Goodbye 2019... Hello 2020! 🎉 {P2, M-Z}

HAPPY NEW {{LEAP}} YEAR!! 

My ABC's of Going Into 2020 ~ M-Z

M: Mindfulness ~ This is a HUGE one for me to work on this year. I think it's my most important. ~ Buddha said, "Our life is shaped by our mind, for we become what we think." 2020 is the year that I become more mindful: mindful of what I think, what I say, what I do and the energy I allow into my life. As far as the things I say, it's important to me that I'm always honest with people - but I need to be more mindful of the delivery in both tone and method of said things... and whether or not I care enough about that specific person's place in my life to share that particular truth. My family and best friends? Absolutely! A friend on the outskirts or an acquaintance? Hmmm... maybe not so much. I sometimes come across too blunt for some people, simply because I personally prefer that people be blunt with me. I'm not a mind reader and I never want to "assume" what someone may "insinuate". There are times that I can also stick my foot in my mouth, not meaning to. As far as the things that run through this busy brain of mine... I'll always wish for dreams and goals for the future, but in the same breath, I want to be completely present and active in today's moments. I don't want to reminisce too much about things in the past or let thoughts and fears of the future stress me out. Dalai Lama said, "There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so *today* is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live".
~ Life is an echo and the energy you send out is what comes back to you. I want to be more mindful of how I spend my time and who I spend it with. I want to be mindful of how much time I spend on social media. For the most part, it's uplifting and wonderful. Though, I find that many times some of the content consumes me since I'm an extroverted empath. Certain posts definitely have a way of affecting my feelings ~ good and bad. The truth is that life will always have its messy moments... but I'm striving to balance my thoughts - whether positive or negative (with all 1,000 tabs that stay open all the time!). It's such an experience though and I want to be 100% in participation... just get INTO the moment and OUT of my head! I've definitely had problems in the past with allowing my imagination and thoughts run wild; but I'm going to make a conscious effort to gently tug on the reins and let them dissipate. I don't want to get wrapped up in past thoughts or caught in a flurry of unwanted emotions. This of course if not only for my benefit, but for the people I love as well. While we can't direct the wind, we can adjust our sails!

N: Nature ~ We actually already spend a good bit of time outdoors, but scientific research from June 2019 reveals that being surrounded by nature affects our health and happiness! People who spend at least 120 minutes a week in nature significantly report good health and higher psychological well-being than those who don't. Connecting with nature restores, soothes and heals. I am guilty though, of preferring to cuddle on the couch and binge-watch Netflix than go outside when it's blustery winter weather. I'm just not a cold-weather girl. Now... my exception is playing in the snow! When you live in the Piedmont of North Carolina, snow is kind of magical and mystical... it's like a strange and wild visitor from the secret north. So, beginning this year... whether rain, sleet, snow or shine... I plan on spending more time in nature! In fact, one of the Instructions for Life is to "Once a year go some place you've never been before". This past Summer 2019, we had an AMAZING Epic Summer Journey out west and to the Rocky Mountains. It was the first time I've ever been. I was humbled at {literally!} every turn and I absolutely want to go back! So my goals for this year {and decade!} are to spend more time reveling in nature's bountiful beauty and planning at least a yearly "first time visit". After all... who doesn't need a little more Vitamin D?! Read *9* more health benefits HERE.

O: Organization ~ When I worked from home and my friends/family would step into my home office, I'd chalk off them staring wide-eyed at my {completely} messy desk by saying there was a "method to my madness" or point out that geniuses like Mark Twain, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg all created their productive masterpieces behind messy desks. I co-owned a bridal magazine, so maybe the messy desk gave me a creative boost to my plethora of writing? Yeah, well... since I'm in a much more "normal" and structured work environment, I've figured out that I much more prefer that everything have its own place and be in it. So this year I'm committed to begin decluttering! Not just my desk and office areas (which are always pretty spotless now), but my also home. We have so much "stuff" that just sits around and is never used... it just doesn't necessarily bring "joy" to us. While I wouldn't call our home a storage unit... I do want it to feel even more like a sanctuary and simplify the things that surround us in it. They say that tidying and organizing our physical space allows us to tend to our psychological space!

P: Positivity ~ Let's face it... there's so much negativity and complaining in the world these days that this year, I'm just going to attempt to focus on keeping as positive an attitude as possible! I want to protect my {typically} happy-go-lucky, free-spirit from outside negativity. I've decided I'd rather be an overly-annoying "Positive Polly" than stick-in-the-mud "Debbie Downer". As long as we stay positive in negative situations... we WIN! There is something to be thankful for EVERY SINGLE DAY and those are the things I want to focus on and bring to the forefront of my life. I read somewhere that the mind is like a garden and thoughts are the seeds. So, you can plant seeds of positivity, love and abundance OR you can plant seeds of negativity, fear and lack. You can spend time tending your garden OR you can spend time tending to everyone else's. I've decided that I'm watering my own garden to make it more beautiful... because when you focus on the good, the good just gets better. My goal is to be the person who finds ways to be able to appreciate everything ~ to always keep faith and hope close to my heart. Even if it's simply waking up each day... because someone else didn't get that opportunity.

