Taking Stock of What's Most Important

You may or may not have noticed my absence in the last month. I have been struggling. Struggling with motivation, inspiration, energy, and joy. It is hard to post when you are unsure of what makes you happy,

You see, I was struggling with my image both on my blog and in my life. I tackled a diet trying to get back to who I wanted to be, and that only made matters worse. Adding deprivation into uncertainty can never yield a positive result.

So for the last few days I have been taking an inventory of what makes me happy. Blogging is one of them, but it is not number 1 on the list.

Number 1 is my husband. Tim is where this amazing life began, and without him it would be nothing.
Numbers 2, 3, and 4 are a 4 way tie with number 1, and those are my kids. Loving them and making them feel loved is paramount to my happiness.
Number 5 is my family and friends and in many instances those things overlap. I am blessed to be able to call much of my family my closest friends, and many of my friends are my family of choice.
Number 6 is volunteering. Having the opportunity to make the world a better place and then doing it, is a gift.
Number 7 is food and wine. I was shocked to see that it falls this far down the list, but it does. It is still ahead of all other extracurricular activities, and finding a way to enjoy it both as a healthy lifestyle choice and make it affordable are what drive me. Expect to see more of this here on the blog.
Number 8 is being outside. When I spend too much time indoors, or sedentary, I am miserable. Being a part of the world around me is a vital part of my soul.
And lastly,
Number 9 is exercise. When I am more active, I feel better. And when I feel better, I have more energy for the first 8 items.

So that is it. I would love to wrap it up in a nice and neat 1-10 list, but there are no bonus points for neatness here. Being real and valid are much more important.

You should expect to see some changes on the blog over the next week or two. I am excited to get back to it, and include more of the things I am passionate about.

Sophia Loren said it best, "After all these years, I am still involved in the process of self-discovery. It's better to explore life and make mistakes than to play it safe. Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life."

The first makeover starts tomorrow.