2016 is done. DONE. What seemed like the longest year ever has packed its bags, hit the road, and is gone for good. While the year overall certainly wasn’t a good one, good things came of it. It’s important to remember to mentally check off and log the daily small victories so when a year like 2016 hits, we can keep our grace and wits about us. There’s a post floating around on Pinterest right now about writing down one small thing that made you smile everyday and putting it in a mason jar or box to read over when the year closes. While this idea, in my opinion,  is awesome… I’d much rather write it all out here. First off, I’ve got to get this out-of-the-way…. Bye 2016! I’d say it’s been fun… but it hasn’t.

2017. Day 3. So far so good! Thus far I’ve gotten up every morning with a smile on my face and as I prepare for the day, thoughts of gratitude fill my mind. We’re taught from a very young age that nothing is perfect and this year will be no different. I don’t expect 2017 to be all sunshine and butterflies. Frankly, I’d be terrified if it went perfectly but not for the reasons you’d think. Nope, no ‘other shoe’ here. This ‘terrified’ I speak of would stem more from the basic idea that with the good comes the bad… okay… yeah… so I guess maybe sorta like the other shoe. Rather, if we didn’t know pain or sadness or stress.. how would we then be able to discern comfort, happiness, and calm? That’s the point I’m trying to get to. Countless experts in the field recommend to coin your motto for your goals or your year. This year is my year to #slay. I suppose they recommend this so you can use your motto as a word of affirmation, or inspiration to keep pushing through when things are mucky and less than desirable. I digress, I’m already #slaying it and will continue to do so. I don’t wake up to be mediocre and if I’m already up, hell, I might as well shine! I threw out the negativity, second guessing, and self-doubt along with the trash. The garbage man has come and it’s gone along with 2016. Bam.

If you’re anything like me and have issues with getting up in the morning.. *ahem* try this little trick out next time the dreaded alarm clock starts begging to be murdered. When your eyes open, typically out of wtf?! due to the alarm… switch that bad boy to snooze for five minutes and spend that time laying there, eyes closed if you want, and try to visualize your day. Not just all the tasks and everything you have to accomplish, rather, I’m talking about visualizing something good happening. Call it imagination, make-believe, whatever… don’t care. Just do it. (Thanks, Nike!) Start small… imagine finding $5 in the parking lot, or a rando hottie holding the door for you, or having the person in line ahead of you at Scooter’s Coffee pay for your drink. It doesn’t take much effort at all to create these fragmented thoughts but the payoff is huge! Not only will you get in the habit of thinking positive, but the more you focus on the good, the more it happens. Law of attraction for the win! Manifest what you want and let go of all the other piddly stuff. Wrap up all of the anxious what-if thoughts, negativity, and self-doubt. Put it in a pretty little box with a bow on it and give it a kiss to send it off for good. Now let it go. It’s gone.

Ciao,

Morgan