new years resolutions: 2014

(Image Source)

Just as I did last year, it's now the time for me to declare 2014 resolutions. I must say it's exciting for me to see this blog come full circle. Once again, I begin the yearly cycle. Before I ecstatically charge ahead, let's look back at how I did last year. In 2013 I set out on missions of kindness and self reflection. In some areas I held strong where in others I weaned off. I have to say that my yoga practice was pivotal. What would I do without that mat and those minutes set aside? Not only is my body stronger, but it also helped me become more accepting, the other side to my yearly mission. I've always been fairly open-minded, but sometimes my head would jump to judgement before I could stop it. Through deep breathing and a shift in mentality that sort of fell out of the picture. 

But what did I learn from it? Why be more accepting? By opening myself to more people I was able to see life through thick and thin. Life happens, we all choose our paths, but what it comes down to is love. You have to love people despite of what they are because that is all that will make things better.

Love towards a stranger presents itself in the form of a smile. Love towards a friend is accepting. And romantic love gives our souls safety. It's a place to retreat when things get hard, and a place to grow and be all that we're able. If you can love everyone around you, in whatever form, then the world will present itself in full force. I've found that rich experiences are more likely to come your way, and life takes on a quality that is much more fulfilling, positive, and happy. Love will always win.

Onto 2014, shall we?

(source: 1 // 2)

My New Years Resolutions - 2014

The Year of Sustainability

Here it is, guys, the year that I decide to lower my impact. I already eat mostly local and organic, I recycle, and I have LED light bulbs, but I also drive a car, shop like crazy, and use a washing machine. It's time to push myself to do better. I've laid out a few rules to get me started, and each month I'll be focusing on a new area of life to see how I can make it more environmentally friendly. 

RULES

1. I will not buy any brand new clothes except shoes and underwear. Vintage and second hand apparel is fine, but I want to avoid consuming new goods, and instead focus on recycling. 

2. I am no longer allowed to drive to work unless I am bringing the dog. Public transportation and my bike it is. 

3. If I can buy it locally, I am not allowed to order it online. When I purchase an item at a brick and mortar location, I figure resources are more economized in transporting it to my doorstep. Not to mention, I can find local producers who are working in an environmentally green way, and I can support them and the local economy. 

I promise not to turn into a smelly weirdo that no-one can relate to. Part of my goal is to show that we don't have to sacrifice who we are to lower our impact. I can't wait to share the ride with everyone, so be sure to follow along.

Happy New Year, Everyone!

new years resolutions: 2013

I like New Years resolutions. I say that now because I've finally discovered the right kind to make. I used to be like everyone else, "I'm going to do yoga two times a week, run four, and lift weights two!," or, "No more desserts!" But these are all wrong. Resolutions should be about an idea, something that you want to work to integrate into your life. Not something that's a final and drastic change. 

For example, at the year's close last year I was reading a lot about ancient Chinese medicine and the idea of yin and yang. I became obsessed with the concept of balance (still am) and decided to make 2012 a year dedicated to bringing more of it into my life. This didn't require an immediate overhaul. It was something gradual that I did here and there, and for the first time, I'm happy to say that I stuck with it. 

As balance is something that spans across all of life's aspects, it's tough to say that I'm now a completely balanced person as we head into 2013. What I can say is that after a year of thinking about it, I now understand at least what it is. Balance isn't about always feeling the same way or preserving some state of being. It's about having an equilibrium of opposites: busy/relaxed, happy/sad, etc. etc. You have to sometimes accept the way something is in that moment. It might be crazy busy, but remember that it will pass and there will come a time when you're completely relaxed and life is slow again. You also have to recognize what you need. If in fact it has been a crazy week and a group of your friends are all going out, but you feel like you need to slow down for a minute to get your things in order, then do that! If there's too much yang, do what you can to add some yin. It takes listening to yourself and breaking away from outside pressures to understand and give yourself what it is you need for balance. 

My attention to balance will only be brought forward through this year's resolutions. Below I've listed out what I'll be in search of in 2013. You will see that one is a quest for more personal reflection. You cannot have balance without it. And so now I'm thinking of balance in a new way, self understanding and remaining tuned in.

(Image Source 1, 2)

My New Years Resolutions - 2013

Kindness & Compassion

(outward)

The goal of this years quest for more kindness and compassion is to become less self-oriented. It's about connecting to others and becoming an expression of kindness - adding light rather than darkness to this world. I want to lead a selfless and community-oriented life in what little ways I can. To do so, there will be two main ways in which I think about it:

1. Judgement - How often I find myself judging others. I want to work toward positive thoughts, coming from a place of love rather than judgement. Who cares what someone's wearing or what photos they instagramed, everyone's a person, and I want to be more accepting. 

2. Sacrifice - Giving up my own needs for others more often. Volunteering my time, giving donations, and sharing what I have despite what it means I might have to go without.

Personal Reflection

(inward)

I want to focus more on personal reflection in 2013 as a way to work on myself. I think it's important to never stop improving, and I hope to become more mindful, purposeful, happy and healthy through increased personal reflection. This will populate into many areas, but two main ways in which I plan to find more personal reflection are:

1. Tarot - Whether it is "real" or not, tarot is a great way to take a step back and reflect on your life. I want to get a tarot journal to record all of my readings. I also want to begin pulling a card a day, and reflecting on its significance in the journal. If I miss a day, it's ok, but I'd like to try to do it as often as possible!

2. Yoga - I plan to amp up my yoga in 2013 and really dive in! It's always been a great way for me to take a step back and understand myself and all that's going on around me. I have a pretty steady weekly practice, but I'd like to try for even more. I feel like I'm on a tipping point where all I need is to do yoga more often. To kick things off I will do yoga for at least 30 minutes every day in January, and then take it from there. There's nothing like a good cleansing challenge to start off the New Year.

Memories

As something fun, I got a jar to house all of my favorite memories from 2013. When great things happen, things that I never want to forget, I plan to write them down on a little piece of paper with the date. Later when I get the chance, I'll stick them into the jar so that I can have fun reading them all next New Years day. 

Well, that's all. Now lets see if I can do it!

Happy 2013!!

eve

Have an amazing New Years everyone!

--

Image sources and more New Years inspiration here