Reflections...

As 2011 wraps up...i cant help but reflect on this past year. It's had its ups and downs but i would never complain for it brought me to this very place; the place that i have come to love so much. Time to compile a list of lessons learned this year. "To reflect on your history is to change your future"

No excuses

be you....be wholely, completely and totally YOU...dont make excuses for who you are. You have shortcomings...we all do...we have cracks and faults...but each of them make up our character. And trust me, i'd rather have character...to be dropped, broken, mended and pieced...is better to me than to be ornate and placed on a pedestal. I love who i have become. I am ME. I dont claim to be perfect and i dont make excuses for my morals, my values, my beliefs or my soap box messages. I am stronger because of 2011 and the things that i went through. I saw dark storms...and i now i appreciate the sunshine and i make NO excuses for the process in between.

Strong is beautiful

To be strong in mind and character is a beautiful thing. I stand up for what i believe in and you will always know where i stand regarding health, wellness, exercise, religion, and politics. I will stand on my soap box and let you throw things at me...i am okay with this. Taking a stance helps me grow within my faith and i am a stronger person for it. My strength on the inside exudes to my outer being. My body is a statue for what's going on inside. I develop, mold and chisel it every time i walk into the gym. I eat for health and fuel rather than for fun and for flavor. Strong IS beautiful. It has taken me time to accept my 4'10" stature with muscles and my box-like figure. I will never be the feminine hourglass, i may always be "cute", i will always resemble a petite, powerful gymnast....and for the first time in my life...i'm OK with that! I am beautiful...because i am strong and I'm strong because i let myself be beautiful. And yes...I AM stronger than i ever thought i was. This year has DEFINITELY taught me that as i became a business owner, overcame fears associated with that and changed just about everything in my life from gym to diet to friends to relationships to jobs.

It's OK to cheat

Ok...now i know what you're thinking...NO i dont mean cheat in the form of adultery. What i mean, is it's ok to let your guard down, to divulge in the finer things in life, to allow yourself those sweet treats every so often, to take a day off from the gym, to sleep in...whatever your guilty pleasure. The point is...let go of the guilt. It will weigh you down. Enjoy it because life is short! Drink that extra glass of wine...spend the morning in bed...eat that piece of cake...buy that cashmere sweater...just do it in moderation. Moderation keeps it special!

Just say NO

If something isnt right...or if something doesn't feel right...then for YOU it is not RIGHT. Stand up for yourself, your beliefs, your passions and hold true to who you are. No is a great word, it's powerful and with it comes much strength. Saying No helps to build boundaries and to better know your own wants and desieres. Become ok with the word, use it whenever needed and be OK with the response...because you were strong enough to say it and if they care about you, they will appreciate your stance.

Hold true to your word

Your word is all you have. You command respect by holding true to it, despite any inconvenience. If i think of the people in my life that i respect the most, it is those who do not lie to me despite the possibility of hurt feelings, it is those who are there for me despite the distance between us, and it is those who say "i will do this..." and they DO IT. The people who let you down...will continue to do so because it is a shortcoming in THEM...not in you. I used to wonder why people werent there, what did i do for them to betray me. But as i grow older and wiser i learn to choose my friend more wisely, to accept those who are not true to their word as acquaintances and those who lie and betray as enemies. *and YES...it's ok to have enemies* Be the friend that you would want your friend to be to you.

Go with your gut

Over the years i've ignored that pit of my stomach feeling..."i know this isnt right" or "is he cheating" and every single time...my gut was right...and my head was wrong. There's a reason that I have intuition...God is working through me...and my gut. He tells me when the person is wrong for me, when the situation is wrong for me or when i'm taking the wrong path. I've learned that the heart will always point in the direction of naive, my head will always point down hopeful road, but my gut always knows the final destination. If it doesnt feel right...it's not.

It's ok to be single

People use the word "single" as though its a disease. I am without a spouse, i am not a leper. I am single because i CHOOSE to not settle for the people that have landed in my life thus far. I want a better life for myself before i involve another person and i've had to grow in faith and confidence before i could honestly say i could be the person that person i am looking for is looking for. So...am i there yet? Let's just say it's a work in progress...and i am loving the single life. Both sides of the fence have their green grass...so enjoy the side you're on!! live it up because when you get to the other side of monogamy, you will be more prepared, better groomed and you'll appreciate it that much more.

Complain less, Condemn less, Compare less

The 3 C's...we all do them...but to do less of them is to grow as a person. Find conversations that are more productive, less destructive. I have found myself doing a lot of these C's this past year so i include this as a lesson learned because it is part of my new year's resolution...a road to positivity. "The happiness in my life depends on the quality of my thoughts" is such a truth. I want to be happier, thus i must change my thoughts and my focus to what makes me happy, to the love that i have for others and to the happiness that i can bring to their lives. Focus on you and stay AWAY from the 3 C's

2012 is definitely going to be a great year...i expect a lot more changes, adversities, and hopefully a lot of triumphs!!