I definitely have jumped on the bandwagon when it comes to New Years Resolutions these past few years. For the first few weeks, I do great with them and I have the best intentions of pulling my tennis shoes out of the closet and hitting the gym or being more kind with my thoughts, but just like the best of us, eventually I fall back into my every day routine, the resolution soon forgotten. But not this year. If you've been reading my posts for awhile or if you know anything about me, you know that I am a firm believer in new beginnings happening in the most random moments. We don't necessarily need a "new year" to make a "new me", but this is the season so why not try to make a change?

The past few weeks, in my own reflecting, the typical resolutions I usually fall back on (watching my portion sizes, hitting the gym X amount of times in a week, being more intentional about my prayers/words towards others, etc) just weren't really sticking with me. These are all great resolutions, and if they are yours for this year, great! But I knew that my personal resolution had to be different. I wanted a resolution that showed me and everyone else how I have grown in this past year. I wanted a resolution that made me appreciate the life I have and make me excited to get out of bed every morning. And that's when it hit me.

This is my new years resolution.

"I want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud. And I don't want to get to the end, or tomorrow, even, and realize that my life is a collection of meetings and pop cans and errands and receipts and dirty dishes. I want to eat cold tangerines and sing out loud in the car with the windows open and wear pink shoes and stay up all night laughing and paint my walls the exact color of the sky right now. I want to sleep hard on clean white sheets and throw parties and eat ripe tomatoes and read books so good they make me jump up and down, and I want my every day to make God belly laugh, glad that he gave life to somebody who loves the gift." -Shauna Nieqest

I believe that you should love your life enough that you cannot wait to get out of bed. I want to look forward to the people I will see, the conversations I will have, the sights I will see. I can't grow if I'm staying inside watching Netflix. Here's to grabbing my daily potential.

I wish for a colorful life, so vibrant other people want to know where I find my joy. Here's to a joyful heart.

I believe in dreaming big and loving hard, never allowing fear to hold me back from my potential. There will always be some reason to say no, to not take that step of faith, but I refuse to allow that to hold me back from the countless opportunities laid out before me. Here's to jumping over the edge, I'm ready for the free fall.

I believe that, at the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair messy, and your eyes sparkling. Here's to full days and a rested night.

I wish for a life so brave, so unpredictable, so full of unexpected joys and unforgettable love that no box could possibly contain all my memories. Here's to the unknown excitement.

I believe in enjoying the simple things in life. Warm chocolate chip cookies, my favorite song on the radio, a cheesy joke, laughter ringing in the air. Life doesn't need to be flashy and full of neon signs and spotlights to be exciting or memorable. Here's to the little things.

I believe in blessing others with more. The more you give, the more is given. Good grace is a ripple effect, and though I can never know for sure how far it goes, I have to believe it continues.Contribution is a blessing. Here's to graciousness.

I believe in the power of words. The way I choose to identify myself determines the way I and others see myself. When I raise my standards and commit to my new identity, it is so. It doesn't take willpower when it is reality. Here's to my words.

I believe I can choose to be happy. Either other people or life events can control my emotions or I can. I can surround myself with positive messages or negative messages. It is all in my control. Here's to joy.

As Anne of Green Gables says, "It's been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.” Here's to a year I intend to enjoy, regardless of what life throws my way.

2017, this is my new years resolution.