Happy New Year my friends!
I always love January don't you?
I love the fresh vibe it brings.
And even though it's still chilly and cozy days, it has a certain crisp newness.
I think it's so important to do nice things for oneself.
I love buying flowers, so on a very rainy dark day I brought these home.
Instant joy.
Couple of baubles still rolling around.
But for the most part I've put the holidays away.
I love lighting my candles in the evening.
The glow makes me so happy.
Little snippets of happiness can make such a difference.
My pink amaryllis not only got super tall but bloomed white.
Which I thought was so pretty and unexpected.
Stars get to stay for always.
Little bits of magic mean everything to me.
2016 was a very interesting & wonderful year.
I spent the year doing really special things for myself.
I hiked almost every single morning, jumped on my trampoline and took care of me.
I actually started doing daily activities in December of 2014.
Then I got bored and ventured farther and farther outside my home.
(or is it further?)
Until going up big hills became my greatest joy.
All things that are carrying over into 2017 because they've become part of what makes me happy.
In fact I just got back from the hills a little while ago.
I now yearn for fresh air and heaving lungs.
I went so many places and really lived it up this year.
I love my home in the country, my dogs, my garden, the mountains.
But I found out, you can add things to your life.
You don't have to take things away and change it entirely.
But you can add things to make it that much sweeter.
I'm not one who loves change, so the idea of adding things to my life worked out really well.
The most important thing is that, somehow my two worlds of city girl country girl have melded.
It's been great.
And, as it has been reiterated in my life over and over again…
I continue following the important path of being good to me.
Searching for light and love always.
And being my own cheerleader.
Happiness has been my number one goal since I was 18 years old.
Life is hard and so, I choose happy.
Sometimes I let sad in for balance 🙂
My dad says you need to cry and laugh everyday.
They say there are a lot of toxins expelled in tears and I believe it.
I like happy tears too.
Peace of mind and soul is so good.
When I was young girl my dad used to tell me that you have to try to be brave and talk to yourself.
Grab yourself and talk to yourself he'd say.
So I do.
It's the most interesting thing, talking to yourself.
Do you do that?
When I get anxious or overwhelmed I talk to myself.
I tell myself good things out loud.
It's not always easy.
(sometimes you have to repeat good things to yourself a lot)
I tell myself to be strong and that everything will be okay.
And by golly, somehow it works.
It really works.
You can choose happiness.
One day on NPR not long ago, I was hearing about how easy it is to choose sadness and misery.
How as human beings we have become so accustomed to unhappiness that we cling to it and actually even sabotage happiness when it presents itself to us.
Imagine that?
I'm here to tell you, if you decide to be strong and good to yourself…
If you tell yourself you are brave instead of breaking yourself down about all the things you don't like about yourself…
You will be happy.
Maybe not 100% happy, but happier for certain.
And when you are happy you can do great things.
Like be creative.
Creativity, the joy of life.
How neat is that?
I've put positives into action and they work.
I'm telling you.
They work.
So, for 2017 I'll continue to choose happiness and kindness.
And I'll start by continuing to be nice to me, which transfers to being nice to others by default.
Wooow, what a ramble.
But there you go.
My simple and true thoughts for the new year.
Sending you buckets of goodness!
Believe.
Smile.
Choose joy.
Love yourself as best as you can.
At least try I say.
I think it's the only path to some level of contentment.
And don't we all really want that?
xoxoxo
Love, V
Love this post/ramble. So true. I don’t have to wish you a happy new year because with this attitude you already got it. But I will anyway!
****HApPY! NeW! YEAr!******
I love this all so much..and you Miss Spakley Angel Fairy are very wise indeed!!! Happy New Year, beautiful soul!! XOXO
Your little magical “love touch” and boost of positive advice has helped me immensely. I begin my new job tomorrow and I’m happy about the change, but fearful about it also. Nervous tension all around but I’m excited as well. Being the “new girl” can be unnerving, so I’ll try to say some affirmation like thoughts out loud to myself before I enter the building. Wish me luck! 🙂
Good Morning Vanessa
Such a beautiful post. I choose Happy also*** Love your flowers, I just bought myself flowers yesterday while I was out. Fresh flowers are the best
Happy New Year, I know you will make this new year magical
deezie
Happy new year! I love this post… Such a wonderful message to start off the year with!
Lovely!
I loved this post so much. I’ve “talked” to myself my entire life. It’s like I have a “friend” in my head. (We are very good friends.) ha. You are so correct in your thinking, Vanessa. We create our own reality and our own life and our perspective is everything. We are naturally going to feel sadness..we wouldn’t be human without and it teaches us compassion and empathy.
I feel we are kindred spirits and I enjoy your posts very much.
Have a Wonderful Year.
