Resolutions…

Make Them!

Happy New Year! Can you believe we made it through 2020? Seriously, what was that?! As we move into a new year, we tend to be full of hopes and dreams. We are ready to finally do that big thing we’ve been talking about for forever, or lose those last ten pounds, or drink more water!

We start the year by stating our “New Year’s Resolutions” and going hard in the paint with them for a solid 4-6 weeks. Then, we are over it, and we give up. I think we are all probably guilty of this to some degree, I know I am! I’ve been actively resolving to get hydrated for about five years now.

The definition of resolution is “a firm decision to do or not do something.” FIRM. For most of us, it’s more of a soft idea that we might do something for a bit! You might already know that I think goal setting is super important. I think we should always be moving forward, and I will stand by that statement forever! I encourage you to make your resolutions and stick to them! I want you to give it your all, and, if you aren’t hydrated by the end of January guess what, there’s always February!

Try not to look at the end goal and look at what’s right in front of you today, tomorrow, this week, and make the best of that time at that moment. We should all know where we want to go, but sometimes we forget about the steps it takes to get there. Write down your resolution, or your big goal at the bottom of a piece of paper, then go back to the top and start listing all the little things you need to do to get there. Those are the things that make each day a step forward, each day a victory!

Please keep those New Year hopes and dreams alive, they are what will get us through another unpredictable year! 

Togetherness…

This holiday season, or lately every season possible, we find ourselves longing for togetherness. Maybe even craving it. Yet, we are told by “the powers that be” to social distance, limit the number of people at family gatherings, or just stay home.

If you are like me, being surrounded by family and friends between Thanksgiving and New Years’ is like some kind of unexplainable high. It really gets me in the feels. The holidays don’t seem right without the hustle and bustle, being in rooms full of people I love, and THE HUGS. I really miss the hugs!

Throughout the last ten months, we have had to learn new ways to be together. Thank God for Zoom and FaceTime! We are being taught, forcefully, that being together is important, it’s necessary, but there are many ways to do it.

Maybe we call our loved ones more, send them well wishes through handmade cards, maybe our birthday parties are through a screen or waving from the front porch…but we are together. More importantly, we value being together.

The quality of time together is better. It reiterates even more that we only have this one life, these are uncertain times, take risks, move forward, be brave, be still and know, and eat the gravy! I hope you all find ways to be together this holiday season, and remember to reach out to those struggling with loneliness! 

Gravy…

Why wouldn’t you? I’ll take that and that and everything else with a side of gravy, please and thank you. I wanted to change my thoughts up this month because everything around me feels so heavy. I needed something to feel lighter, so here we are.

The thing is, though, gravy doesn’t make anything lighter! It literally makes everything you put it on…heavier! Let’s take a moment to think about some of our favorite things to cover in gravy.

The obvious (and my least favorite) mashed potatoes. Seriously, what a waste of good carb intake. Blah! If I have to eat them, there better be some damn good peppered white gravy available.

Chicken fried steak… c’mon. I don’t know if it gets any better than country gravy on fried meat.

Just kidding, biscuits! My oldest child’s all-time favorite meal is biscuits and gravy. We eat it so often for dinner that she just recently learned it’s actually a breakfast dish and her mind was blown.

I don’t want to leave out brown gravy, as it does have purposes…I think. Oh yes, Poutine. That’s it, the only dish I love with brown gravy.

I’ll end with my absolute favorite dish including gravy and a piece of friendly advice that I like to share around this time of year.

The dish; the bottom of a very large biscuit, some meat (sausage or chicken fried steak), cheese, an over-easy fried egg, and a large amount of country gravy. Are you drooling? I am.

Here’s my advice, you can’t trust someone who diets during the holidays. If you’re in that wonderful food line and you see someone counting things like calories, macros, carbs, and avoiding the dessert table… keep your distance. ;)

Movement…

We are all in a constant state of movement. Whether it’s our bodies physically moving, or the constant motion of our lives. For me, I try to make sure that my body moves a little extra everyday. I work out regularly, choose the stairs, park farther away from the door, all on purpose and all to keep my body and mind healthy. The kind of movement I want to talk about, though, is life movement. There are three directions our lives can be moving.

One, is forward, and this is the best direction possible, it means you are headed in the right direction and usually towards happiness. It’s important to know, that you don’t have to be sprinting! Every step forward, no matter how slow or small, is a step towards greatness. Maybe for you, it’s a promotion at work, a goal you’ve been trying to achieve, peace of mind, or even just a healthier happier life. Keep moving forward!

Moving backward, the worst direction can really feel like you’re being drug through life. It’s heavy, bogs you down, sucks the joy out of your life, and usually feels there is no end in sight. There is an end though, it’s that one baby step FORWARD that you CHOOSE to take.

The last direction is lateral. These movements can be positive or negative and that’s usually determined by perspective. Is it a lateral movement that could someday get you closer to where you want to be? Or a lateral movement that you take because you’re trying to “sidestep” something? It’s okay to step sideways here and there, but not okay to make a habit out of it. That’s called complacency. 

My hope for you is that you’re moving physically to keep yourself healthy and that your life is moving forward towards whatever it is you want. Take a step sideways if you must, but don’t ever stop moving! 

Movement…

We are all in a constant state of movement. Whether it’s our bodies physically moving, or the constant motion of our lives. For me, I try to make sure that my body moves a little extra everyday. I work out regularly, choose the stairs, park farther away from the door, all on purpose and all to keep my body and mind healthy. The kind of movement I want to talk about, though, is life movement. There are three directions our lives can be moving.

One, is forward, and this is the best direction possible, it means you are headed in the right direction and usually towards happiness. It’s important to know, that you don’t have to be sprinting! Every step forward, no matter how slow or small, is a step towards greatness. Maybe for you, it’s a promotion at work, a goal you’ve been trying to achieve, peace of mind, or even just a healthier happier life. Keep moving forward!

Moving backward, the worst direction can really feel like you’re being drug through life. It’s heavy, bogs you down, sucks the joy out of your life, and usually feels there is no end in sight. There is an end though, it’s that one baby step FORWARD that you CHOOSE to take.

The last direction is lateral. These movements can be positive or negative and that’s usually determined by perspective. Is it a lateral movement that could someday get you closer to where you want to be? Or a lateral movement that you take because you’re trying to “sidestep” something? It’s okay to step sideways here and there, but not okay to make a habit out of it. That’s called complacency. 

My hope for you is that you’re moving physically to keep yourself healthy and that your life is moving forward towards whatever it is you want. Take a step sideways if you must, but don’t ever stop moving!