Happy New Year!

It is hard to believe that another year has breezed by us. Where do the days go? Each and every year on December 31st, I look back and contemplate the very same question.

2009 was filled with many happy memories. It ended a bit rough. But I live by this motto: We need some trying times in order to appreciate the abundance of good ones we have in our life. I am positive that 2010 will be filled with many excellent opportunities for my family and friends.

And as I do every first of the year, I have written out a list, resolutions if you will, of goals I would like to accomplish within the coming year. I learned long ago not to make dramatic resolutions that will take a miracle to accomplish. This will only be setting ourselves up for failure. For instance, losing 25 pounds. Really? I know I love carbs and there is not a cupcake I have passed up. So why be foolish and make a commitment to lose an outrageous amount of weight that will restrict me to eating 2 jelly beans, a huge bowl of leafy greens and sipping water for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Instead I resort to creating realistic goals that I know I can accomplish.

- Health related: Taking multi-vitamins daily, exercising, drinking more water.

- Spiritually related: Taking the time to access my day and writing it down, start meditating.

- Goal related: return into the work force, pay down debt, save money, get back into scrapbooking.

- Family related: exhibit more patience with those that all they seem to do is try it.

These are added to the ones that I had from last year which I achieved but would like to continue improving on, such as: always think positive, put my best foot forward and be a good role model for my children, continue to help my children achieve their hopes and dreams, read and write more, and eat right.

At the end of 2010, I will sit back with a glass of wine and determine how many of these goals I have accomplished. They are all resolutions that are within reach. It just takes a little determination to achieve them all.

Hope 2010 is filled with promise for everyone!