Tuesday, January 7, 2020

2020: the year of the Lean Cuisine

It's 2020 and if I have learned anything about myself over the years, it is that I LOVE a new year and new beginning. I have multiple diaries and journals with only January entries. Even more planners with only the first half of the year filled out. So basically what I am saying is, I LOVE a new beginning, but I do not love a solid finish.

Anyway, here we are at the beginning of the year and I have decided to write down my words. Again.

I have decided to take a break from social media (also Again) because I can really see how easily I become addicted to it. I do this from time to time and then I jump back on Instagram and before I know it I am spending hours peeking into other people's lives and neglecting my own. It is similar to my attempts to give up Coke, sugar, or slothfulness. I can do it for a short amount of time until old habits creep back in.

In the absence of a Facebook or Instagram feed, I have come back to this blog to dump my random thoughts. It's nice to have a place to come back to. A new page in my digital diary. I new year journal entry for 2020.

////

I have welcomed this new year with open arms. I don't have a word of the year or a new mantra, but I do have HOPE that things will improve in the year 2020. You see, the last half of 2019 was particularly difficult. It feels strange to call it difficult because there was not a actual event that was super hard. It was just consistently challenging. Yes, that's it. Consistent, never letting up, never coming up for air, never slowing down, tension, pressure, and stress. Some of the stresses were good things and some were less than good. But when you combine them all into a period of 6 months... That time was... well... difficult.

My hope is that I can make a real effort to rest and breathe this year. To read books and drink coffee. To play piano and bake bread. To pray and worship and to pray some more. These are things that were missing in 2019. I want to bring them back.

I told someone today that I am going to do my best to treat this year like it's 2005. In 2005 I didn't have a smart phone or Instagram or access to everyone's thoughts all the time. I didn't know what whole 30 was and when I wanted to lose weight I ate a Lean Cuisine for lunch and called it a day.

Those were simple times and I have always loved a good Lean Cuisine.