will have peace in the midst of the storm. So with a brave heart, positive attitude and loving spirit, we must move forward — one foot in front of the other. And just as surely the sun rises each morning, we will prevail. Be thankful for all the glorious wonders and don’t dwell on or fall prey to negativity. Join in to be the positive change we seek. Act with intention to be a blessing in the lives of others– sometimes it only takes a heartfelt smile or simply holding the door open for the person behind you. Thank you for the beauty you share through Life’s Patina. Wishing you and yours a wonderful 2017! I hope to visit with you soon.

    • Meg Veno says:

      Dear Dee,
      Thank you so very much for reading and for commenting! I LOVE the sentence, “Join in to be the positive change we seek.” Dee, you are spot on with your sentiments and I love the positivity AND reality of all that you are stating. I truly appreciate the time you took to reply with such a positive message and I too look forward to seeing you soon. All the best in health, happiness and positivity in 2017!
      xx
      Meg