New Years' Resolutions

I am looking at this year as a year of newly acclaimed resolutions.  I am usually struggling with getting my body in shape by constant efforts of healthy food choices and exercising; but I am also making some adjustments concerning my emotional growth.  Pursuing interesting and emotionally pleasing activities is my new mantra.  Surrounding myself with people who only have my best interests in mind comes with more positive growth.

My emotionally balanced activities involved joining an art journaling group which has proven to be very therapeutic for me.  I am going to continue with this process.  I thoroughly enjoy the company at the monthly sessions.  Producing beautiful art journal pages that speak to what my growth process is not only therapeutic; but also enlightening.  I have addressed positive messages such as humor and messages about what is important to me.  I completed two pages about exploring my creativity and addressing my issues with age.  Older people can be creative and there are many famous people who have done so when they were in their 70s and 80s.  I am in my 50s so yes I can be very creative and pursue many venues to do so.

Some of the messages I want to live by in 2014:

“Don’t let the fear of striking out hold you back.”  Babe Ruth

“Friends are the Sunshine of life. “ John Hays

“Be yourself.  An original is always worth more than a copy.  Powerofpositively.com

The Soul Always knows what to do to heal itself. The challenge is to silence the mind.”  Lessons Learned in Life

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything.  What we think, we become.” Buddha

“How people treat you is their karma, how you react is yours.”  Wayne W. Dyer

“Think about where you’re going and never mind where you’ve been.” Abraham Hicks

“Maybe you have to know the darkness before you can appreciate the light.” Madeline L’Engle

“To acquire true self power you have to feel beneath no one, be immune to criticism and be fearless.”  Deepak Chopra

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”  Nelson Mandela

“Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you desire for the present.”  Jim Rohn

“Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.”  Ronald E. Osborn

“Close some doors not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because they no longer lead somewhere.”  Paulo Coelho

“Not everyone will appreciate what you do for them. You have to figure out who’s worth your kindness and who’s just taking advantage.”  rawforbeauty.com

          Food for thought. 

On the negative note, I have discovered there are some people in my life who want to take advantage of me and do not have my best interests in mind.  One in particular has been extremely self-serving and she has done a lot of things to cause harm to me.  I have set my boundaries concerning this relationship.  She is angry with me because it is usually about her and only her.  How dare I stand up to her and say no to her demands. I felt like a huge weight was lifted from my chest. This person actually told me she was running me down again to others when she was trying to bully me into jumping through her hoops.  I am not buying into any of her sick games anymore.  It is time for me and I informed that person it is time for me.  She wants me to cater to her demands, things she can easily do for herself.      

I am finishing two books and getting them ready for publication.  One of the books is almost completed. It is a self help book addressing historical trauma. This book has served as a major catharsis for me. The other has also opened so many doors for me.  I have learned so much while working on this book such as what was behind the 1836 Treaty of Washington, about the Snowshoe Priest and about the Council of Three Fires.  When I was attending elementary school history was taught by rote learning, learning a bunch of dates without establishing any meaning associated with these dates such as when wars occurred. I wasn’t interested in history; but now I am thoroughly interested and explore it all the time.  I am learning about the history of this country my way. 

          My relationship with my spouse has blossomed considerably.  He is my best friend.  How lucky am I?  We have so many common interests and like most relationships that thrive, we also have separate interests also.  He’s not artsie; but he loves to volunteer at the shelter with me and shares my love of animals and he loves the outdoors like I do. 

          My current mantras  for 2014 involve gratitude, exploring my creative side, expanding my knowledge about history and pursue additional things enhancing my emotional well-being.  I love my life, the bumps and the great things, even the people who have been awful to me. There are lessons abound. I am blessed with a loving husband, great animals and wonderful people who provide support for me while I travel on my life journey.