So here we are: the first Monday of 2014! Are you excited? I kind of am. What will this year bring?
Even though the New Year officially started last Wednesday, I confess that I did not get cracking on my "fresh start" until today. My New Year's Day was deliciously spent sipping bubbly and carb-loading in bed, while watching my favorite New Year movie; 200 Cigarettes followed by my least favorite; New Year's Eve (okay, the Lea Michelle elevator singing scene gives me an intense case of the giggles. I know, it was supposed to showcase her talents but in a non-musical film it just seemed random while Ashton Kutcher awkwardly stared at her feigning his enchantment.)
Last year, a wise soul advised me to write a letter to create my intentions for the new year: what did I want to achieve; what did I want to see; what did I want to do. Choosing last night, the eve before my official new year, I pulled out my 2013 letter and was astonished by how many of my wishes were granted.
One wish that I never thought would manifest was making peace with my family. I had come to a point of acceptance and had truly let go of the hope that they would apologize for accusing Aurelien and me of robbing them, which led to the cancellation of a planned New York wedding. But when you let go, you let God, right? Well last summer we received a verbal apology from them, a sincere acknowledgement to their hasty accusation. My jaw was pretty much on the floor. My Italian family is not the apologetic type, especially for something they feel strong about.
When sharing this closed chapter to a sad and confusing story with close friends, they couldn't help but ask if we had accepted their apology. Of course we did. Everything happened exactly the way it was supposed to, and standing proud and defiant over being "right" is just a useless habit to fall into.
With that said, this 2014 I intend to reintroduce myself to meditation, limit my dairy and alcohol consumption (limit, not eliminate -- I do live in France after all), get more sleep, tap into my creative conscientiousness with a new hobby, and one the hardest thing for me to do: stay focused.
Here is to a peaceful yet productive 2014. What are your intentions for the year?
