Goodbye 2019... Hello 2020! 🎉 {P1, A-L}

HAPPY NEW {{LEAP}} YEAR!! 

Leaving 2019 in the DUST!
"Happy New Year! As we leave 2019 in our rearview mirrors, a bright new road of possibilities stretches before us. May the path ahead of you be filled with beautiful new experiences."

For those who know me know that I don't do resolutions. Sometimes I have a word and most of the time that word can work its way into many, many aspects of my life. Think personal "evolution".

This year, we're working our way into not just a new year... but a whole new DECADE! This past one has taught me many lessons and for the new one we're entering, I decided to do things a little differently by creating:

My ABC's of Going Into 2020 ~ A-L

A: Ambition ~ I've just started a new job that I really enjoy with a wonderful, GROWING company and am ready to start climbing that corporate ladder and taking on more responsibilities in 2020!

B: Boundaries ~ The past decade has taught me a lot about family, friends and life in general and I've learned to set boundaries. I think doing this is a healthy way to maintain important relationships. One thing to remember is you don't need to justify, apologize for or rationalize the healthy boundary you are setting for YOUR life. It's simply a protection of YOUR priorities. Don't argue about it. Just set the boundary calmly, firmly, clearly and respectfully. If someone throws a fit or acts passive aggressively towards you for setting that boundary... it's just more evidence it was necessary.

C: Continue ~ The definition of the word continue means "to persist in an activity or process". Putting one foot in front of the other and persevering through whatever comes my way. Some people may call that 'stubborn'; I call it being a Southern woman.

D: Determination ~ I've always been determined. For the most part, I've always completely thrown myself into things I'm passionate about. I wanted to be self-employed: Did it for 16 years, as co-owner of a beautiful national bridal magazine for 12 of those (before the world became so very digital)... starting out as a highly sought-after event planner for the first 6. I wanted a job with amazing benefits and a better work/life balance and began a new job in September with a new, growing company! I plan on moving into the next decade with even more hope and determination than the last. A lot of changes came to fruition in the last decade and I feel much more settled going into 2020 than I did going into 2010. So, this decade... I want to be a woman who wakes up every day to make some sort of impact ~ whether it's in a personal or professional manner.

E: Effort ~ I'm guilty of not always giving it 100% effort 100% every day in plenty of aspects of my life. Let's face it. There are days, for some of us, when it's all we can do to just get out of bed. I think to myself, "Maybe I should clean more" ... "Maybe I should grocery shop more often" ... "Maybe this week needs a few extra hours at work" ... "I need to spend more quality time with those I love" ... ~ I want to be a woman with purpose, so I hope to be better about that this year. There are 5 things you can control every day in EVERY aspect of your life and this is just one of them. They are: 1) Attitude  2) Words  3) Actions  4) Manners  5) Effort

F: Forgiveness ~ I need to work more on forgiveness in 2020. Forgiveness for others AND for myself. I'm learning that forgiving myself is just as important ~ if not more than ~ forgiving others. I've learned in the past several years I've held onto guilt, grudges and past hurts. That only prevents me from being able to walk into the future with clear sight. While we're enduring some sort of trauma, we pick up survival patterns to help us get through it. It's called "self-preservation". I know I picked up many defense mechanisms in the last decade. It's time to leave those back in 2010 and move forward into 2020 with a lifted burden and lightened heart, because I am no longer in those situations.

G: Gratitude ~ I am very thankful for my life, the people and the things that are in it. I have plenty... more than most and more than I ever need ask for. I {get to} wake up every day, healthy. There are many people who don't have that luxury. Every morning, my boyfriend makes me a cup of coffee to get the day started. There are many who don't have that luxury. Then, I {get to} head to work to be able to help keep a roof over our heads, food in our bellies and the ability to live "comfortably". There are many who don't have that luxury. Then, we {get to} head out to spend time with our friends, laughing and catching up with what's going on in our Village. Sadly, there are many who don't have that luxury. Apparently, we're richer than 75% of the world. It's said when you focus on gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in. Here's to not taking for granted how lucky we actually are that we {get to} have these amazing lives today, tomorrow and every day after that!

