Thirteen

I've got a special place in my heart for the number 13. That's my birthday! Social psychological research has demonstrated that people who share a birth date rate each other more positively, presumably because the shared date gives them an air of familiarity. So maybe 2013 will be a good year for me... we share a special bond after all. This will also be the year that I get married, and after a long journey to that point it is certainly something to be excited about.

I'm starting 2013 with a lot to think about though. Last year I felt like I bit off a little more than I could chew - moving, transitioning into a new job, buying a new car, two surgeries and beginning to plan the wedding. My New Years resolution had been to be more mindful - to slow down, be present and soak up each moment. Somehow the year ended up feeling like it whizzed by before I could blink; instead of slowing down I felt like I was holding on for the wild ride and trying not to lose my lunch after every pot hole.

This year I think I'm going to take a little different route to the same destination. We all have goals that would help us reach our ideal being and I feel so far from any of these. I want to take more time to exercise and to be productive in my career while still leaving some time for a balanced personal life. Staying on schedule for all of these activities requires a certain kind of discipline I find very difficult, so I'm taking that challenge to task. I find that I am a very generous person with my time and energy and I have always been proud of this characteristic. I believe we find the most joy in the time we spend with friends and loved ones, but in this year where my time will be such a precious commodity I think I'm going to have to learn to say "no" a little more often and put myself first. I want to make myself better so that I can be better for others I want to help. That means less baking, more time at the gym and less traveling when possible.

The road I hope to run on some day

In 2013 there is something else I want to tackle. I named this blog in reference to some thoughts I've had for a long time about how to live life when one has had so many challenges heaped upon them. I'm sure everyone has reached a point at some time or another when they just don't know how they are going to handle the next problem or the next piece of bad news. This is a time when our country needs to have a conversation on mental health, not just because we need to protect ourselves from future mass murders and gun slayings but because the world is moving at a pace that will challenge us all. Global warming. Technology that leads us to spend more time each stay staring at a computer than into another human's eyes. Peace and happiness cannot be taken for granted. Though the scary things that happen in the world (or at least get reported in the media) make it seem as though we are hurdling toward doom, I find that people have a way of being resilient and moving forward.  In 2013 I'd like to focus on resilience and strength in mental health, because everyone deserves the chance to reach their potential.