New Year Thoughts …
Hi friends! I hope everyone had a magical, relaxing holiday and Happy New Year! As I start this blog post, it’s Christmas morning. I am up early to bask in the Christmas tree lights. I currently have a Friends Christmas episode on, coffee is brewing and it is 20 degrees out. It’s not snowing but, it’s the perfect Christmas morning.
1 week later… holiday decor is all packed up, home is clean and I’m feeling very refreshed. I dread putting everything away, it makes me sad but, it feels very cleansing at the same time. Who doesn’t love a refresh? So here we are, another year older, wiser and, very grateful to have another year in the books. With all that comes some life lessons and random thoughts that I want to share.
Low maintenance friendships are beautiful
I’ve never been someone whose had several close friends at once. I am introverted, enjoy being alone and am very particular about who I spend my time with. The people close in my life know that I don’t expect a lot of their time and energy. I want to come together when it works for both of us and it not feel forced. I understand that life gets in the way and that just because you don’t talk to someone every day doesn’t mean your bond or love is any less. If anything I think it is a deeper connection, and a friendship with the utmost trust and confidence. My best friend lives in a different state and although we don’t see each other as much as I would like, we have the best, most cherished time when we do get together. We check in on one another but don’t ever add pressure or stress to each other’s already hectic lives.
Mindset is everything
I think this is something we all know at this point, but a reminder is always nice. What we think and how we control our thoughts is crucial to our overall well being. We all get caught up in stressful situations where our minds are running endlessly in all directions, but the strength to control where are mindset is, is an untapped tool we all don’t utilize enough. And certainly easier said than done. But, when you think about it and take a few moments to re-center your thoughts you have that control in that moment. My advice is to find a positive book that you can read one passage of each day. I got The Daily Stoic last year and really enjoyed starting my day off reading one page. I definitely missed many days, so I am setting a goal for myself to read each days page on the day. It’s important to remind yourself that you control your mind, you control how you react, and it only takes a few moments to recalibrate your thoughts and take a few deep breaths.
A digital detox is a form of self-care
If you’ve never taken time away from your digital life, that’s okay. I get it. It’s everywhere, everything, all the time. It’s exhausting right? I don’t know about you but I feel sense of calmness when my phone is on the charger, in another room, not accessible to me. For someone who didn’t have any social media for a few years, I can tell you that it is 100% worth not using social media for a couple days. All the content will still be there and you can post your stuff later. At the end of the day, our real lives, the small moments and deep conversations are so much more important for your health and well-being. Even if you are curating your social media experience to benefit you and bring you joy, you can still get trapped in the comparison game. Try and take 1-2 days per week that you don’t go onto any socials.
There is beauty in simplicity
Ahh simplicity. Such a significant word to me. I truly try to simplify all aspects of my life. From my home decor, personal style, skin-care routines, and what I consume. When you let go of things that are no longer serving you, you allow only the things that do serve you to be welcomed in. I wouldn’t call myself a minimalist because I do have stuff lol, but it’s all what I want in my life, it’s organized and has a purpose. As someone who is always overthinking things and overanalyzing situations, I find peach in simplifying my thoughts. Majority of the times it truly is all in your head. You are creating chaos and you have the power to create simplicity. Life is not always simple, it’s complex, gray, complicated and hectic. So I do my best to ensure my day to day living space, style, daily habits are with simplicity in mind.
With patience comes strength
I think it’s so easy to go down the rabbit hole of comparison and see what others are doing and think for some reason we should be on their level. Your timing is all yours, no one elses. We don’t know how and what it took for someone to go on that trip or get that high paying job. We don’t know someone else’s path. All we can control is our own and believe in the timing of our own lives. When I look back to how I met my now husband of almost 8 years, timing was everything. It wasn’t constructed or planned, it was life and it happened in the time it was meant too. So have some grace for your path, do your best daily, and have patience with yourself.
Since we are officially in 2023, and I started this blog last year at this time, I would love to know your thoughts on my blog this past year. What posts resonated with you the most? What would you like to see more or less of? What categories draw you in most?
I welcome all the details and feedback.
Also, thank you so much for being here! For subscribing, engaging, reading my posts and just supporting me on this new venture of mine.
It truly means a lot to me. :)
my 2023 vision/mood/inspo board
XO,
Charlene Huntley
