Happy New Year readers! As you could tell, I took some time off over the holidays to relax and write elsewhere (not online), and after a nice quiet Christmas and New Year, I'm back and ready to blog! The new year is an interesting time, full of hope and anticipation... I love everyone's resolve to treat themselves better in the coming year, be it through food or exercise or yoga or meditation... but, I actually personally dislike New Year's resolutions, especially huge ones that are easy to set up and hard to follow through on. I am such a fan of baby steps, steps that you can manage every day without feeling overwhelmed. The beauty of small steps is that they add up to big changes, especially as you follow through and feel better and then make more life changing baby steps! I have been mulling over where I am in my life lately, and saw a quote the other day that really hit me, it really said exactly what I have been feeling lately- "2013 was practice, 2014 was the warm up, and 2015 is game time." That is EXACTLY how I have been feeling about the upcoming year- I feel an energy and hope that I haven't felt in the beginning of the last few years. I am looking at this from a health perspective- I hit my lowest in terms of my mental and physical health in the spring of 2012, and have been slowly rebuilding myself every since. In summer of 2012, I started therapy and cut out gluten, which was the beginning (baby steps!) and each year my health and wellness has gained momentum. 2013 was about figuring it out- figuring out what I needed to keep myself healthy. 2014 was about fine tuning it- really checking in to the smaller signs my body was giving me, guiding me further towards a happier healthier me. And now, I really feel like 2015 is the year where I am going to start reaping some of the rewards of all that work. I feel better then I have ever felt in my life these days- I was able to manage the holidays (which can be tumultuous for those of us with alcoholic and mentally unstable family members) with grace and actual enjoyment (no stress hives! woo hoo!) and really feel like I have fine tuned my diet to be the most energy giving, nourishing diet for me. Those two things, stress management and a super nourishing diet, are the foundation for keeping me sane and healthy. The other day, someone mentioned the pink color in my cheeks, and I was so happy because I wasn't wearing blush! That was just my body finally getting some energy and vitality back, which feels like a huge victory. You guys know I can be a little out there ("woo woo" as I like to say), so here is a good "woo woo" Steph moment for you- lately I have been seeing a vision of the last few years and this year: 2013 was a white flower, fragile but alive. 2014 was a pink flower, more life and color to it. 2015 is a magenta flower, bursting with love and life. This year is a bright magenta peony (hence the photo above), bright and vibrant, sitting right in front of us. My resolutions this year (little ones) are all about continuing the upswing: moving my body every day (whatever that may be: running around with the dog or bouncing on the trampoline for a few minutes, to a full blown all day hike or bike ride), continuing to put the best most nourishing food possible into my tummy, and seeing the beauty and gratitude in the everyday, and letting the universe know how thankful I am for it all. Those little things are going to add up to a wonderful year, I think. What are you doing to make changes in your life this beginning of the year?
Wishing you all a big bright pink flower of love as we begin this bright fresh new year!
