New Year, New You...

As 2012 comes to an end, we look back at all our accomplishments, failures, good memories and not so good memories.  We reminisce and analyze them in order to create goals for the new year, our plan is to use our past experiences as tools to improve ourselves in the areas we are lacking. I hope everyone had an excellent year overall, despite all the tragedy and despair our world has faced. We can look at the movie theater shooting in Colorado and the school shooting in Connecticut as the unpredictability of life and the short length of it. We must live in each day, in the present and love one another without judgment, jealousy, and resentment. We also must trust that our re-elected president will do as he promised to his best ability. It is out of our control, the way we perceive things and love one another makes all the difference. I summoned up a list of my goals for the new year last night as I enjoyed a nice glass of red wine and Portuguese cheese and crackers, my favorite snack after I get home from work. I broke them into categories. They are as follow:

2013 Goals

Positive Energy- Get rid of all the negativity and stay away from negative people.
Career- Learn and obtain the experience. Look into prenatal fitness instruction and get more involved in education.
Fitness- Get as fit and strong as possible. Run a half marathon.
Diet- Eat a little healthier and incorporate more veggies and vegan/organic products.
Bake- Baking makes me happy so keep on doing it.
Religion- Be more compassionate and influential, listen to the ways of God and practice them.
Family- Start one.
Friends- Make time and plan frequent get-togethers. Make sure those friends are the positive ones.

My favorite red wine: Apothic Red: California Red Wine

Some inspirational New Year's quotes:

I started reading Gabrielle Bernstein's book Spirit Junkie last night. I have to say I'm in love with it already. This book is very inspiring and motivational. My biggest barrier in my life is ridding myself of fear. Fear overcomes me in large waves and is very difficult to control. This book teaches you how to shift your perception and replace fear with love and happiness. Gabrielle really breaks it down to language easily understood and her teachings come from A Course In Miracles. "A Course in Miracles is a complete self-study spiritual thought system. As a three-volume curriculum consisting of a Text, Workbook for Students, and Manual for Teachers, it teaches that the way to universal love and peace—or remembering God—is by undoing guilt through forgiving others." (http://acim.org/AboutACIM/index.html) This course is next on my list for the new year.

 



I have already started my process of incorporating healthy foods into my diet. Today I made spinach and kale ravioli (the actual ravioli is made from spinach) filled with goat cheese. It was surprisingly good. I added some olive oil and veggie chunky tomato sauce. I also started to routinely take my vitamins on a daily basis which consist of a women's multivitamin, vitamin D3 2000 IU, a probiotic, and fish oil supplement.

Here's a photo of me in my new Lululemon gear my husband bought for me for Christmas. I have no excuse but to work out harder with this expensive workout outfit.

I am so grateful and blessed to have gone through another year with success and fulfillment. I reached my goal to become a maternity nurse, I was extremely motivated to do the nursing I have always wanted to do. I had persistence to push for the job I wanted by hassling Human Resources and the unit manager and by joining AWHONN. 

I also pushed myself to run long distances and participate in several races. My longest race is 5 miles and my longest run is 8 miles. I plan to push myself further to do a half marathon in 2013. I notice great changes in my body since I have been dedicated to working out and I plan to continue. 

I would also love to start a family in 2013 or be preparing for one. This will be a huge step and change in my marriage, it won't be only about me, my husband, and my dog! I look forward to welcoming a precious miracle in our lives.

Right now, Ginger will do even with her alcoholic habits. She is such a lush!

Our first big snowfall of the Winter. You can't deny that cute face, I don't know what I would do without her.

That's my little story about 2012 and my goals for the new year. I hope everyone is safe tonight, please NO drinking and driving whatever you do. Have fun and start off the new year on the right foot. I had planned to do the Hangover Classic 5k Road Race followed by the Polar Bear Plunge but it's suppose to be only 35 degrees and there's still lots of snow on the ground! Right now its 34 degrees and i'm freezing inside my house with my heat set at 67. My feet and legs are ice cold even with my furry boots and knee high socks on! So, no I will not be participating in that event tomorrow but I plan to have a nice indoor lunch/dinner with the family instead. Til the New Year, enjoy and God Bless. XOXO