My 2013

Holy crap it's freezing cold outside! It' one one week anniversary here and so far I'm still waiting for that more "temperate" weather I keep hearing about. I'm sure I'm burning and extra gazillion calories just trying to stay warm.

I made the decision to leave facebook on Christmas day. This has been the best decision I have made in like EVER. I really wish I would have made a list of emails of people I desperately want to keep in contact with, but alas I didn't. If you are one of my beloved facebook friends, message me your email so we can stay in touch.

Facebook was making it very challenging to stay positive about live. If I wasn't judging someone in my mind, I was getting annoyed at this or that, rolling my eyes at this comment, feeling grumpy about this person's complete ignorance to FB etiquette. Plus I was really getting annoyed with all the photoshopping. Life was taking on this edited, photoshopped, enhanced image and I didn't like it.

Sure, family photos, headshots, and professional photos should be edited but I got really tired of seeing EVERY PHOTO EVER TAKEN edited and filtered. It's not real!! People, it's NOT REAL.

See how negative I'm getting just writing about it? In a nutshell, I want to have more unconditional love for people. I want to rid myself of the inclination to judge, criticize, and make fun of other people. I hate it when people do that to me, and it's something I need to work on. Leaving FB was my first step toward that.

So far so good! My goals for 2013 center around connecting with the Lord on a deeper level and being full of light. If I can fill myself with light and positive things, then the rest of my goals will be easier to achieve.

I am following the Lighten-Up program I posted about and loving it. I drink 2-4 cups of water first thing in the morning. I stop and meditate for one minute before I move forward with my day. I say positive affirmations before breakfast and before I go to bed. I plan my meals. I drink 2 green smoothies a day. I exercise for at least 25 minutes a day. I eat whole foods. I keep a food journal. I keep a journal of my emotions. I take time to be present before I eat so I can learn to recognize if I'm eating for hunger or to quiet down an emotion that would be uncomfortable for me to feel.

I love how I feel when I do these things. I love the new city I live in. I love the location we are in. I am so happy here. Dan and I noticed that people don't stare us here. It has been so incredibly refreshing to go out and shop and eat and hang out and not worry about who is staring at us. Our new apartment shares a parking lot with the best gym in town. I can WALK there in less than 2 minutes. It has a pool too! It has everything I need to achieve my fitness goals. I could really put down some roots here. It's a positive place for me to be and I feel very safe and secure here.

I know that I'm going to reach my goals. I don't have a timeline for that, but I know I will shed my protective coat of 80 pounds that no longer serve me. I don't need the protection anymore. It feels good to feel safe again.