Angela Lilyquist Photography: Well Hello There!

If any of you decided to hang out with me even after my holiday absence you definitely deserve a gold star! It's a new year and I'm back with a vengeance. Well maybe not a vengeance but I'm definitely back. I have spent the last couple of weeks soaking in my family and all the holiday goodness. Including WAY too many goodies. We went to the movies, did some bowling, made lots of homemade goodies and spent some much needed time together and with beloved friends and family.

Now that we're in a new year many people's thoughts turn to "resolutions". Me...not so much. I don't do the whole resolution thing, it's not my style so to speak. I do make goals however. For some reason they don't seem so demanding or rigid. If any of you know me very well you know that I have a tendency to go overboard with things so goals are much better for me and my psyche. With that being said you might being asking if I made some goals for 2011. You betcha!! Will I share them you ask. Why not?!

Goal #1-Choose to be happy.

How do I do that you ask. Well here's my take. Happiness is a choice I can make, just like anger, sadness or self pity. How exactly can I choose to be happy? Well I can't choose my life or choose my circumstances but I can choose how I react to them. When I'm given yet another hurdle or detour I can stop and remind myself of all that I do have that makes me happy. I have an amazing hubby who is ever so patient with all my crazy ideas and middle of the night ADHD tendencies. I have 2 beautiful miracle babies who are growing up to be 2 amazing, wonderful, kind big kids. I have a warm and comfortable home filled with lots of fabulous memories and unique treasures. I have an extended family filled with loved one's related by blood and loved ones related only by heart. I have a job that allows me to pursue my passions and make other people happy at the same time. I have my health and the determination to keep going is spite of it all. I could go on and on but you get the idea so no need to ramble. This year and every year from now on I choose to be happy!

That leads me to goal #2...

Goal #2-BREATHE!!!!! This sounds so simple I know. Yet when I'm in the middle of yet another crisis of the moment I often get so caught up in the chaos that I forget to breathe. Literally and figuratively. Goal #2 definitely ties in very closely with Goal #1. In fact maybe I should rearrange the order. Either way if I can take just a moment to breathe I can almost guarantee that life will go on. Maybe not exactly as planned but it will go on.