Welcome to 2012! I am choosing to greet this new year with an open mind, a full heart and a smile.
I'm not a fan of new year's resolutions as mine always seemed to be the same and the year's end would usually see me feeling disappointed, a reminder that I had once again failed at being/looking perfect. So over the past few years I have set aside the whole 'new year's resolution fad' and opted with a mantra instead - being happy seems to be a favorite of mine and one I can achieve :) hey, I didn't commit to having to be happy every single moment of the year so this mantra seemed easy enough to follow.
I've been reflecting during the Xmas break and thinking back over my 2011 journey and the gifts I most cherished. By gifts, I don't quite mean in the physical form (although I am quite loving the pile of recipe books my hubby/kids and Secret Santa gave me) but more the gifts those around me gave by way of wisdom, time, a hug, a shoulder to cry on, a gentle reminder of what I am capable of, a thank you for a kindness I gifted, a compassionate and understanding smile, a couple hours peace to see a movie, babysitting as I slowly build my business, a lovingly home-made Xmas pudding, a text message saying they love me and were thinking of me, sharing a joke that made my sides split, a hand-made birthday card, unconditional love, challenging me to assert myself, listening to my bizarre ideas, feeding my dog and caring for my home so I could holiday with my family, encouraging me to not have a other slice of pizza and the list could go on and on.
I've learned how blessed I am, that there are people in this world that would miss me if my time was up, that it's such a rush when offering a kindness to someone and making them feel special, that the effort to bring a smile to someone's face can sometimes happen simply through a look.
I therefore completed 2011 with a feeling of calm, a sense of achievement, gifting myself some guilt-free quiet time, forgiving myself for the many moments of imperfections, insecurities, lashing out, blaming others unnecessary and seeing each challenging moment as an opportunity to grow. I like the idea of a new year being a clean slate and I've decided to embrace this concept and even try to take it a step further by wiping the slate clean each night before I go to sleep - offering my gratitude for all that my life is so that I can awake each day with a clear mind, full heart and a smile, always a smile. :D
