Give It A Year

I'm of the minority, but I loved 2016. I achieved my life long dream. I spoke to my family almost every single day on the phone. I moved 60 seconds away from a frozen yogurt place. But the year wasn't free of challenges; especially toward the end. And while "another year" doesn't mean there's some scientific change in the air, I welcome the opportunity to audit how I'm going to do life moving forward. Three thoughts:

Make Mentally Sound Decisions.

The nature of my life (re: crazy) means I'm near-constantly making decisions. From what to eat for lunch, to what word to type next, to what seat to select on an airplane. But as of late, decisions have felt more complicated and complex than ever, which makes me want to do nothing at all. So, in 2017 I will no longer worry about making the "right" decision or the "wrong" decision. And when a decision feels "hard" or "sad" I will push through and make the choice that causes the least impact on my mental soundness. 

Deal with Negativity Appropriately.

When someone brings negativity into a situation, I circle around like a Life Flight coming in for landing. I immediately ask: What can I do? How can I help? What can I change about myself? No more. Negativity is what happens when someone cannot process challenge. It is not my job, it is not my bag to pick up, it is not my cause to take on to figure out the way. It is my empathy that is needed. So in 2017, I will protect my most valuable resources - problem solving, true compassion, charity - for when they are thoughtfully needed, and I will exercise empathy more freely than before.

Dismiss Fear.

I was with a friend recently and caught myself saying, "I would do THIS, but what if THAT." Translation: "I would [do this thing that makes total sense], but what if [something uncomfortable happens]." I was letting fear, some inanimate object that doesn't even exist in the universe as an actual situation, dictate my actions. When I saw it like that, I became repulsed. I'm stronger than that, and I know it. So, in 2017 I will acknowledge my fears, but then I will dismiss them and I will just DO. I will write the sex scene into the book. I will travel to the place I've always wanted to go. I will not apologize for being myself. 

How about you?