“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”

— Marcus Aurelius

Do you ever feel like you just need to drop out of everyday life for a short break??? Not that everyday life is bad, but sometimes it’s nice to just “go dark” so to speak!! To stay close to home and enjoy some rest and relaxation.

That’s what I’ve been doing with Darin, Cole and Chase since Christmas and WOW has it felt amazing!!! A chance to do a whole lot of nothing much!! We’ve slept in, watched movies, gone out for lunch, read, gone bowling and watched Cole’s varsity basketball team (Kaneland) play in the Plano holiday tournament. I’ve been able to run in the day light (rather than at 5am in the dark!), go to the gym anytime I want and spend lots of time with my favorite son, Oakley. The one who doesn’t talk back, still snuggles with me and wears his polka dotted, Christmas bow tie without complaining. Haha!!! Funny but true. See photo below.

Ahhhh…….the break is nice and I’m very grateful!!! It’s giving me time to reflect on 2013 and to start planning for 2014. Such a treat!!

How about you?? What would you like to have happen the new year?? Have you had a chance to really think about it?? Do you have weight goals you’d like to achieve? Activity goals maybe?? Like walk a 5k or sign up to run a race? How about time management goals?? Maybe finding more time for the things that are important to you? What are your dreams and priorities for 2014?

I don’t think I’m speaking only for myself when I say everyday life is hectic and we don’t often get to just “BE”. Multi tasking is a way of life for many of us and we work diligently to do everything that needs to be done while still trying to take care of ourselves. It’s not necessarily bad and I’m not complaining. I’m just making an observation. That being said, I do have a suggestion……

What if we could set aside some quiet time just for ourselves as we kick off 2014? I’m talking about some time to relax, clear your mind and just listen. Time to pay attention to the thoughts of what you want to have happen in the new year as they come to you. When our minds are racing and we are thinking of all the things we need to get done during the day, we go on auto pilot and it’s easy to miss the still small voice within. That’s the voice of our true self and paying attention to it is what keeps us on track in the BIG picture. If we tune it out, life becomes all about….only about… running errands and making lists of to-do’s and we virtually forget what is most important to us in life.

I realize quiet time alone is a luxury, but I’m hoping that with New Year’s Day being a holiday, maybe we can all make it a priority to allocate the time for ourselves.

Let’s all start 2014 off with strength AND grace. Give yourself the gift of TIME. A chance to rest, to dream, to contemplate.
“Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all is a form of planning.” -Gloria Steinem

Stay warm!! The temps are dropping and they say more snow is coming. Nothin’ like winter in Chicagoland!!! Let’s make the most of it!!

All is well!

Terra:-)