Happy New Year!
New Year, New YOU?!
This is a week of reflection for me. I didn’t used to take advantage of the week between Christmas and New Year’s to do this. I thought I was too busy. Busy with life, work, family. You know what I mean. I wasn’t intentional about using this time to look back on the last 12 months and evaluate the things that I wish I had done differently and those I felt were positive and memorable. If anything, I felt the pressure to make resolutions for the upcoming year that were grand and honestly impractical.
Do you feel that pressure?
Making resolutions or deciding to embrace healthier habits is wonderful and to be encouraged; however, the potential for failure can be daunting and discouraging. How many of those “resolutions” are broken and forgotten before February 1st?
If I can share any words of wisdom concerning this it would be to be kind to yourself. Think of one habit to add and set realistic goals to achieve it. This way you can set yourself up for success.
Looking back at 2022, I think about the weeks that I was intentional about writing this blog. Putting my ideas, thoughts, and feelings out there for anyone to read. I also realize that over the last few months, I haven’t written faithfully because I felt I had to let something go. This past year was one of great joy, changes, and challenges. I am sure each of you can probably relate and are not sure whether to say 2022 was a great year or bad year. Life is like that. We have great times, bad times and just average times. As I reflect, the bittersweet times are when I think about the planning of a family vacation where after enjoying a few great days and memories in Alaska, it dramatically changed into a nightmare as we each caught COVID and spent 14 days sick and quarantined in a hotel room with a mountain of restrictions, paperwork, and out of pocket expenses. I think about our decision to downsize; fast forward 2 months later we were packed up, moved and those physical challenges grew into weeks of emotional issues for me. Then I think of the wonderful times; weekends with my parents at their lake house, hours spent with friends, calls from my daughter in California that made the miles between us seem not so great. Sweet, happy memories as our family celebrated the engagement and marriage of my youngest daughter. I have felt great joy along with heartbreaking sadness in 2022. Moving through both is what growth truly is. Taking time to reflect on things I could have done better, while being thankful for God’s grace, and remembering those things that brought feelings of contentment.
I want a balance. So, as I write this, my challenge to myself and to you is to make 2023 the year of growth. Learning the importance of balancing our lives and growing emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
Give yourself Grace,
Lynn