During one of my fever induced sleepless nights, I began to
craft my annual list of - dum, dum, dum –New Year’s Resolutions. I know what
you’re thinking. Why bother? No one follows through on these crazy lists
anyway. I will admit that I have not been very successful in the past in adhering to my aspirations, but this small detail
is not going to stop me from trying once again. ;)
Are you ready? Here goes nothing!
Live each day with
gratitude
This is one I promise to do EVERY year and while I think
I’ve made a vast improvement, I still have a long way to go. I’m an insanely
lucky person. I have an amazing husband, two adorable and charming boys, a close-knit
family and many, many wonderful friends. I would do quite well to remember this
rather than becoming mired down in all the annoyances of every-day life. All
that frowning only adds to my wrinkles! As a reminder, I have slapped the word
gratitude all over my house (Repetition is key, y’all!) and squealed with joy
when I found this awesome shirt.
Share the love
Just over nine years ago, I lost my mother in a tragic
accident. I lived the following year in such anger – wondering what I had done
to deserve such a fate. I worried constantly if she knew how much I loved her. Did
she know what an amazing mother she was? Did she have any idea how grateful I
was for all of her sacrifices? From this day forward, if you mean something to
me, you’ll hear about it. Sure, I may achieve stalker status, but at least if I
get hit by a bus tomorrow, I’ll have no doubts that everyone knew how I felt.
Be outside more
Who doesn’t like a good bout of sunshine? It just makes you
feel better. Aside from the scientific explanation (Some sort of biochemical
something or other…I used to be smart!), donning a pair of shades and taking a
moment to survey the gorgeous landscape around you will lift your spirits
considerably. Not to mention, taking you away from the stress of your laptop,
tablet and/or phone for just a few minutes. You will survive being unplugged
for this miniscule amount of time, I promise!
Take my kids to more
fun places.
I’m not just talking about museums. Sure, museums and other
educational fare are wonderful learning opportunities, but I also want my boys
to have fun. That’s right. F-U-N! We all need more laughter in our lives. I
want my babies to have hours and hours of happy memories to play over in their
minds when I’m gone. In fact, while you’re reading this post, I’m off playing
indoor glow-in-the-dark mini golf! Woohoo!
Exercise more
Physical activity makes you feel good! Endorphins, baby! And
let’s not forget the gorgeous side effects. My good friend, Deepa, (otherwise
known as Maya from my French Twist series) was telling me the other day that
she plans to tone her body a la Jennifer Lopez in 2015. And why not? I plan to
go on with my bad self and follow her example!
Blog more
I have tons of musings in my mind; why not share them? And
if I try really hard, I can be quite funny. J
This year I plan spend more time writing amusing tales for you to read rather
than obsessing over every last word. You’ll forgive a typo or two, won’t you?
Live in the moment
My mind is always fifty steps ahead of my body, resulting in
endless lists playing through my consciousness as I go through my day. Just the
other day, I was reading a book with my little one and I kept finding my mind
wandering to my ever present task inventory. Again I had to remind myself of
the proverbial bus – if it were to hit me tomorrow, I would like to think I
cherished every moment I had with my loved ones instead of fussing over the
little things. Enough said.
Dance like nobody is
watching
I know it’s a cliché. It’s the ultimate cliché. But that
doesn’t mean it isn’t awesome! Dancing is one of my favorite things to do. My
boys and I will run into the kitchen, fire up the MP3 player and listen to
everything from Annoying Orange to Katy Perry. I bust out my favorite Billy
Joel tunes and they beg for Bon Jovi and Usher. The mood is light, the smiles
are plentiful and we always invent a few new dance moves!
Snuggle my babies
I’m honestly not sure if it’s possible to hug and kiss my
boys more than I do, but I plan to try! They’re growing up so quickly and
before I know it, my attempts to cuddle with them will be met with an eye roll
and a whiny, “Mom! Stooooop!” Carpe diem!
Worry less
OK, this is the BIG one. If you’ve read my books, you’re
quite familiar with the, um, heightened state of worry exhibited my alter ego,
Sydney Durand (née Bennett). That ain’t no fairy tale, folks. I’ve been known to
exude anxiety from every single pore of my being. And while I like to think
it’s part of my charm, the delusion has begun to wear off. (There’s nothing
like a few book reviews mentioning the crazy-with-a-capital “C” main character
in your books to make you think!)
Instead of my endless obsession with the “what ifs” of every-day life, I plan to use this energy towards something much more positive. Like, learning to knit! Or perfecting my French! Conversations with my in-laws are rather few and far between based on my limited vocabulary. (Most of my words are food related. Go figure!)
Find my inspiration
There’s much writing to be done this year, y’all! I have
just begun the second round of edits on the third and final book in my French
Twist series, French Fry, AND I plan to write my first complete work of
fiction. Writing a series based on my life hasn’t been easy, but at least I had
the main plot points outlined for me. Now I must wrangle the ideas in my head
into a mythical Chick Lit adventure. Wish me luck!
So, there you have it. My list of things to aspire to in
2015. Got resolutions? I would love to hear about them! We can be resolution
buddies! I with you all the best in the coming year and am looking forward to
hearing more from you! Don’t be a stranger!
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