Happy 2019 everyone!  I love January.  I love fresh starts to a new year.  I will admit, I was happy to bid farewell to 2018.  Mentally, it was a very challenging year.  I was working through my grief, experiencing a year of “firsts” without my dad, as well as dealing with some devastating issues in my personal life which left me feeling defeated, un-worthy of grace and betrayed by friends that I considered family.

What I did to work through all of that, though, made me feel proud, strong and worthy again.  I even amazed myself with my results!

I channeled all of my grief, all of my heartbreak, and all of my hurt into something positive…into falling in love with myself again.  Falling in love with taking care of my body.  Falling in love with taking care of my mental well-being.  Falling in love with nourishing my body, both physically and spiritually.  Making myself a priority for the first time in YEARS!  Realizing that taking better care of myself would allow me to take better care of my family.  Easier said than done for a giver like myself.

On January 1st of last year, I started to walk.  A simple, one mile walk to the stop sign and back.  I would walk and pray.  Sometimes I would walk and cry.  I would walk and storm the heavens for answers.  Sometimes hearing them, sometimes not.  It was such a mental release for me.  So much so, that I began to crave it.  Then I began to walk farther, and more often.  Each time, working through another piece of the healing puzzle.  Days turned into weeks that turned into months and before I knew it, I was healing.  My body was healing, my mind was healing, and my broken heart was healing.

I began to “clean out” the things that were not healthy for me, both physically and mentally.  Physically, I cleaned out all the junk food.  I cut out all the processed food.  I began my real food journey.  Mentally, I cleaned out toxic relationships.  I let go of negative thoughts and unhealthy behaviors.

Over the Christmas break I was out to dinner with a dear friend who asked me if I had a “word” for 2019.  Hmmmm, I did not.  But it got me thinking.  So that night I went home and examined my weaknesses and prayed about what my word for 2019 should be.  I texted her the next morning saying, “I’ve got it!  I know what my word for 2019 is going to be!”

FOCUS.  My word is FOCUS.

FOCUS on my faith.  FOCUS on my family.  FOCUS on my loyal friends.  FOCUS my energy in positive place only.  FOCUS on taking care of my body.  FOCUS on my health.  FOCUS on my joy.  FOCUS on my blessings.  FOCUS on being grateful.  FOCUS on being content with what I have.

FOCUS MY EYES ON GOD!

I feel that when you incorporate a word into your life, it becomes so much more that just a “resolution.”  It has more significance, more meaning, thereby causing you to live your life with purpose!  Especially when you can incorporate your word into so many different areas of your life.

Do you have a word for 2019?  It’s not too late!  I would love to hear about it.  What is your purpose?  What areas of your life are you needing to strengthen?  Are you needing to let go of the negative energy that is weighing you down?  Letting go can be extremely difficult.  We often stay in our same patterns simply because that is all we know.  And let’s be honest…change is scary.  Especially when it comes to something we poured our heart and soul into.  When something does not work out, whether it be a friendship, or job opportunity, etc, it often causes us to question ourselves, to doubt our worthiness, to feel like failures.  But it is like I told my daughter when she experienced a HUGE disappointment at school this year, “Life is not always fair.  Things do not always go our way.  Good, qualified, hard-working people get passed over all the time.  And unfortunately, this won’t be the last time.  The only thing you can control is how you choose to handle yourself during the disappointment and I pray that you will handle yourself with grace.  Keep your chin up, be respectful, have a great attitude and MOVE ON.  Do not dwell on how things turned out.  This is a life lesson, and yes, they are hard.  But they are making you stronger and giving you character and resilience…And THAT will take you far my sweet daughter.”

I hope and pray that 2019 is the best year yet for all of you.  I cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for all of us.  Focus on your blessings!  Live your life with purpose!