2019 Mantra

As 2018 comes to an end, it causes many of our minds to turn to a state of reflection. We contemplate everything that once was, everything accomplished, everywhere we visited, items left undone, emotions we experienced, life changing milestones, people who entered or exited our lives, and we gaze onward to the very near future. This time of year can be filled with optimism for that which is on the horizon, or the exact opposite.

Whichever state you are feeling or currently in, remember you are not your past or your future.

You are already whole, complete, and perfect the exact way you are.

In years past, I spent a great deal of time writing down New Years resolutions. I contemplated and dissected every area of my life and what I wanted to change.

In 2017, after my diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, my year was dedicated to healing. It was a tiresome year – lots of doctors appointments, treatments, tears, progress followed by setbacks just to progress forward again.

I try not to label anything – especially an entire year – as “good or bad”, but 2017 was a very tasking, yet transformational year for me and my family.

2018 came and I dedicated my time and energy to radical acceptance – trying to let go of what was and move forward with life as we now know it. I set a laundry list of resolutions I wanted to complete. Some were completed, and others were never visited after I wrote them down. I created so many hopeful tasks in 2018, it felt more like a to-do list than anything else.

I turned making New Years resolutions into a sport and became a human doing rather than a human being. I started the year strong, crossing off item after item, and then, like so many of us, I fell off the bandwagon and never visited my goals after March.

So, instead of making a list of New Years resolutions for 2019, I am taking a new approach. This modification feels good for me currently, but I am willing to adapt, change, and maybe even set goals at a different time during the year if that is what my heart and mind are calling me to do.

This year, instead of making a list of things I want to do or change, I am going to intentionally dedicate the year to a few words. These words are ones I can refer back to and recollect myself, while keep my actions on what is really important.

Some may call this a mantra for 2019, maybe it is even a form of New Years resolutions, but right now just having a few words for the year feels right.

My mantra for 2019 is:

Breathe, love, and just be.

This statement resonates with me authentically as we prepare to bring our first son into the world and anything else the year might bless us with.

2019 starts tomorrow, but I have already referred to this statement several times over the holidays and throughout my daily tasks.

Starting something new does not have to take place only when we need to buy a new calendar or when the month starts over.

There is no time like the present to live the life you have always imagined.

I hope 2019 is a year for us all to breathe, love, and just be.

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