Intentions for the New Year...

My cousin created a list of resolutions on her blog, found Here, which are similar to some of my own goals. I wanted to share Laurie's with you, because it inspired me to put mine in writing, which I had not intended to do. Maybe it will inspire you as well.

Too often, resolutions fall by the wayside. After a slip or two, the goal seems insurmountable. One of my former supervisor's gave me a tiny pebble when we were facing a huge project. It was a reminder to approach a mountain of work, one little piece at a time. That is how I'm approaching this year, a pebble at a time, being thankful for what I do accomplish, and remembering my joy is also in the journey, not just the destination.

My focus is on:

Health - Making better food choices. Exercise daily. Listen to my body and rest when needed. Don't be afraid to make changes.

Spirit - Pray with thanksgiving. Sing. Laugh. Love. Forgive. Be generous.

Soul and Mind - Write daily. Read more. Make time for family and friends. Learn something new. Tap into my creativity. Be true to myself. Be inspired!

It sounds like a lot, but many of the things listed are what I have already been working on. I want to continue improving, learning and growing. There is no downside to making these resolutions, because failure is also a learning experience. I'm ready to greet 2015! It's going to be an amazing year! Believe it!


© 31Dec2014 ajj

Christmas Traditions, and These are the Days of Our Lives...

I'm surprised Days of Our Lives has weathered the demise of the soap opera, but it's been around for a long time. It was mom's favorite. When I lived in Phoenix, before the advent of VCR's, mom had to work when the show aired. She convinced me to watch it for her and call her with the highlights once or twice a week. It was a connection with mom, and I became a fan of the show.

I haven't watched it for many years now, but while switching channels today, I inadvertently came across the end of todays episode. At Christmastime, they have a tradition on the show where they decorate the tree with special ornaments. The family members names are on each of the ornaments. It brought back a flood of memories of my mom, and made me think about the importance of traditions in families.

We still hang stockings by our fireplace, and every Christmas I have certain ornaments I love to decorate with, because it has become part of our holiday tradition. I have several given to me by my mom and my grandparents that are special to me, I have one with my dad's name written on it, some gathered over the years such as "Our First Christmas Together" which we purchased the year PJ and I were married, an angel given to me by my in-laws, ornaments I bought when our boys were born, and so many others. This year we had a tiny tree, and many of our ornaments are in storage, but I managed to put a lot of my favorites on our little tree. There's a special feeling I get from following our family traditions. I think they're important, and they definitely give me joy.  I hope each of you celebrated your holiday with traditions special to you, and I hope you had a Merry Christmas!