A hopeful new year

Happy New Year, friends. Today is my annual day of feeling both hopeful and dreadful about my life and where it's going. It's a day of what ifs and self-doubt. But it's also a day of gratitude and excitement. I've already gone from feeling cranky to happy to melancholy to gratified, and it's only noon.

Despite my mixed feelings, I try to start each new year on a positive note. I try to hold on to feelings of hope and excitement.

Here are my hopes for you (and myself) this year:

I hope you always remember to remind yourself that you're not alone. Whatever you're going through or feeling right now, I absolutely guaranteed you that somebody somewhere is going through or feeling the exact same thing.

I hope you choose love over and over and over again.

I hope you make and achieve goals because you want to and not because you have someone to impress or something to prove.

I hope you pay attention to your priorities and do your best to nurture them, even though life is busy, demanding and complicated at times.

I hope all your dreams come true.

I hope you work hard to keep your head above the water when all you want to do is allow yourself to drown.

I hope you choose kindness over revenge.

I hope you take care of yourself.  

I hope you give yourself a chance.

I hope you realize that trying is success within itself---even if you try and fail.

I hope you learn to differentiate "should" from "want to."

I hope you take each day as it comes and realize that this very moment is the only thing you need to focus on.

<3 Madison