There is an old saying that I remember from growing up "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me" (or something like that). But I have to say, I don't really agree with that! I believe that our words are powerful and this is why for the past few years, instead of making a New Year's Resolution, I have picked a word or mantra for the year to guide my decisions.
In 2018, my word was "nourish". I had just had a series of challenging miscarriages and was ready to take care of my body and especially my SOUL. I signed up for an advanced yoga teacher training that met once a month for the whole year so I was forced to spend one weekend a month learning and growing as a person and teacher. I did the Conscious Cleanse that January to get my eating habits back on track and reboot my energy levels. I committed to a daily meditation practice that I still have to recommit to over.and.over.and.over again every day. Each choice I made in 2018, I filtered through the idea of nourishment. Was the food on my plate nourishing my body? Were the friends I was spending time with nourishing my soul? Was I spending my time nourishing my spirit? If the answer was "no" I made a better choice. Was I perfect with consistently nourishing myself? HELL NO! But it did allow me to have a focus that was easier to come back to than a resolution.
In 2019, I decided it was time to make a change in my life so my mantra for the year was "embrace change". I wasn't sure what that change looked like, I just knew I wanted to do something different with my time. I liked my job as a school counselor but I wanted more control over how I spent my days so I could be more present for my family. I did some soul searching and realized that my passion was helping people manage stress and anxiety through mindfulness, physical activity, and mental presence, and the Inner MAP Project was born! When I look back on my original vision for the program and compare it to where I am now, I realize that so much has changed. And I truly believe that if I hadn't consistently filtered my decisions through the filter of embracing change, I would have stayed stuck in my old ideas.
This year, my mantra is "Be Bold" and I am SO READY to take on this intention! As someone who is new to running her own business and just wants to help people feel better every day, I know that it is going to take courage and confidence to keep pursuing my dream of helping people create a habit of being Mindful, physically Active, and mentally Present every day. I have had so many times where I wanted to go back to a job where I have a boss and know what I am doing. Getting out of my comfort zone and putting myself out there is not easy for me. But I feel confident that if I remember to BE BOLD this year, 2020 will be a year of personal and professional growth. Until next time, be bold and be well!
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