Year of Me Choice #1: Dwell on the Positive Past

To recap: I'm working towards life improvement by making intentional and thoughtful choices each and every day...then I'm going to tell you about them!

I'm a week into my Year of Me and I'm feeling pretty good. I always work well when I have goals in mind and though my goals are lofty, (inner peace, happiness, fulfillment, etc.) making small changes each week should break up those 365 days.

This week I went out to lunch with a friend (at a fantastic restaurant that I will talk about in a different post) and we got into a serious discussion about dwelling on the past. We were both feeling bad about all sorts of things (we seriously covered everything from hairstyles to past relationships). We agreed that we needed to find a way to accept the things that we cannot change and start remembering all of the greatness that has already occurred (not to mention all the good things ahead). I've been thinking about our conversation a lot over the past couple of days, and I decided it was time to break out a project that I started last year. Enter, the Year of Happy Memories Jar (Yes, I did just make up that name).

My 1st Year of Happy Memories Jar began New Years Day, 2013. My friend and I read all of our memories out loud on New Years Eve one year later. I loved reliving some of my best moments and it made me realize that after all was said and done, it really had been a fantastic year. No mention of a fight with friends or family troubles. Only the good was celebrated and it was perfectly acceptable for us to sit back and dwell on the positive past. 

During my Year of Me I'm going to continue my dwelling by breaking out (and actually keeping up with) my 2014 Year of Happy Memories Jar. I've got the jar, lots of colorful paper, and an endless supply of sharpies. Every time something happens that you feel was significant (You cuddled a baby duckling, perhaps a friend got married) write the memory and the date down on a slip of paper, fold it up, and toss it in the jar. Soon the memories will begin piling up! I'm going to open my jar on New Years, but really, the details are all up to you.

Suddenly dwelling on the past doesn't seem like such a bad thing, H :)

Choice #1: Dwell on the positive past with a Happy Memories Jar

Year of Me

Here’s the thing. People. Make. Choices. Hundreds a day, who knows how many in a lifetime. Some people are satisfied with their choices, and some people have serious regrets. I have a friend who I greatly admire because she says that she’s never regretted anything that she’s done in her life. I think that’s the sign of a seriously secure person (I also think that when I said admire I meant envy). I wish I could be half as confident with my own choices.

“No one wants to hear about your shitty life.” I heard that on a TV show once. I forgot the show, but I wrote that down on a sticky note and stuck it in a random drawer in my room. For a while now, my friends and family have been hearing a lot about my so-called “shitty life,” host of regrets, and missed opportunities. It’s not fair and it’s created rifts. Unhappiness and loneliness will make you do a lot of things that you told yourself you would never do. I don’t want to be that person.

Officially, the next 365 days are going to be my “Year of Me” (in my mind anyway). All choices that I think will help me lead a fulfilling life, allll the time. I want to find a job that I like, and not just one that I have to endure. I want to help as many people as possible. I want to take the time to laugh, put my arm around someone, and tell them that I care about them. I want the choices that I make to create some sort of kick-ass butterfly effect (also a great movie). I’m not saying I won’t make any choices that I’ll come to regret (I’m not my friend, and I never will be), but I’ll be out there, trying to do things that make me happy.

First things first, clean my room, get some pistachio gelato, and binge watch Graceland season 1, H :)