{New Year • New You}
" May your coming year be
filled with magic and dreams and good madness.
I hope you read some fine
books and kiss someone who
thinks you're wonderful
and don't forget to make
some art - write or draw
or build or sing or live as only you can.
And I hope somewhere in the next year, you surprise
yourself. "
~ Neil Gaiman
"My sister sent this quote to me {in 2014} & my heart exploded when I read it. I haven't read anything more perfect in a while and I wish it upon all of you in this fresh new year"
Today I reflected on my precious Nectar List. What a treat. And what a way to remember how truly blessed we are in this life. Through good fortune, hard work, karma, Mother Nature, religion, whatever you call your belief, be thankful today that life is so imperfectly perfect. The above quote and description are the exact words copied from my precious Nectar List blog, and it rings so true still. But here's a new one for now ..
New year, New You.
{not}
The likelihood that people fail at their New Years resolutions is incredibly high. So when you fail miserably at your 'eat healthy, exercise more, be kinder, spend less, floss more' goals come March, don't feel terrible. I'm not saying this because I'm bitter ... wait for it..
I'm saying this because it's true and New Years resolutions are unrealistic. Here's what you can do ...
Instead of making a huge overwhelming list of things "to do" - make one of the things you "have done". Pump yourself up. You deserve it.
What was the best part of your year ? Better yet.. what were the best 10 things you did ..
Keep your goals. Keep your dreams. But don't reserve them to a new year.
Every day is a new day and every day and every moment you have a new chance to change your mindset, to choose a new path and to build a new dream. So if you feel like you've "failed" when you realize you didn't ever follow through with your goals, remember, tomorrow is a new day. Don't wait for 2018 and say next year I'll be better.
Remind yourself, maybe today wasn't my day but tomorrow will be.
My goals are to focus on personal balance and living in the present instead of the past and future.. And I can do this.. it's not a resolution. It's a life long practice that I've already started my journey toward. I'll never perfect it. Some days I simply won't even achieve it. But I will continue to work on it forever..
A few years ago I wrote a • nectar list •
I wrote a list of the amazing things I've done or experienced (or things that are amazing to me anyway). And it's sooo awesome to reflect on instead of starting a new year with a 'to do list'.
2016 was a long bitter-sweet year for me. It taught me a lot about myself and the people around me. I've been on some great adventures and spent some unforgettable moments with friends and family. Looking back... I honestly can't even fathom how all of this fit into one year. I don't have a "best nine" or best one photo for that matter.
I absolutely cannot fit the incredible moments I've had into a collage of 9 photos. It's impossible..
(I take a lot of photos).
So here's my Nectar List .. once more. {and it's not specific to 2016 because 2016 alone didn't make me who I am today. It was every great moment in all the years thus far in my life}.
1. I have been blessed with knowing the feeling of having an incredible career that I feel that I can give back all the time.
2. I live in the absolute best island on the planet and get to experience its wonder everyday..
3. I adopted the most gorgeous, smart, frustrating, timid, independent street dog out there. She's turned my world upside down in good and bad ways and is 100% my fur child.
4. I was absolutely lucky enough to spend my grandmas 80th birthday with her and she's still truly my best friend. {looking forward to her 90th}.
5. I've dove and snorkelled with whale sharks.
6. I've visited the Maldives.
7. I've added 3 more countries, and countless cities, to my Nectar list in 2016 alone (not including the 3 trips to the US and one to Mexico - countries I had already been).
8. Totalling my countries visited outside of Canada to: 18 (5 of which I've spent at least some portion of travelling solo).
9. I've listened to live music outdoors in January, in Aspen CO, in the middle of a snowstorm and it was dreamlike (in a city which I then got snowed into and had the best snowboarding of my life. Serendipity).
10. I've counted the stars from places that have no street lights.
11. I've hiked in the dark (up 5,500 steps to Adams Peak to be exact).
12. I've bathed elephants.
13. I've visited the Galápagos Islands ..
14. I've started building a house (to be finished some time in 2017)
15. I've visited the worlds largest Christmas light maze.
16. I've danced on table tops.
17. I've experienced and known the love of all four (real) seasons, and fall and winter are my favourite.
18. I've watched the sunset over the overwhelmingly beautiful city of NewYork from the top of the new world trade centre.
19. I've swung from a swing at the bottom of a volcano (on the top of a mountain) at 8,530 feet above sea level.
20. I've teared up at pretty much every single Canadian anthem I've ever been part of in my adult life..
21. I've flown in a hot air balloon over the ruins of Bagan at sunrise with my incredibly inspiring and loving sister.
22. I've driven around the absolutely stunning country of Iceland and hiked its waterfalls at midnight when the sun was still shining.
23. I have the greatest friends who truly know what I need more than I do sometimes and I honestly can't thank any one of you enough.
24. I have loved and known love so true and fierce and plan to continue to love fiercely all things. Because, what is life if we don't love the things in it.
25. I've walked across the Brooklyn bridge.
26. I've learned to jazz dance with a complete stranger.
27. I've been white water rafting in Ecuador.
28. I've nursed in the slums of India.
29. I've known the love of and learned from a totally dysfunctional family that is perfect in its own out there where (aren't they all)..
I could go on forever.. 30 seemed like the perfect number but no one is perfect and reminding myself that is part of my current journey so I'm leaving the list at 29!!!
{Also the age I'll be in 2017... that part wasn't planned}
On a final note... I tried to play along with Instagrams #bestnineof2016 {absolutely love the idea} but here's the thing ... what was generated was maybe what everyone else "liked" the most but it's not necessarily what I liked the most. So the photos I'm adding are compilations of collage on collage on collage of all the great memories of the year.
So may not only your 2017 but your next days and years be so full of passion, love and adventure. Always remember, tomorrow is a new day and nothing is perfect.
