Bring on 2021!
3 things that give me JOY…
ONE – Realizing that someone really and truly believes in me. For Christmas, Ryan gave me a laptop. My very own computer. He knew I’d need it to write and to learn how to edit photos. So, right this very second, I’m typing this blog post and feeling super Carrie Bradshaw-ish as I sip my coffee out on my back deck. (Thanks, my love!)
TWO – HOBBY LOBBY. Silly, I know, but I swear that store brings me pure joy every time I walk in it! Those damn 50% off signs get me every time.
THREE – Seeing JOY through the eyes of someone that I love. Whether it’s watching my girls laughing uncontrollably at one of our cats playing or seeing the look on Ryan’s face when he’s read something really beautiful in the book he’s reading, it always fills my heart up to overflowing.
New Year’s Resolutions.
Who makes them besides me? It’s a habit that I’ll always keep. They motivate me to keep going. They give me something to strive for…something to look forward to. For Christmas I received a book with a title that immediately made me look at it again. ‘Didn’t See That Coming’. Hmmm… It’s also by an author that I’ve read books by before and really enjoyed. After reading the opening chapter I knew it would be a great book to start a new year with. Just one of many on my To Be Read list! Basically, she talks about finding yourself and coming back better after some sort of trauma in your life. Not gonna lie – I frickin love a motivational book.
“Will you allow loss to define you for the rest of your life? Or will you fight back?
Because make no mistake, this will be a fight. Finding your center again, reaching for joy, honing your strength, claiming your faith, having the courage to move forward when you’ve been battered and bruised? Those things will take every ounce of your ability and none of them is achieved quickly. It won’t be easy, but it is possible.”
Every year I make a detailed New Year’s Resolution list. I like to plan, I always have. Also, I’m a big list maker – give me all the notebooks and pretty journals, I promise I’ll put ‘em to good use. Some goals carry over from year to year. I’ll always keep it a resolution to strengthen my prayer life and to dive deeper into reading my bible. A lot of years have had ‘lose weight’ or ‘eat healthier’ pretty close to the top of the list. (That’s also the goal that rarely gets met. Insert eye roll…).
So, what are my resolutions for this year? Definitely to be healthier. That’s a given. Definitely to dig deeper into my bible. Pray more, of course. There’s more this go ‘round though. I’d like to love more. Love my girls more. My two smart, beautiful, silly girls. I’d like to love Ryan more. He deserves the very best that I can give him. He’s certainly shown me more love than I could ever imagine. In 2021 I’d love to get back to reading more. I have a to-be-read list 2 miles long. Before babies I used to average about 100-120 books a year. Now I’m lucky to get around 20! Less TV and less time spent on my phone. Less social media for sure! I’d like to really stick to this blog. There was once upon a time where my dream was to write. Poetry. A novel. A short story. I dreamed of letting the words pour out of me. I put that dream aside, though, just as a lot of people do. Between this blog and my many, many journals, I plan to write as much as I possibly can.
And just to throw something fun and silly in such a serious mix – I’m making a resolution to watch The Office. I’ve never seen a single episode and my Ryan loves it.
Anything else?...
I’m going to continue to find the joy in everything, no matter how big or small. To stay positive. To learn more about myself. A few years ago I heard about the Enneagram through my sister in law – recently I’ve become a lot more interested in my number and why I am the way that I am. I plan to spend some more time digging into it a little more. (I’m a 9 btw. (: ).
Aside from Resolutions I’m praying that this year brings so many of you Joy.
I’m claiming it,
Kristy
