Happy New Year to all my readers and a warm Welcome to the year 2013!

 It’s been a busy few weeks in the world: we’ve all made it through another doomsday prophecy without incident, the US Government (finally) managed to reach a compromise to avoid absolute financial ruin, and a new year beckons with as much promise and hope as we decide to give it! I’m excited and looking forward to making 2013 a superb year and I hope you feel the same!

I don’t usually do resolutions, but I do want to share a few insights and goals for 2013 with you – some ways of being more mindful of the life I’m living that you might find useful as well.

Sometimes you have to take a step back from things to gain a clearer perspective.

It feels especially good to be back at the keyboard and blogging again after an almost six-month hiatus. I’ve always believed the saying that, “writing worth it’s salt carries meaning.” Regretfully, we lose the meaning in things sometimes because of the demands we make on ourselves. Life gets hectic, we get tired, writing becomes more about necessity (must keep posting on schedule, etc.) than it does about content and meaning. I’ve discovered lately that it’s okay to rest, think, meditate, and stop for a minute.  I reached this point back in the summer and realized I needed to take a break from the hectic pace of my blogging and career. Actually, I needed to give myself permission to stop and sort some things out (which I’ll talk more about in coming posts). I want to continue to be mindful of my tendency to let the duties of life get out of hand. This year I’ll try to focus on slowing down and allowing myself breathing room. I’ll seek quiet, peace, and contemplation more often as part of my daily life and ritual.

Some prayers have already been answered. You may already have the answer you seek.

I have a habit of focusing on the “what next” so much in life that sometimes I forget the “now.” The idea of goals and future changes are wonderful, but it’s easy to miss the enjoyment and answers in the present moment if you’re always looking ahead. I want to be wholly present in my daily life and find that days beauty and joy. Each TODAY, in many ways for me, is an answer to a previous prayer – the gift of new awareness and growth I sought in the past come to fruition. I want to recognize and enjoy that as I move through my days, trusting that the next answers will one day come in a distant TODAY down the road.

Gratitude for the people in your life is a deep well of love. Remember to tell them what they mean to you.

I’ve had a sister since I was two years old. Our relationship has survived and flourished during numerous hard times and good times. We share a unique and special bond – a bond neither of us shares with anyone else on earth. We are the only sister we have. Now, in our 40’s, we understand how truly precious the gift of each other has been. We each have the other end of the rope, will be there for each other and love each other no matter what the future brings.

My sister is truly one of the greatest gifts in my life and I am grateful for her love and presence, for the beautiful and intelligent woman she is. I hope to spend more time in the coming year reminding her of that, sharing thoughts and conversations about how we are and where we are. I want “sister time” to be a priority this year, and I hope to plan a vacation where the two of us can take a break from it all and go have fun. I am looking forward to this new phase of our relationship with deep gratitude and much joy. I want to remind my sister more often in 2013 how special she is and how very much she means to me!

So, that’s it for now. A few insights and goals – I want to do my part to make this a banner year. What about you? Resolutions, insights, or thoughts? How do you plan to make 2013 a spectacular year?

Wishing all of you a wonderful New Year filled with joy! ~Marissa

Picture: Magic Window by Phatpuppy