2016 is all said and done and 2017 is
off and running. It’s a time when we all make New Year’s resolutions, keep them
for a few weeks or a few months, if you are lucky. Then beat ourselves up for
not keeping them and move on claiming that next year I will do better. I have
decided that this year there will be no resolutions made, but there will be
promises made to myself. Promises hold more importance to me, they are binding.
The past several years for me have been tough. At the end of every year I say
the same thing, “I am so glad this year is over.” I am tired of feeling like
this. I am not asking for a life void of challenges and heartache, because that
is how we learn and become stronger women, but I do want to look at life with a
different perspective, live my life with a more positive attitude.
This
Christmas, the one present my children wanted was the equipment needed to play
our Super Nintendo that we have had for years. It was the most inexpensive and
appreciated gift of the day. One evening after a very long twelve hour shift, I
walked into our family room to see my oldest son and youngest daughter playing
a game on the Nintendo. Together. No fighting. I collapsed on the couch to
watch this post-Christmas miracle and simply enjoy the moment. Top Gear was the
game they were playing. It is a racing game in which you go as fast as you can
on the straight part, navigate with skill the curves and jumps and try and stay
on the road. You have a gas gage that you must
watch as well, making sure that you have enough fuel to finish the race. There
are opportunities during the race to stop and refuel if you choose to. I sat
and watched as my kids expertly maneuvered through this race. My daughter chose
to stop midway through the race and refuel even though it put her behind her
brother. My son chose to not stop and refuel because of his need to beat his sister.
The last lap they bumped and jockeyed for the lead. My daughter was quiet but
confident in her skills, safe in the knowledge that her fuel was full. My son
spent his last lap frantically watching his fuel drop closer and closer to the
empty line, whoopin and hollerin at his car to just make it to the finish line.
His gamble paid off, he crossed the
finish line first, but by the skin of his teeth. My daughter came in a close
second, but with more than enough fuel for a victory lap. She may have come in
second, but she OWNED that race. My son? That raced owned him.
That game.
That race. I thought about it quite a bit the next few days. THAT is how I want
this next year to be! I don’t want to just end this coming year crawling and
limping over the finish line because I had forgotten to refuel my tank. I want to
make damn sure that I make those pit stops and refuel my tank so that I can
cross that finish line, take a victory lap or two, and jump up on the hood of
that car and confidently proclaim, “I OWNED THIS YEAR!”
I know
saying this is easy, it’s the doing it that I know will be challenging. I am
guilty of not taking the time to refuel my mind, my heart, my body and my soul.
This year will be different. I have promised myself that every single day I will
refuel these important parts of what makes me who I am and will give me the
ability to help care for my family and friends. I will exercise my body so that
I am around for many more years. I will read more, challenge myself to write,
create, and be confident enough to share what I am passionate about. I will
nourish my faith and my spirit. I will nurture and grow those friendships that
are important to me. This year, I will chose me.
What it
all comes down to is this, 2017 will have more fun. More adventures. More
sleep. More laughter. Less negativity. Less stress. More creating. More love.
I’m ready.
Are you?
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