2016 was a tough year for me.

It’s probably one of the reasons why I didn’t post much in the second half of the year. I think the worst part about it all was feeling so helpless and guilty about it when I knew other people who were going through much more difficult experiences. I could go on about all of the personal reasons, professional changes and circumstances that led it to be so challenging.

But then I wouldn’t be moving on.

Instead I’d like reflect on the good things. Instead of wallowing in despair, I’d like to bask in the gratitude. I have every intention of manifesting a healthier, happier and kinder 2017.

We Lived

• Rob and I walked away from a potentially fatal accident on February 14th. Rob was left with some physical scars. I’m still left with some mental and emotional ones – fear of driving in certain conditions and replays of the event in my mind. But we are still here. That is what matters.

I Read

• I’ve often read that when you are unsure what to do with your life, think back to what you loved most as a child. I adored reading. I got back on it this year and it’s been my saving grace. It has not only challenged my mind, but it also helped me pass the time when all I could think are negative thoughts.
• I set a Good Reads goal to read 26 books in 2016. I chose this number because I’ve never measured the number of books I’ve read in a year before and I tend to read slowly. When I surpassed those 26 books, I changed my goal to 30. After that, I left the number the same; but in my mind set my sights on 52 books. In the end, I read 60 books in 2016. For me, that’s a feat.
• I was introduced to audiobooks, which is something I really want to share with you in another post. It’s done wonders for keeping my mind from thinking worst case scenarios about every driver on the road and instead helps pass the time on my new commute.

I Returned to Yoga

• When I moved to MN back in 2003, my friend Jen and I joined a yoga class together. I loved it. Every drive back from class, I would say to her, “I just love Yoga!” I was in a state of bliss.
• In 2006 when Rob and I bought our house, I cut expenses in a ton of places, including our yoga class.
• When I felt ready to go back, our truly perfect yoga instructor had retired and moved abroad. Finding another class was difficult. I couldn’t find anything else like her style or that suited me. I wasn’t one to do videos at home because I liked the personal instruction.
• Then my friend Kristi casually told me about Yoga with Adriene – free You Tube videos that she said were great for beginners. She was right. I started doing those in the morning and it helped me reconnect to my body. But also because I didn’t want to be totally lost when…
• Jen and I went on a yoga retreat to Kripalu. This was a 40th birthday gift to ourselves. It was blissful. I never felt better. I never really posted about this experince, but I would highly recommend it to anyone. It was so nice to do gentle yoga (my choice) about three times a day, attend wellness sessions and have healthy meals prepared for me. I also got two massages and learned that the hot stone massage is the one for me! Jen and I joked that it was a rough day when we had our silent breakfast, attended a yoga class, leisurely read, enjoyed lunch, attended a meditation session and then napped before our massage appointments. 🙂 That was a true gift.

So in 2017, I want to continue to recognize all of those ways that I can be kinder to myself and continue to practice those things. Because I am grateful to be here.

It’s truly fitting that I start out the year with a cold – one that had me sleeping 12 hours overnight and then another 4 hours in the afternoon. My body is telling me to take care of myself and ease into this.

In what ways do practice self-care?

Cheers~
Carrie