Adventure Awaits

The trip around the sun called 2021 has begun! Believing the best for it, I resolve myself to a different type of resolution. I resolve myself to make Me a priority! Perhaps this sounds selfish or self-serving. Let Me explain. I think it is fair to say without delving into years previous, that I am inclined by nature, to be selfless. I more often than not, put the priorities of others above my own. It is my nature to see a need and try to meet it. To empathize and to actualize remedies for other’s problems. This is fine and good I know. There are however only so many hours in the day, so many days in a week and so many weeks in a year! I see in myself more and more signs of burnout. I identify this and know that it is time for a new approach! Time after all, is the most valuable gift you can give anyone including yourself! It is measurable by the clock, but fleeting. One can neither hold it, or keep it. So, it is best to use time wisely. After all, the longer that we are here, the less time we have left. Resolving to make Me a priority requires that I reflect on what makes Me feel alive, and making the choice to do more of it! Listening to my body, acknowledging my feelings, owning my emotions and making decisions with my time. The goal in doing so is to make this trip around the sun more fulfilling.

I have no doubt that many can relate to the fact that days and nights are never long enough! Time commitments, responsibilities and priorities are draining. They leave me longing for a nap! On the contrary, I have noticed the more I do things for Me, the more that I am energized! Reflecting on this realization, I have surmised that I need to stamp out time to do more for Me! In 2021 I am going to be recharging my metaphorical battery! Ultimately, I realize that with more energy I can be more present, happy and more authentic! This is a very good thing.

I have identified that to recharge my battery requires Me to reflect on what makes Me feel alive. This is the easy part! A few things immediately come to mind. I love the outdoors. I love hiking and mountain biking and exploring places that feel remote. The woods and water have always felt welcoming to me. I am profoundly more aware of all of my senses during outdoor activities. Hiking and Biking are cathartic and consequently, therapeutic. Listening to my body is the hard part! I am painfully reminded that I have some limits. I fully intend to push them of course. There are feelings of accomplishment that come from persevering beyond some pain. I for example in 2020 started mountain biking. I am not particularly good at it, but I do love it! One day, I was on a single track with my bike. I was cruising through turns, and hit the berm wrong on a downhill turn. I toppled or rather flew over my handle bars landing head first in the dirt. Yay Me! Honestly this was not cool. I did get up though, I brushed off my pants and my pride. I refused to quit and continued the ride. Mind you I was painfully reminded in the days following, that I was very much alive. Nothing was broken, I just had to heal some bumps and bruises.

I am aware adrenalin plays a part in giving this activity its appeal. I am not an adrenaline junkie, but I do enjoy a challenge. Certainly, I am ultra-feminine, less then fit and frustrated on some level by anything that I don’t feel semi good at. This however does not succeed my determination to push through pain and make personal gains as I compete with the Me of yesterday. On that note, because I am wanting to improve, I know that I must make decisions in 2021 to eat well and do some strength training to improve my hiking and riding capabilities. In 2021, I choose to do more hiking and biking! I would also like to find ways to supplement my income and upgrade my bike. I feel that a new bike would make a world of difference to the ride.

I am inspired, and have carried that inspiration into other activities that make me feel alive. These activities though far from physical are absolutely connected. The first of which correlates closely with my decision to hike and bike more. That activity as previously mentioned is eating well! Undeniably this is something most everyone should commit to do in 2021. This is both easy and hard for me. The easy part is, I love to cook and plate food. It pleases me to have an array of food colors placed harmoniously together on a plate. I love being in the kitchen with my music playing while filling the house with the aroma of food seasoned to perfection. The hard part is that I love good food! I say this because when food is good, it is easy to over indulge. Moderation is key.

The second activity correlates with me acknowledging my feelings and emotions. Profoundly more aware of all of my senses while outdoors, my creative nature is stirred. My creative nature translates on to paper, in photograph and on canvas, in resin pours and in wood working.

This outpouring of creativity makes me feel alive. Each piece feels poetically, like a part of me. I am able to share feelings and emotions, in a way uniquely my own. With colors and carvings and word play. I am able to share a part of me with the world. In 2021, I choose to do more with my talents. I have the goal to explore virtual galleries and to pick one that can showcase my work. I also hope to publish more of my writing. In doing so, I have hopes that I can supplement my income so I am able to do more of the things that I love.

2020, left many, if not all of us feeling down. We need to heal! We need to find what makes us feel alive, and choose to do more of it! If that takes trying new things and examining one’s priorities so be it! Perhaps try mountain biking. Quit making excuses and choose because time is ticking away. We need to have energy, be present, happy and more authentic on this trip around the sun. It seems to me the very best thing anyone can resolve themselves to do is find wellness through self-care initiatives. One does not have to choose to take the single track, and cruise their way through pain to make this trip around the sun more fulfilling. I assure you though, if you choose this approach to making yourself a priority, adventure awaits!