day 1 of 2016 – new year new me.
day 365 of 2016 – well, that didn’t go as planned.
most of us think that january 1st is the only day in 2017 that we can start fresh, take on some crazy new year resolutions, or turn over a new leaf. although that is absolutely 100% false, i’ve fallen right onto that bandwagon and i’m not mad about it. i’m going into 2017 guns’a blazin’ ready to kick everyday in the butt. don’t get me wrong, 2016 taught me a lot about myself and i grew more than i ever thought possible. but i have some big expectations for 2017 and even though it’s cliche and dopey, i have some new year resolutions and i want to share them a) because if the world knows then i feel obligated to follow through b) so i don’t actually forget c) hopefully drag a couple sorry butts along with me!
#1 – blog. as you can see, i’m doing this new thing called blogging but to be honest, i have no idea what i’m doing. i’ve always loved writing and i’m pretty good at it but through college, doing things for sheer joy slowly vanished because school took priority over everything else. now that i’m nearing the end of my college journey, and it being a brand new year, what better way to start writing again than to blog? my intention for god winks is to post about what god and i want and to post when god and i want. there won’t be a weekly blog post and it won’t always be about a certain topic – 2016 invited me to be free in time and live moment to moment — so here’s my blog and here i am!
#2 – invest with intention. id rather have three deep relationships than ninety shallow relationships. cliche, right? maybe. this is the way i’ve always lived my life and it’s about to get amped up – i enjoy getting to know people as a whole, the weaknesses behind the strength, the humility behind the humbleness, and the imperfections within the beauty. i want to sit down with someone for coffee and trace the outline of their eyes with mine and empathize with every word rolling off of their tongue. i want to scroll through my contacts and call people i haven’t talked to in months just to see how they are and wish them a good day. i want to send more snail mail. i don’t want to make plans, i want to do plans. i want to appreciate people for who they were created to be rather than who the world would like them to be. i don’t want to be remembered as a flake, but a reliable friend with intention.
#3 – save pennies. i. am. poor. i live with my parents. i drive a ’99 malibu. i’m worth -$30 trillion dollars to the government. but i’m saving pennies! to hold myself accountable, i created 3 mason jars and decorated them all cute-like to motivate my saving habits. one jar for $5 bills, one titled “adventure fund” and the last for change. i’m really looking forward to seeing how much i’m capable of saving since i just don’t have a saving gene in my body.
#4 – be less naive about the world. instead of dreaming about traveling the world all day long and thinking adventure only lies outside the US border, i want to reach every corner of the US and be educated – learn about state/national parks/forests, the history of rural towns, and find as many hidden gems as possible in this 3.8 million square mile country.
#5 – read, read, read. as a teacher, i understand first-hand how important it is to read for pleasure, but rarely do i take the time to do so myself. as 2016 came to a close, i closed a book that inspired me to dive into hundreds of pages in 2017. i prefer paperback chronicles with pages to fold and mark up. i love licking my finger to turn each page and bend the spine to familiarize the book to being open to it’s reader.
As the NEA and kindergarteners across America say:
I promise to read
Each day and each night.
I know it’s the key
To growing up right.I’ll read to myself,
I’ll read to a crowd.
It makes no difference
If silent or loud.I’ll read at my desk,
At home and at school,
On my bean bag or bed,
By the fire or pool.Each book that I read
Puts smarts in my head,
‘Cause brains grow more thoughts
The more they are fed.So I take this oath
To make reading my way
Of feeding my brain
What it needs every day.
#6 – teacher [verb]. i will graduate in may with a special education degree(s) and i couldn’t be more excited to have my own classroom in august. this year i want to start collecting books to make my classroom library – if you have any suggestions on where to find cheap, like-new books for all ages, please let me know! teacher-ing also means creating a school-appropriate wardrobe, spending hours on teachers pay teachers, and making a stellar laundry list of fun resources and lesson plan ideas.
#7 – be loved. so often we think we are inadequate to be loved – by others and by god. have you ever loved someone so wholly that you don’t even care if they love you back? you just like giving them what they deserve – to be loved. well, as a matter of fact, people love you like that as well. and as a matterer of facter, god loves you like that.
there’s never been a moment i was not held inside your arms
there’s never been a day when you were not who you say you are
you’re forever, it don’t matter what i’m walking through
no matter where i’m goin’ there’s never been a moment i was not loved by you
so love people wholly
let people love you
and most importantly, let god love you.
hello, 2017!
Godwinks 