We're 21 days into January and just like every other January, three weeks feels like 84 years! We've made New Year's resolutions, broke those resolutions and made some more about ten times since the 1st...or maybe that's just me?!?
I've Taekwondo'd or Marie Kondo'd (whatever the big organizational campaign of the year is called) every room in the house. In fact I've yelled "Time for an upgrade!", grab my backpack and set off for Menards returning with new organizational containers and area rugs so often in the last three weeks, even the animals are starting to question my sanity. I like to call this the "nesting stage" of winter...you know where it's too cold to go out, your next vacation seems like light years away and you're forced to be in your home where all of a sudden everything seems out of sorts and the purging, decluttering and "Time for an upgrade!" mentality takes over. (Why don't I live on a beach where the sun is abundant and the ocean is my backyard will always be the question I ask myself this time of year.)
I'm not sure that 2022 has started out in the best of ways. I had to say goodbye to my fury best friend which broke my heart in more ways than I thought possible. It seems like every time we wake up a celebrity of some sort has been taken from us, not to mention the countless other extraordinary humans we have lost too soon in the last couple of weeks. I like to think that every year sets us up for some sort of lesson. I'm still trying to block out 2021's lesson and will forever call that the year that can just "f off"...but losing one of the most beloved icon's (Betty White) on the final day of last year wasn't 2021's one last kick in the nutsyousay, but a gift from Betty to remind us all that for 2022 we should be the best humans we can possibly be and in doing so, no matter how long we live, it'll always be too soon when we are taken from this Earth.
2022...the year where we learn to be more like Betty White...good to all humans and even better to the animals. In the words of Betty White's most infamous character, Rose Nylund:
"It won't be long before I meet nice people and make some new friends. I have a real good feeling about that."
That is my wish to all of you this beautiful year!!
💜💙💕
Tune In
Throwback the best!
Something about this year has me feeling very nostalgic. For whatever reason when the calendar flipped to January I decided to travel back in time to the good old days of classic country. I can't explain the calming effect it has on me, but reliving the simpler times of country music just warms my heart and soul. Don't worry I won't always showcase the oldies, but I will definitely be throwing out some of my favorites every now and again...this seemed like a good time to share one of them!
The year was 1988...where hair was high, our pants were too and this duo was trying to convince us singing with our Mom was what all the cool daughters should do. Get your boombox plugged in, cassette tape dusted off (pencil in hand in case you have to "save" said cassette), relax with your favorite Bartles and Jaymes Wine Cooler (kids have your parents explain this one to you) and press play...
Purposeful Mind
I've really been focusing on making my time more meaningful. I am trying to learn something new every day. That doesn't mean I am learning a piece of trivia (although some days I do), it means taking the time to learn more about myself. That entails more podcasts, more self-help books, more writing, journaling, quotes, etc. I am pouring myself into those things that challenge my mind, teach me new ways to think and incorporate ways in which I can become better as a whole. I did set out this year to live more like Betty White because I believe a person will not be remembered by what they did, but will live in the hearts of others for who they are as a human. We can not be who we need to be for anyone else until we understand who it is that we need to be for ourselves.
One of my favorite Podcasters is Eddie Pinero. His storytelling, showcased with moving music is something I feel with every fiber of my being. I would love to meet him one day and aspire to be this inspiring for others at some point in my life. I'm pretty particular about voices, when it comes to podcasts, you get a five second chance with me, if it doesn't thrill me within that five seconds, I move on...haha...one of my coworkers that I share podcasts with says "Your standards for voices are pretty high."...hahaha...she isn't wrong. This guy never disappoints. This won't be the last time I showcase him, but here is my favorite podcast by him this year...
Thoughtful Words
Deep thinking is where it is at. I love it when words alter my mindset, have me dig in a little deeper to some challenges that I might be facing or just give me a refreshing new view on the world or humans in my life. This was something I needed to read and one I saved to my phone.
Change is hard no matter which side of it you are facing, but the sad reality is, change is always happening within us and around us. We have two options when facing change: be sad for what we lost and no longer have or be hopeful for the new opportunities that are waiting for us to find.
While it can be heart wrenching losing something, maybe what we think is lost is just a pause so that it can become even more amazing when we find it again. I've spent too many sleepless nights, shed countless tears and suffered too many broken hearts wishing for history to present itself again, I'm really trying to reframe my mind into believing that I will never lose those things meant for me. It requires a whole lot of faith, love, hope and belief. But as I like to remind myself, I believed in Santa Claus for 12 years until I was proven he didn't exist, I have the power to believe in the impossible, so why not do just that.
Puzzling Life...
2021 taught me a lot about life. It made me stronger in some aspect and broke me in ways I never thought possible. With every hit, with every blow, I had to readjust, find a new version of myself and dig deeper into reasons why I shouldn’t give up. Those reasons weren’t and still aren’t as clear as I would like, but even though my head often finds reasons not to go on, my heart always loves me enough to remind me why I should.
At 44 I don’t have life figured out any more than I did at 10, 21 or even 35. Reflecting on it in a deeper way, life is a complicated puzzle. Unlike a puzzle though, we don’t have a final picture to compare it to, to see if we organized the pieces in the correct way. We place a piece here and there and continue placing the pieces where we see fit. Often, we set out the idea that the picture we are creating will one day be complete and we will be able to step back, see what it is and finally be able to enjoy life at its fullest capacity from the finalized product of ourselves. Our focus isn’t on the living in the now, our focus is on what we think we will see, feel, be, etc. once we place that final puzzle piece in the picture of who it is that we think we are supposed to become.
So, we lose 50 pounds thinking life will be seen from a new perspective, 50 pounds lighter. We get there, stand back and think “hmmm, my pants fit better, the scale says something different, so why am not happier?”. Then we think, well maybe I need to change something else. So, we switch jobs, leave our significant other, move, whatever the case may be in the hopes that one of those changes is what is needed to finally see what our purpose is and what life is all about. We start to become addicted to chasing that high of change because it’s exciting thinking that the key to happiness is in our constant alterations of ourselves and direction in life. We get jacked up on creating that final product so much that when we aren’t getting those “big” wins, life look mundane and boring, often times creating a feeling of sadness and unworthiness. Because maybe today the biggest accomplishment you had was making your bed. So instead of rejoicing in the fact that “Hey, I made my bed today!”…you will most likely find today a failed attempt at reaching whatever goal you have mapped out for your journey. You’ll take that opportunity as a way to belittle who it is that you are and let the negative emotions drive the rest of your day or many days ahead. While experiencing that low, you’ll miss the beauty each day holds. The simplicities of a good morning text, the calming effects of the cat purring in your ear, the happiness in the wigglybutt greeting you at the door, the beautiful colors painted on the sky as the sun bids ado or the boisterous laugh coming from the dinner table will be under appreciated by a cloudy mind.
This world is goal oriented and we’re constantly being shown the success of others making us feel like we always have to be striving to reach and become more. While it’s great to chase those dreams, to become the very best we can, happiness is really derived when we stop chasing for a minute and take a moment to slow down and really experience life in real time. Maybe you didn’t scale Mount Everest today, but you played a board game with one of your favorite humans…while I may never know that Mount Everest feeling, I do know some of the most heart filling times I’ve had are playing games with the ones I love and to me…that’s a BIG WIN! Set goals, continue to piece your puzzle together, but know that some of the smallest pieces that feel lackluster are actually the pieces that add the most color to the masterpiece of you.
Be Kind. Be Love. Be You.
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