Tomorrow's Wishes

Happy New Year! Cheers!

Wow! I still can't believe it is 2019. I mean I remember when I was partying like it was 1999 and unplugging all the computers before midnight. Nah, not really, but I might have partied like it was 1999, just saying. 

2018 felt like it flew by! So many things in my journal, so many things STILL in my journal. Projects and great ideas left undone. Still haven't taken our dream trip to Portugal. Still haven't figured out a way to retire and pay off our mortgage before we are too old to celebrate it. 

So yeah, January...I'll be another year older and I keep writing some of the same things in my journal year after year. I start to get down on myself. 

When I was younger and complaining about not being able to get my ears pierced, or able to drive yet, or not able to get into the bar (to dance of course!), or whatever, my mom would always say, "Terri, stop wishing your life away, the older you get, the faster it goes." 

Man was she right! If she was still with us on this beautiful Earth I would hug her right now and tell her she was right, and possibly about that one time that I had a party and we drank my dad's mini liquor bottles. (Sorry Dad!) He's not with us anymore either, that's why I'm owning up to it now.  

So now that I'm all grown up, and don't have to sneak the liquor bottles. I still find myself wishing for things. They may have changed slightly. For instance; I wish I am able to live a long and healthy life that allows me to watch my children raise their own kids. I wish we could remodel the kitchen (can you say DOUBLE OVEN! Drool!)  I wish I could sky dive without fear of breaking a hip!  I wish to be debt free, follow my dreams, and be happy right where I am. 

It has kind of come full circle; I've stopped wishing my life away and I am the one telling my kids to stop wishing their lives away. To stop, take a breath, and just be in the moment. Enjoy life, don't let it get the best of you. Focus on being happy right where you are. 

(Insert adorable picture of my youngest daughter kissing me) 

Geesh, when did I become so wise. I mean that sounded like solid advice right?

So why do we continue to put this pressure on ourselves every year. We make these resolutions, write in our journals, make big plans, only to pass through another year realizing, well, perhaps I had too many things on my to do list last year. 

Or life just gets in the way.  Taxes go up, mortgage goes up, and your salary doesn't go up. Can't afford the trip, DIY farm table has to wait, vacation? What's that? Super perfect business idea, nope, didn't happen, looked good on paper though. Stepping out in faith....Whoa! I don't know, that's kind scary! 

So, you find yourself right where you were.

Sure, you ticked a few things off. One graduated, helped two move, home schooling another, husbands surgery was a success, rekindled friendships, made new friends, had lots of fun....but then right back to focusing on the things that didn't get done.

Well, not in 2019 baby! 

In the words of one of the wisest woman that I do not know...

"Be thankful for what you have, you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never have enough." -Oprah

I mean I read that on the Internet, so she must have said it. Either way, those are wise words and to sum it up in one word...GRATEFUL. That is going to be my word, my mantra for this year. To be GRATEFUL for what we have, who we are, and where we are right at this very moment. 

Instead of beating myself up this year I am going to take a moment to reflect on 2018 and what I accomplished, all the good things that happened in my life, and yes even the bad. I am going to take time to celebrate my accomplishments, learn from my mistakes, grow in love, and then....MOVE ON! 

Being GRATEFUL for where I am in this very moment. 

When I log onto my banking website they have a picture of an adorable family smiling and enjoying the moment with these words... "Stop stressing about the checkbook and get back to the storybook" I love that! 

I mean sure, you need money to get through life, but most of the time worrying about it doesn't actually help. And do we really need some of that stuff we have? 

Time to regroup, throw out, purge, organize...one drawer, one closet, one thing at a time. 

Focus on one thing you want to do, then do it. Then focus on another, and do it. Before you know it you will have a year filled with accomplishments. No matter how big or how small, they count! 

It's a New Year and a new YOU! You are not defined my your past mistakes. So stop trying to do that to yourself! You are a beautiful creation. You are worthy. You are Ah-Mazing!