Mantra for 2014.

Today, as I write this, it is the very first day of 2014. I woke up early and cleaned our home spotless. The crockpot is going and my little Scarlett is sleeping in her bed peacefully as we wait for the snow storm to come in. It's one of those days that I am looking forward to a good ole' snow fall.

We spent New Year's Eve with some friends, having dinner and drinks while the little ones played. At 11:30 pm, Scarlett came down with the stomach bug that has been going around. Why wouldn't she? The poor thing gets everything lately. So I celebrated the ball dropping by snuggling a sick little baby in my bed. Being a parent changes you. There was no where else in the world I would rather be than helping my little one to feel better, new year or not. The truth is, I'm not a huge New Year's person. Of course celebrating it is fun and the thought of a brand new year is refreshing, but I don't ever make New Year's resolutions. I am not really sure why. I guess because in my mind, if I haven't been doing it up until now, how is a holiday going to make me to do it any more than before? In that aspect, every day is really a fresh new beginning to start something or do better.

I saw a few others posting a word/s for the new year. Kind of like a Mantra for the new year. This seems to be more of my style than saying:

I want to cook more. Healthier.
I want to work-out harder.
I want to visit new places.
I want to spend even more undivided quality time with Scarlett.
I want to have more date nights.
I want to have a positive outlook
etc. etc…..



I started to think about what I would choose for my words for the new year if I had to pick one/s. I could honestly think of a hundred words that I could use. The question is, which words do I want to pursue the most? Which words do I want to pour my heart into? After a lot of consideration and reflection on the past year, I came up with this:


Positivity & Patience.

Something that I have always struggled with is reacting. I am quick to react and slow to listen. More than cooking, working out, or seeing new places,  I want to be patient and thoughtful. If only I could stop the quick reactions that usually end in tears or hurt feelings and react with thought and intention. I want every moment to have purpose. In order to react thoughtfully, I must have patience and think positively. This year, I am sure that I will react quickly or lose my patience. I won't set myself up to fail. However, I will use these words as a little reminder to help me remember where my heart is. "Positivity & Patience." In order to live peacefully, I have to let go of the negative thoughts and be patient in every situation, with each person that I encounter, with my Scarlett, with Ty, and even with myself.


Even if you don't believe is New Year's Resolutions, maybe finding a little mantra or a few words of encouragement to keep you on the right track is better than making unrealistic promises to yourself that eventually end up making you feel like a failure. We are human and we will let ourselves down, get side-tracked, become lazy, hurt others and make mistakes. But recognizing those flaws and continuing to grow each year is what makes us better, kinder people.

We've been blessed in 2013. Here's a short look back at some moments from the past year…..

 

 

Happy New Years to you all!!!