grateful

grate·ful:  \ˈgrāt-fəl\ 

~adjective:  warmly or deeply appreciative of gifts received; thankful.  synonyms:  appreciative, glad, thankful.~

today i am grateful for:

* an amazingly fun weekend spent with my best friends.

* pinterest, which makes keeping track of recipes i’d like to try infinitely easier.

* forgiving myself for making a mistake and completely letting go of it.  this is a huge accomplishment.

* homemade tomato soup (look for the recipe in an upcoming post).

* bath and body works “sleep well” bubble bath with lavender and chamomile.

* this quote:

everyday's a holiday (with a little gratefulness) -

shine

shine:  \ˈshīn\

~VERB:  TO GIVE FORTH OR GLOW WITH LIGHT; SHED OR CAST LIGHT; TO BE BRIGHT WITH REFLECTIVE LIGHT; GLISTEN; SPARKLE~

 

i absolutely love the new year.  there is something refreshing about having a clean slate and to actually take a day (or two) to reflect on the last year and where you want to go in the upcoming year.

everything always seems so new and sparkly.

it is as if we somehow give ourselves permission to let go and pack away all the baggage (good, bad, or otherwise) of that pesky previous year.

or at least, we try.

so, yeah, i am a huge fan of the new year.

however, i don't do new year's resolutions.  

correction:  i don't do new year's resolutions anymore.

last year while i was in yoga teacher training to get my ryt 200, my teacher spoke of choosing a "word of intention" for the upcoming year.  

the idea is that you sit and reflect on what you really want for yourself and your life (and ultimately those around you) for the upcoming year.  then, you select a word that reflects that intention.  throughout the year, you can keep coming back to that word and really see if you are creating a life for yourself that is a reflection of that intention.

cool, right?

i was totally on board and chose a word for 2011.

for me, this was much more productive than creating a list of resolutions that, inevitably, get lost in the shuffle of this crazy thing we called, "life."  next thing you know, i'm all cranky because i haven't gone to the gym 3 times a week or read more books.

now, if you love to make resolutions, i say, "go for it."  in the words of tupac, "i ain't mad at cha."

this is just what works for me.

so, i have been thinking the past week about what i wanted my word to be for 2012.  i am a huge fan of this blog and i was so inspired by what she has done for her community.  

the word "shine" has just really stuck with me.

i want to shine too.

i thought of other words, but i just kept coming back to shine.

so, i said earlier that you pick your word of intention, but that really isn't true.

it sorta picks you.

so, shine it is.  

i want to shine in everything i do, from my work, to my yoga practice, to play.  i want to be a light to my family, to my friends, and to the world.  i want to "radiate love."  i want to be thankful.  i want to help those who need it most, even if we've never met.  i want to be happy spot in the life of those closest to me.

i spent a lot of time today on pinterest creating a vision board of sorts that i can refer to (you can check it out here).  i'm inspired and i'm excited.  

here we go 2012.  i'm ready!

everyday's a holiday (when you are getting your shine on) -