You don’t have to be perfect you just have to get going. -Jack Canfield

This is a little late but, HAPPY NEW YEAR. I hope that 2019 is off to a great start. It’s a new year, a time for revelation, a new beginning and opportunity to get it right. YAY…for everything new.

I started the year off without any resolutions but with the idea that this would be the year of evolution for me (like it’s only a one-year affair). My “evolutions” include a spotless home, office, and car, finally get back in shape, growing my business (starting my business), and be just be a better human being.

Well, we’re 24 days in and things are going a little less than planned. I lost an amazing colleague on Jan. 1, a week later my mom informed me she has to have surgery, then my car decided to act a fool, my work schedule resembles #nodaysoff, and as for getting in shape (again)…this shape is what it is. If you don’t like it don’t look. I have, however, been consistent with my promise of four workouts a week. That spotless home, office, and car? I am hiring a cleaning service, assistant, and buying a punch card at the car wash…in that order! A cleaning service for a 700 square foot apartment, you ask? The answer is yes. With #nodaysoff, I don’t want to spend the few hours I have to myself scrubbing floors and doing laundry.
As I was looking at these photos and deciding what to post, I could not find any photos that I liked. The sweater didn’t look right, my smile was off, my face looked fat, my jeans were wrinkled, these shoes didn’t look right. Hell, I didn’t look right!

Then I listened to myself, like really took a step back and listened to what I was saying about myself to myself, and how I was judging myself.

I had to take a step back and think about why I started this blog in the first place, why I choose to work on this project, and the values I hold dear to my heart- love, kindness, and acceptance. Each time I hear someone speaking negatively about themselves, I stop them mid-sentence. Each time a friend feels down my only goal is to lift them up. I don’t expect anyone in my life to be perfect, to look perfect, to act perfect or be anything close to “perfect”. Then why in the world would I ever do that to myself?

So as this first month of 2019 come close to an end, I am going to get back to these “evolutions” keeping in mind they don’t end with December 31, 2019. This thing is a life-long project.

I will speak to myself kindly and gently, and won’t worry if a sweater is laying just right, or if there are few wrinkles in my jeans. My shoes will match simply because I say so, I’m the one dressing me anyway. And there will be no negative concerns about this face or body, only when to wear a red lippy or pink lippy!

Here’s to an “evolutionary” 2019 (and beyond)