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Things to celebrate…
As this is the last column of the year, and in a few short days, we’ll be ringing in a new year, today, we encourage everyone to reflect on 2023. It’s always amazing to look at a full year and see all the victories, both big and small. Oakes is the kind of community that sees a lot of change and progress in a quick calendar year; new businesses have started, new people have moved to town, and new ideas have been tested. Our community continues to be regarded as a top small town in the state of North Dakota and that’s because of the people who choose to live and work here. When the people get better, everything gets better. Thank you for being dedicated to improvement; that commitment shows in everything associated with Oakes.
News to know…
The Oakes Mental Health Coalition was recently awarded a grant from CHI for ongoing programming and support for our community. On Wednesday, January 24 at 6:30 pm, the coalition is hosting a session called Building a Resilient Community on January 24. Earlier this fall, the coalition sent out a survey asking the community to rank a list of eleven resiliency factors from Monica McConkey, the licensed therapist who visited Oakes last year. This event will be a facilitated discussion about the top three for Oakes: building social networks and support, developing a positive outlook, and fostering early experience. This session is open to anyone who considers themselves a helper; no specific experience is required. If you care about building up our personal and collective resilience, we encourage you to attend. There is no cost to attend, but we are asking for RSVPs so we can plan accordingly. You can register here: https://www.growingsmalltowns.
Ideas to spread…
It’s that time of year when people and groups start thinking about goal-setting. Whether you call them resolutions or not, a new year often brings a sense of renewal. We love a simple framework to help guide our internal thought processes and here’s our suggestion. Ask yourself what you want to feel more of in 2024 and what you want to feel less of. Feelings and thoughts are what drive action; so considering how you want to feel in 2024 can be a helpful way to determine what you should do. Whose presence brings out the best versus the worst in you? What experiences fill versus drain you? What activities bring you joy versus make you resentful, angry, etc.? Evaluate as many areas of your life as you please and choose just one simple thing you’ll do more of and less of to bring about meaningful change for yourself in 2024. Progress doesn’t have to be big steps; just focus on making small, subtle shifts. By this time next year, you could feel like a whole new person.