this new year. this clean slate. (december 365+1)

New Year. Clean slate. Time for Change. Yes, change is my "one word" I've chosen for 2013.

I had a big, long, rambling blog post going and then I looked at it, highlighted it, and hit delete. I think a simple list of things I would like to change will do...

~  change my eating habits

~ change my exercise habits (um, which basically means get off my hiney and do something. I'm contemplating a half marathon. Maybe...)

~ change my parenting - lighten-up a bit on some things and focus a bit more on the more important issues going on with Max.

~ change my thinking. I can't really explain this one very well, but I tend to think worst case scenario about just about everything. I tend to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. I can go from 0 to 60 in a matter of seconds. I'm a "reacter" (apparently that's not really a word, but I just created it.) I need to work a bit more on being a thinker first - putting things in perspective - and then reacting.

~ change the people I surround myself with. Seek out the positive, supportive influences in my life and spend more time nurturing those relationships. I tend to find and seek out the company of the people who never have free-time and are just plain too busy with everything else in life. I'm a firm believer that you have to carve out the time in your life for others around you - for kids, your spouse, your friends. If you want to have relationships that grow, you have to make the time to nurture those relationships.

~ change the amount of time I spend reading the Word. I'm looking forward to re-connecting with the Bible Study group I was part of last year. 

~ change my photo-snapping habits. 2012 was the year of the iPhone and all of the wonderful photo editing apps. I even completed a 365+1 with my iPhone. 2013 will be the year of the Nikon! I will pick her up more often - hopefully daily!
 (I'm sure I'll think of a million more things I need to change about myself in the coming months...and maybe I'll come back and add them to the list.)

Twenty-thirteen will be a year of big change. Of that I am certain.

What are your goals this year? Do you make resolutions? Choose a word to live by for the year?

one word.

I had this huge, long post all written about my One Word for 2012. I spent a fair amount of time pondering my word and thinking about what I wanted it to look like in my life this year. I was certain this was my word. I chose it, so it just had to be my word. But all the while I was typing and pondering, another word kept edging its way into my mind. It was calling my name: 

be present

I thought my word for this year was Believe. But no. Be Present kept calling my name. It's been written on my heart for months now. Being present is tough one for me. I know it shouldn't be - I have one young child who will be 18 and off to college before I know it - but it is. There, I said it. (Isn't admitting you have a problem the first step?...) Everyday I have choices. And so this year these are my choices:

Be Present with Max. Spend active time with my son. He won't be at home forever. I need to make memories for the both of us now.

Be Present with my friends and family. This means putting aside the distractions. Who's more important? The person I'm playing Words with Friends with? Or checking FB or Flickr? OR the person I'm having a nice cup of coffee with? The person sitting across from me.

Be Present in the health of my body. Stop putting off trying to lose weight and get in shape, and just start doing it. Lace-up my shoes and walk or run. Go to another pilates class. Try yoga. Do something.

Be Present in my photography. I spend more time feeling frustrated and wishing I could take pictures like all the other photographer friends I know, and so I give-up. I must pick-up my camera if I'm ever going to get those pretty pictures. I just need to keep snapping.

Be present in my life. This is a hard one for me to explain... I hide behind a lot of things - TV, books, my computer, my phone. I hide behind these as a way of not having to face my life. I've always had a picture of what my life was supposed to look like, and when the picture doesn't mesh with reality (and it never does, right?) I tend to escape or push it to the nether-regions of my mind. If I ignore it, it will go away, right? (I know the answer to that one...) I also spend far too much time ruminating the past and worrying about the future. I've always been like this. So, I need to be an active participant in creating my journey. This journey that was artful crafted by Him.