Q: Quality ~ You know the saying, "I'd rather have 4 quarters than 100 pennies"? This was my mantra in 2019. We all know we're an average of the 5 people we spend the most time with, so it's important to always choose quality friends. In 2020 though, I'm carrying it over widening the scope beyond my relationship and friendships. Now... it spreads out to life in general. What good does it do to live to be 150 if you spend 100 years of that bed-ridden or without purpose? Why read a 200-page essay if 198 pages are bullshit and you can say the same thing in 2 pages? I want quality relationships. I don't want to engage in 'how's the weather' or 'what's up' small talk. That doesn't interest me at all. I want to talk about life and death, the moon, stars and galaxies {ha! and aliens!}, truths and scars, hopes and dreams, what scares the shit out of us... the things that make our eyes light up with passion and fire... things with depth and emotion. You know... real conversation and learning all about the things that make us "us"... who we are. There's more depth in "quality over quantity". We don't need, "more, more, more" things in life... we need to nurture and appreciate who {and what!} we have.

R: Resolve ~ I want to live a life of resolve... to live life on {and with!} purpose. I want to make a list of goals, focus on them and then be able to say I accomplished what was important to me. I want to become aware of who I am and what it is that I bring to this life, rather than just take up space in this big, wide world. We were all put on this Earth for a purpose; it's just trying to figure out what that purpose is. I also want to realize that I'm a work in progress. I'm still learning every day and want to continue to keep learning. I want to celebrate the mundane... as well as the milestones! I want to resolve to live a life of purpose. To get busy... and make myself useful! 

S: Simplify ~ Do you ever look around your house and get overwhelmed by all the "stuff"? I'm 46 years old and still have things from my very first apartment, when I was 18. While a few items are absolutely priceless, most... I'm just like... "eh... it wouldn't break my heart to live without it." Heck... there are so many I don't even realize I have until I'm searching for something else. And omigosh... the bags and bags of clothes in my closets! It really makes me reflect on how much money I've sunk into material things that I could've spent in a more useful way... like traveling! I want to shift my perspective of what I really "need", so life becomes more fun, magical and joyful. While I don't know if I'm sold on the KonMari method of decluttering (I mean... how much "joy" can you actually feel when you hold a t-shirt??), I definitely believe that having less "stuff" means less to organize and clean, and more space and time for life! I'd rather have fewer things that I actually LOVE, than many things that I kinda like. This year, I'm doing lots of donating.Someone else may need these things way, WAY more than I do.

T: Time ~ "Until I am measured, I am not known. Yet how you miss me, when I have flown." Time... it's something that you think you'll always have enough of and then, sometimes when it's too late, you realize it's the one thing you can't ever get back. Beginning this year, I want to invest more time on improving myself {even though most days I'm pretty awesome, lol!}, making memories with my family and friends and doing good in our community. There are no words for the devastation I felt when I lost my nephew. He was only 25; and of course you think you'll have plenty of time with the youngsters in your family. On the other hand, I'm thankful though, because we still have our grandmother with us at 87. We aren't promised tomorrow, so I'm going to spend every single day LIVING and having the "time" of my life! "Time is like a river. You cannot touch the same water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again. Enjoy every moment of your life."

U: Understanding ~ 6 + 3 = 9. So does 7 + 2. And 5 + 4. None of us are always going to agree on what we believe is the "right" way of doing something. Believe me! I definitely do NOT think the way they're teaching math to our children today is the "right" way... but someone else obviously does. Though we may disagree with one another's opinions {whether politics, religion, racism, gun control, etc.}, we should always respect them. There is no need to humiliate, degrade and disrespect because things look differently from the other side of the fence. I've always been extremely empathetic {sometimes too much so} and try to put myself in others' shoes. Understanding is a horse of a different color though. It's realizing that I am a different person from anyone else and my experiences and worldly perceptions are different than anyone else's because of this. Because of these things, my responses to these differences are valid. They are my story and I'll tell them in my way. This is because I'm the only person on this planet who has MY story. But... other people's perspectives are just as valid as their own story too.

V: Values ~ Oxford says that the definition of the word "value" is "the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth or usefulness of something" and "a person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life". It's pretty often that I remind myself that some people were just raised differently. Your core {or personal} values are the guiding principles that help determine your behavior, words and actions. While there are literally hundreds, and in addition to this list of ABCs, my top personal core values are family, love, friendship, loyalty and compassion... and so many more! Like Elvis Presly once said, "Values are like fingerprints. Nobody's are the same, but you leave 'em all over everything you do."

W: Whimsy ~ Some people think I'm too much. My dad would tell people that I was his social butterfly... and a bull in a china shop. I'm brash and brutally honest, direct and opinionated... I wear my heart on my sleeve. I can be too "much". I'm a strong Southern woman that refuses to put up with BS, while having great fun at this thing called "life". I'm sometimes a walking juxtaposition though. As we get older, we gain independence, maturity and patience... but I always want my scale to lean a little more on the wild and whimsical side! I think it's important to always keep your whimsy and embrace your inner quirky and playful happiness. "Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, about the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see them as genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who usually do." ~ John Chapman (AKA, Johnny Appleseed) / Steve Jobs

X: Xandra ~ Okay... so finding an inspiring "word" was a little tough, but I did find an AWESOME name meaning.

Y: Youthfulness ~ I used to think my biggest fear in life was simply... growing old. That doesn't necessarily mean getting older {because I am embracing my gray hair and rocking aging thing out!}, because  I truthfully love my trips around the sun! There are so many people who don't make it that far. Maybe I'm just most afraid of sitting still.

Z: Zeal ~ I'm a passionate person. To me, it's important to be passionate. Passionate about a person... a cause... an object. I always want to maintain an eager desire in my pursuit of happiness, without being overzealous. My goal is to find a healthy balance of the two. I definitely want to live a slow and quiet life... but with great passion!


Did you miss {P1, A-L}? See it HERE.

Happy 2020, y'all!! ... and CHEERS!!

xoxo