Beautiful and Profound Words of Wisdom! Yes, I do talk to myself every day and encourage myself. I also talk to God out loud during our Quiet Times together daily. Both conversations do indeed dispel toxins and increase happiness and contentment with Life and the Journey of it. Your Dad had Great Pearls of Wisdom… mine did too, which is why I miss him every day. He was not a Man of many Words but when he had something to say it always seemed so Wise and Profound, worth saying and committing to Memory. Loved your Encouraging Ramble my Friend, now I want to begin taking more walks again! Continued Prosperity and Blessings from the Arizona Desert near Phoenix… Dawn… The Bohemian
V
My grandmother would get up early in the morning …before anyone else ..say 5am… and she’d have her coffee and a little while to herself… If you happen to get up early too and come up on her quietly.. You could hear her whispering to herself…And she’d always say it was okay if you talked to yourself …your only crazy if you ANSWER yourself… lol So, i have conversations with myself all the time… I feel sorry for people who don’t take the time to hear their innervoice…
You haven’t mentioned Mr. Lovee in awhile. I hope all is well…… Hugs! deb
Couldn’t agree more and how this makes me smile! Here’s to happiness and kindness and joy. We can do it — it’s pretty easy when you just reframe things!
Love love love this post! Needed that! Also confirmed my intent for the New Year! Thoughts Become Things! Only goodness!
Much love and happiness to you and yours ~hugs~Leslie😊â¤ï¸
Oh I love that story about your grandmother <3 ML is great, our resident mad hatter. He really is the mad hatter I dare say. We're moons apart in age so things shift & morph & change but we're just as close & he will be my dearest bestest closest family for life. He encourages me to fly free, spread my wings & keep flying. Living, growing, enjoying life. He's very practical & supportive of living a full happy life & going on new adventures & letting your life morph and change, since he's done all that himself already. He's realistic, pushes me like a mama bird, get out of the nest & have fun little bird, fly fly. So supportive <3 <3 <3
Happy New Year…haven’t stopped by in a long time, but what a nice post to return to! Hugs.
Well said 🙂 🙂 I agree and will become better this year at talking to myself in a positive way.
Awe…V, this post has put a big smile on my face because 2016 was an incredibly difficult year for me. I will try to be good to me. I will. I was supposed to take care of me starting in 2016, but other things got in the way. I always felt so selfish when I wanted to take care of me. Now, I certainly allow myself to sleep a bit more, rest a little bit during the day and make sure to have tea in the morning and afternoon. Interesting about humans clinging to unhappiness. The hardest thing I find is when I’m happy and nice to people, and then, someone rude or disrespectful ruins it for me. I need to work on not letting that rain on my parade. Not sure how. But I’ll work on it. 😉 xoxoxoxo Jen
Happy New Year to you. I meant to come here sooner but I am getting over surgery on December 30th. I always talk to myself-I try to talk myself out of negativity. I think I am really a happy person and I try to look for good in everything.
Thie year I plan to be more creative.
Awww. I just saw this post. <3 I believe I believe! But you already knew that 😉
Did you make those stars? That is dreamy, and when putting away Christmas I found a cache of glitter so I am just itching to do something fancy! I was thinking a heart garland...but your stars are quite dreamy and I am a space girl 🙂
I am glad country girl V and city girl V are coexisting peacefully -- balance is the other of life's joys, methinks. 🙂
I foresee a lot more hiking in my future. It's different from taking a walk, which is what I've been doing on my lunch hour, and is nice too, just being out in nature....but the walk I take at work is on this sidewalk through the forest, and winds around a golf course, and a lake or two, and it's pretty but it's pristine. There is a touch of people, it seems, since there's a manicured lawn effect at the lake's edge. When I say hiking I think ***REALLY*** in nature, like narrow treacherous paths, and getting slapped in the face by pine branches and miles and miles of forest and hills and surprise streams (and Christmas trees!!!)....sigh....it's the best. Like being in the lord of the rings or something 😀
It is so very important to take care of yourself. It's hard to be happy if you don't; and really, you're doing the world a favor if your happiness shines though. <3
Happy You and Me and 2017 Veevalakins!!! xoxoviii Roostah
I so agree….happiness is a conscientious choice I make (or try to make) every single day. Your January vignettes truly are magical, Vanessa. I’m putting any most of our Christmas decorations today, but I like to leave a little out through Epiphany.
Very positive, uplifting post! Happy 2017 to you and yours!
xo,
Ricki Jill
Beautiful photographs, and true words.
I’ve found that even after devastating loss, I can make a conscious choice to be happy. Or at least content, which is something quite underrated.
For me, it begins with being observant; with truly seeing and appreciating the beauty surrounding us every day. Being mindful.
Wishing you and yours a happy and blessed 2017.
🖤 Carolee
Words can not express how much I needed to hear that. Thank you! You are a light in the world, and you’re shinning light on the rest of us as well. Such a blessing.
Happy New Year, Lady V. I love your stars draping in your room. I love candles too and light them even in daytime. I decorate with snow people all around my home to keep that festive feeling all Winter long.