When the Lights Go Down...

Day 5 of the new year already! My...where is the time going!

The Christmas season is behind us and soon it will be time to take down the tree and decorations...it will be sad to see the lights come down :( I trust that we not only received, but also gave a gift to someone in need...whether it was a smile, a hug, a phone call, an email or a warm meal. If you can afford to give monetary gifts, great but sometimes the best things in life are free and makes all the difference in the world. And it doesn't have to end at Christmas time, it would mean a lot if we can also extend this spirit of giving throughout the year.

photo credit - hdpaperwall.com

The new year is a great time to re-evaluate our connections with others. I'm sure every now and then we do a mental checklist of the persons we hold dear to our hearts. I've seen my connections on social media even announce a "spring cleaning" from time to time as they go through their "friends list" to see who makes the cut! I'm sure we are all guilty of that at some point. 

The time may come for us to sever ties with people who we think are not genuine or do not bring the right energy to our lives and indeed this is a sensible thing to do. Negative energy can only serve to cause us to lose faith and confidence in our goals and abilities, weaken our drive and deter us from our purpose and that's something we can all do without.

A friend reminded me tonight that not everybody that you talk to or who even supported you in the past will be truly happy for you. I've known this for quite some time, yet I try to ignore and act like business as usual. The way I look at it somewhere along the line, something you say or do may positively affect or influence someone else and vice versa. Out of the 95% discarded thoughts, feelings, emotions, words and other drama...one can certainly put aside one's personal feelings, fears and prejudices to stay open to the lessons or shared experiences with one another. 

We were having a conversation about sharing personal content on social media and also writing on the whole. Though not everyone will comment, it's good to know how I can improve my artform....that's all part of being a good listener and writer. You can't possibly listen to everything everyone says without losing your voice, but you can take what rings true to you and discard the rest or perhaps put it away for later use. After all, it's not about writing in a vacuum just for one's personal use...writing as with all the arts is for other people to enjoy and benefit.

Many people have been inspiring me and I need to accelerate and refocus my game plan for this year. I have so many things to do and I need to schedule my tasks and make timelines for achievement...otherwise time will just elude me and we don't want that! Task #1 starting tomorrow....I need to continue full speed ahead with my second book. I think I've been enjoying the sister isle a wee bit too much since I haven't been devoting as much time as I hoped for the past year.

January is going great so far and I'm thinking it can only get better. Spending quality time with family and friends I haven't seen in a long time was the perfect end to the holidays. I also got my workout regimen in place and I am determined to accomplish my fitness goals for 2014. My legs thank me after my two hour session at the gym yesterday...the soreness lets me know that I did something right! A little more cardio, then I am good to go...I can get rid of those extra pounds I put on during the holidays:) Sometimes company makes all the difference. 

Do you have any diet and fitness goals for the new year? What about lessons learnt in 2013 that you want to put in place in 2014? Please share!

Hope the weather is treating you right where you are and that you are keeping warm.

Until next time...

Cheers~