::goals and expectations::

So I was asked by a friend what my goals/expectations for this coming year are...
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simply:
-I do not set expectations because it seems silly. Rather, I am simply expectant that the things to come are going to be good and challenging.
-If I can make one kid's life better next year, I will be satisfied. That is my goal.

not-so-simply:
I don't know what this year is going to look like and I'd rather not make assumptions. Goals are hard to set for this kind of work. But for myself, I hope to gain the most from this experience... to live on the no regrets policy... and to work on my emotional boundaries. I'm really bad at holding my emotions in check. It will be a challenge to focus on keeping "their stuff" separate from "my stuff" but not in a way that makes me apathetic to the issues of homelessness and poverty. My sympathetic nature can sometimes become too empathetic which seems like it shouldn't be a bad thing, but it can be. Either way, this will be good practice for the future.

Because I'm working at a drop in resource center, we do not house the youth. Instead, our goal is to inspire and encourage the youth to build self-sufficient lives. With that said, it is my goal to inspire at least one child of God... inspire, help them realize that they are valued, and improve their life. That is my goal. I also hope to gain a lot from living simply and living in community. The skills I will gain through that experience alone will be incredibly fruitful. And lastly, to grow in my spirituality. It is my hope that I would come to discover new ways to experience God. I don't know what connects me most to God right now. Being in such a time of transition has me all over the map in a lot of areas of my life. But I'm ready to explore.
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All in all, I am ready and hopeful. Ready for a change, hopeful for growth. Ready for adventures, hopeful for experience. Ready for challenge, hopeful for inspiration.
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Rumi, the 13th century poet, once wrote, "Oh soul, you worry too much." So, I'm trying not to. Bring it on.