I’ve been thinking a lot lately about resolutions. So often we set goals for ourselves in the beginning of the year (after all, it is a new year and a fresh start!) that we seem to forget by springtime. Sometimes stress and life in general just force us to put thoughts of a fresh start on the back burner.
Reading through some of Suzy’s old posts, I stumbled upon this post about her word for the year — Sunshine. Here’s just a snippet of what she wrote:
“Sunshine. That is my “adopted” word for 2010….As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, sunshine brings the following words to my mind: cheerfulness, optimism, confidence, positivism, hope, and happiness. Sunshine is warm and bright and joyful. It’s like a hug from heaven. And I think that’s what I need right now — an embrace from above, some hope and optimism, some confidence, and definitely some cheerfulness. 2008 was dark. 2009 was chaotic. I want 2010 to be full of sunshine.”
Looking back on this post, I remember the power of her words then, but today they mean even more to me than that cold January day when I first read them. The beginning of 2010 was kind of rough for me. I faced a big disappointment that threatened to throw me off track. In January, I resolved that I would start living a more healthy lifestyle. I would eat healthy foods, exercise more often, and spend more time outside doing active things. But sometimes life happens. A professional disappointment almost caused me to cave on some of my goals. But when I remembered my resolution, I knew I couldn’t let it.
Living a healthy life is not just about eating the right foods and running on a treadmill. Like Suzy said, it’s about embracing life, choosing optimism. Cleansing yourself of the stress in your life and letting it fall to the side. I want to live a positive, healthy spiritual, emotional and physical lifestyle.
I write all that to encourage those of you out there who are trying to make changes in your life. They may be big or small. Maybe you feel like you won’t be able to follow through with some of your goals. I’m here to tell you that you can! Here is an idea that may help, something that I’ve done this year that has made a world of difference. Instead of making one HUGE goal for the entire year, set smaller goals for each month that work toward that ultimate challenge. Each month, as you conquer these goals, you’ll gain more confidence and feel more positive about the direction you’re heading in!
You know what else might help? Create layouts each month to chart your progress, and by the end of they year you’ll have an album remind you of what you’ve accomplished! And what better kit to use than Suzy’s gorgeous Sunshine kit, which just exudes positive energy!
I hope that today you find yourself encouraged! I hope that you will stick to your goals and come out at the end of this year feeling fresh and renewed.
Share your goals with us if you’d like. We’d love to hear them, and in turn offer any encouragement or advice that we can.