H: Health ~ Physical, Intellectual, Environmental, Emotional, Financial, Social, Spiritual and Occupational. These are called the Eight Dimensions of Wellness. Mental health and physical health are linked and they impact one another. I'm completely guilty of not taking better care of my "temple". Let's face it... I'm no spring chicken! We're getting older every day and I want to be more aware of treating my body better. Luckily, I've always been pretty healthy physically (had zero health insurance for 16 years and never needed it, thank goodness!). It's more my spiritual and mental health that I need to work on. I have a tendency to over-think, over-analyze, over-worry and over-exhaust myself with stresses that really... are non-existent. As far as financial health... I want to spend more wisely beginning this year. I've found that no-one needs so much "stuff" that just ends up being clutter later. We're living this amazing life... but there's no getting around that it will always have its challenges. What matters is how we handle whatever comes our way. Beginning this year, I'm striving for overall health and wellness!

I: Intention ~ 2020 is the year to begin living with intent and purpose! Living with 20/20 focus!! I want to set goals that have a clear purpose and are meaningful. I want to become more intentional about what I eat, about my health, simplifying my life and getting rid of clutter, knowing my priorities and implementing small daily habits. I want to show up and never give up! I want to believe that anything is possible and work hard to make it happen. "That was the day she made herself the promise to live more from intention and less from habit."

J: Joyful ~ Everyone's always been told to find joy in the little things, but I get it... it's easy to get sidetracked and sometimes let the little things steal your joy. Someone once told me that unless you fill yourself up first, you have nothing to give anyone. So you must always tend to the joy in yourself first. When you tend to yourself and are doing things that make you happy, you're a "joy" to be around. Several years ago, I found an article/sermon on the internet that completely resonated with me. It ended with, "My sincere prayer is may we adapt to the changes in our lives, that we may realize what is most important and thus find joy in the journey". While it's true that the "only constant thing is change", may we ALWAYS find all the different ways our hearts and lives are filled with joy.

K: Kindness ~ This year, I want to always strive to be a little kinder than necessary! It's important to be kind to others, to yourself, nature and all living creatures alike. It costs absolutely nothing to be kind and it's always true: everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. I have a wonderful friend who lost her sister to a very rare cancer and she, along with a group of her sister's best friends, started an annual "Random Acts of Kindness" tradition in her sister's memory. Each year on the sister's birthday, they get together to celebrate her life and share in the anguish of missing her, and go around spreading all kinds of kindness! From buying coffee for strangers at Starbucks and donating a couple of hundred dollars to a local charity to giving gift cards to grocery shoppers and handing out popsicle sticks to kids at a water park. It is one of my most favorite things that happens in our Village each year and even though I may not partake... it never ceases to amaze me how so very humbled I am, as I watch the day's events unfold.

L: Love ~ I always joke and say that I'm a lover, not a fighter; but it's true... to get anything done in this world, you must have love in your heart. Beginning this year, I'm going to start loving myself more fiercely and everything else will fall into place. To be able to love the people around you, you've got to love yourself enough first. I'm going to remember I'm worthy, I'm capable and I'm enough! I may not be perfect... and I don't want to be. I actually sort of love my quirky flaws! They make me an imperfectly perfect "me". When I was a little girl, my Maw Maw would pour my Paw Paw's coffee so full that it would spill over into the saucer the cup sat in and he gave me whatever overflowed into it. So, that's how I'm considering it. When my "love" cup is full, I have plenty left to allow to spill over into all the other aspects in my life. Accordingly, when you love yourself, you teach others how to love you. Self-love makes you a better person and it's a powerful resolution! "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends."

TO BE CONTINUED... 

Happy 20/20!!!!

Cheers, y'all!!

xoxo