I always thought a story was something I read, not something I lived.

‘Tis a new year, my friends. The calendar pages have turned and we all have a fresh start, a clean slate to be whatever we want. Most people decide who they want to be through a tradition that we call ‘new year’s resolutions’ where we make lists of things we want to accomplish in the next 365 days. When asking friends what their resolutions are for 2010 you might hear things like loose weight, quite smoking, make better grades, etc. which are all great things to desire… but I can’t help but believe that there should be more.

My friend Stephany told me one year that instead of making resolutions every New Year she will write out a yearly To Do list: go sky diving, pay off my credit card, travel to a new city with friends. It made her year more of an adventure and something to experience rather than something to (hopefully) accomplish. Donald Miller also wrote a book called A Million Miles in a Thousand Years about editing his life and living a story that is worth telling. Stephany and Donald have hit the mark with something because when you resolve to loose weight or eat healthier then it is all on you because there is isolation in a resolution. When you choose to write a better life story you will find that you are not alone, that you are a part of a larger story full of people who long for meaning and depth to their narrative and that you will engage with others in the midst of your story.

2009 was the most fulfilling year of my life thus far. I accomplished most things on my yearly To Do list and my life was truly changed because of certain people along the way who shared their stories and their lives with me in my journey. I had the opportunity to finally move to the Pacific Northwest, a dream that I have a had for years. I read a classic book that I had seen every movie version ever made. I had adventures with friends because I challenged myself to ‘just say yes’ to opportunities that came my way and am a better person because of it.

This year is the year I will be active. Why? Because I have signed up to run a 5K in June with some friends here in Seattle. This year I will travel. Why? Because I long to see to world and experience new and different cultures, and a trip for Ireland is being planned for July. This is the year that I will live out the adventures that stir my heart to change my life because I want to live a life that is a grand adventure. What are you doing in 2010?