First steps...

In my effort to unplug from technology and reconnect with more personal touches I have sent out the first birthday cards I ever mailed! I am typically Horrible at remembering Birthdays. I found a free printable birthday list organizer and I am contacting family and friends trying to get it filled in and making sure not to forget anyone (I hope), as well as gathering physical addresses. I have already rounded up a few cards for birthdays, thank yous, get well, thinking of yous, and weddings, so I am ready for any surprise occasions! I have also started to think about how to approach my goal of self acceptance this coming year. I believe in positive reinforcement, so I am hand writing myself a lot of little "you are ..." kind of notes, that I can post all over the house. I have a poem hanging by my bathroom mirror that I will say out loud to myself each time I walk by the mirror. I am also going to try to stop thinking in terms of what I can no longer do and be thankful for what I can still do. I have a large jar sitting on the counter that my family is calling our "stop self hate" jar, any time any of us speak negatively about ourselves or our "limitations" we have to put money in the jar, and it will all be donated to local businesses to "pay it forward" for those who are less fortunate.

Communication

In these times off cell phones, tablets, and other mobile devices, we seem to be connected 24/7, but are we really communicating with each other? To me it seems the answer is no, the more "connected" we are with technology the less connected we are with who and what is around us. Face to face communication with people in the same room has been replaced with texting. Family time seems a thing of the past as everyone rushes to check for the latest text, FaceBook post, e-mail, tweet, instagram pic, or whatever the latest "must be in on" craze is. Toddlers are even becoming gadget savvy and glued to portable screens! My wish for the new year is that families, and even individuals, take the time to unplug and have more face to face conversations, get out doors and experience life instead of watching someone else doing it on YouTube.

Hand Written Sentiments

Well another weekend comes to a close. It has been a fairly good week. I visited with an friend I have not seen in YEARS! We laughed and talked for hours. I made another goal for next year. I am going to try to send hand written sentiments through the "snail" mail to family and friends. I have saved free printable stationery to my computer to use, and I am trying to make a birthday calendar so I can get at least a birthday card to everyone. I might even buy sets of stationery to the ones that might be interested in returning hand written sentiments. I just feel that we spend too much time sitting in front of screens and not enough time really connecting with each other. I know I still get excited when a hand addressed envelope comes in the mail, I am sure others will feel the same way.

Setting New Years Goal

It is almost the end of the year. I am looking forward to a new beginning next year. I will be focusing on acceptance again this year, but a less broader selection, this year I am working on accepting myself as I am, also known as self-esteem. I know that I will never be a skinny as I was in high-school, and that is okay, now I am working on being okay with whatever weight I am at. I have thrown out my scale and have clothes in several sizes both bigger and smaller than my current size. I will try to eat as healthfully as I can but I am not going to stress out over every little food decision.