HAPPY 2018!!! Hoping everyone had a great New Year's celebration filled with lots of fun and excitement! There is a whole new year ahead of you that you can shape however you'd like. 2018 can be a fresh start or a continuation. Many make resolutions to follow into the new year to help make it a "new" year. Here are some resolutions I hope to follow and that I hope inspire others too as well!

1. Take care of yourself.

No one really teaches you how to do this. My parents did in a fundamental way, but then I actually became kind of an adult and it is so much harder than I thought. Between taking care of your body, mind and soul, it is a task everyday to find the balance of the three to which i am living my life in a healthy manner. But it's worth it.

2. Budget

This is a hard thing for me to do. I love eating out, buying new clothes, and going on adventures with friends or by myself. BUT then expensive items come up like going on trips or going to music festivals and I don't have money. It also says something that I think these are big ticket items. I need to start budgeting now so that I'm able to afford rent, groceries, and a car in the future.

3. Only surround yourself with people that make you feel good.

Lately I've looked around at the people in my life and it makes me so happy that they all make me feel loved and supported. I never have to doubt the way they feel about me and they constantly make me feel like I am an important part of their lives. Continuing this into the 2018 is a goal that I'm striving for and I hope others are as well.

4. Let it go.

The "it" of this sentence probably means something different to everyone. For me it means to not let upsetting parts of my past plague my thoughts so that it inhibits me in trying to create a positive future. You don't have to forget the things that happened, but don't let them run your life.

5. Only do things you want to do.

This might sound selfish, but its really not. If you want to go do something go and do it. If someone wants you to do something with them and its not really something you want and you're just saying yes so they don't get upset, then don't do it. Of course there are exceptions, but generally listen to your gut. Don't let people pressure you into things you don't want to do and that make you happy.

6. Do everything you can.

Going along with number five, don't let things stop you from doing the things you want to do, such as a friend canceling or being in a bad mood yourself. Even if you end up going to do something by yourself, definitely do it. Don't miss out on experiences you want to have if you're able to have them.

7. Throw yourself into what you love.

This is something I am working on. I want to start being more serious about the things I love and make them into a reality for myself. Peoples' dreams start with themselves, so if you want something the first step is getting past what's holding you back, which is often yourself.

8. Love.

This is a scary thing in any facet. To love someone is to give them a part of who you are, to show them the parts of yourself that you probably don't show to a stranger. To let them love you back can be even scarier sometimes. What if you get used to it? What if they leave? What if it was because of you? The thing about this is that a part of you has to not care because love is one of the realest feelings I have ever experienced. People don't love others just for kicks. If it's real its something that makes the lives of the people involved better, even if its only for a short while, or even if it takes you a long time after to realize. There is too much hate in the world to not love. It's too hard not to.