The Gratitude Project - 2010

Happy New Year!  I cannot believe that we are upon 2010.  Sitting her on New Year's Eve, it hit me how much has happened in my life over the past 10 year.  10 years ago, I was celebrating my first New Year's Eve as a married woman.  Who knew that in the 10 years to follow I would buy a great first house, give birth to 2 great children, continue to work at the job that I had just started, travel to Europe, get involved in 3 different businesses, open my very own business, close my business, start another new business with a friend, survive 10 years of marriage, met new friends, said goodbye to some people who I thought were friends, adopted my first pet, lost my mind, celebrated some of the greatest times in my life, found myself, lost myself, gained more weight than I wanted, laughed a lot and cried a lot.  In the midst of it all, I learned a lot about me (some things that I like and some things that I do not like).  

They say that as you get older, time goes by much faster.  Well, it is true. The past 10 years have flown by faster than I could have ever imagined.  I realize now that it is so important to be present in your own life.  No matter how crazy things get, we only have so much time, so we need to laugh and enjoy it.  I can say that I have really become a worry wart and many times forget to stop and smell the roses.

So, this year, I am starting the year feeling a little bit wiser and ready to face this crazy world.  I realize that I am very blessed and very fortunate and need to take more time to appreciate that.

I am going to be participating in something called "Project 365".  I will be taking at least one photo each day of something that inspires me.  I have LOVED photography since I took my first photography class in high school.  It has been something that has been a major part of my life for a long time.  By doing this, I hope to be able to stop and appreciate things more as well as document the year with some really great photos.  Attached is the first photo of the new year.  It is of my Christmas tree.  I LOVE Christmas and totally enjoyed sitting on my couch watching a movie after everyone was asleep.  There is nothing better than the glow of Christmas lights!  I live for this time of year!

I also plan to change this blog of mine into a bit of a "gratitude" project.  I plan to look around a bit more and learn to pick at least one positive in each of my days.  Over the past years, I have found it very easy to wallow in the days of being a working mom, wife, and friend.  I many times have found it easier to be a "glass half empty" kind of person (as I have mentioned in some of my other blogs).  This year, I am going to try to change this!  

I don't know if anyone out there will ever read any of this, but I am inspired to keep writing and to write every day about the good things in life.  I hope to see a gradual change and improvement in myself over time.  Happy New Year and cheers to 2010! 

No longer the doormat

Ok, so today is not starting off the way I had hoped.  In fact, that has been the "story" of my life for the past few years.  However, today is the day that I change that story and rewrite it to the one that I want it to be.

I was recently reading the blog of a fellow Heritage Maker and was so inspired by how she was writing about living life out loud!  With my birthday fast approaching, I think that I am ready to make some changes and do the same!  I think that I have been doing a great job of living the kind of life that those around me want, but it is my turn to live the life that I want to live as well!  

I think that as a mom, a wife, a teacher, a woman, we get stuck in the ruts of life that leave us drained from all that we do to make sure that others are taken care of.  I love to do things for others.  As a matter of fact, nothing makes me happier!  However, the part about being true to myself is where I need a little bit of work!  Why is it so hard to let those who have "walked all over you" know?  

So, here is to New Year's Resolutions a bit early!  Today is a new day and it is going to be a great one!  I look forward to rewriting my story and being so proud of it in the end!!

New Year - New Things!

Happy New Year!  As I look back on 2008, it was a very interesting year. A lot of good came from the year, but a lot of craziness also took place.  My goal for this year is to always take a step back.  I realize (as I am sure many others have before me!) that worrying about everything does not necessarily change the situation.  With all of the hardships that people are facing, I plan to simplify and spend more quality time with my family teaching them to simplify as well.

I know, I know.  We all start out with good intentions and the next thing you know we are back off the wagon (just like the diet that I started yesterday!  I am already into the chocolate!) However, I feel like if I don't really work on this resolution, I am not only failing myself, but my kids too!

I am so fortunate to have met some really great ladies who have started a social network on ning.  We are called WNY moms.  I am going to be doing a blog with tips for dealing with education and creative ideas for kids.  The other ladies are all doing other blogs with great tips on how to go green, organization, recipes and more.  I look forward to learning from others this year and connecting more with other moms.  That has been difficult for me since so many of the people that I know do not yet have kids.  While I love all of my kidless friends to death, I sometimes find it hard for them to relate to the stuff that is stressing me out.  They are my continued support though in getting out and doing other things that help me to stay me!