Truth & Love | 2013 Edition

There's a running joke between my soul-sister, Anne and I, that our daily texts and online chats could be a reality show of their very own. First of all, they translate verbatim as to how we talk in person. Let's just say it's a gift we both have - and it's hysterical.

We've always referred to our convos (in person, on the phone, via text or online) as "Truth & Love," because I'm confident that aside from Jimmo, no one can quite put me in my place better than Anne! (As a stubborn, strong-willed, determined Virgo, I mean that as the highest compliment.) So, hell, if we can't chat on the phone, then by god, we're going to tell it like it is online or via text - I mean, have you embraced Emoji as if they were hieroglyphics?!

While I was in Arizona for Pop's funeral, I was up in my tree one afternoon bordering on the brink of feeling sorry for myself. The emotional weight of everything that had happened was building, and my body was telling me that it was time to take it down a notch. So, I reached out to Anne and she came back with some affirmations I needed to take note of - hence why they are now listed in my "Reminders" on my phone!

As I spoke about last year, I'm not a huge fan of New Year's resolutions. But, in looking ahead to what this year has to offer, (as well as what I was happy to have left within the 365 days of what is now known as last year) I share with you Anne's personalized list of affirmations she sent me via text - ones that helped this gal get out of her tree and back on the ground:

Whatever I need to know is revealed to me, and whatever I need comes to me in Divine right order.

I trust the process of life to take care of me.

The will of God will not take you where the grace of God can't protect you.

I am perfect health.

I am supported by the Universe.

Life loves me and it is safe for me to love myself.

I am energized and renewed.

I am shaping 2013 with these affirmations. Yes, do I plan to juice more, be diligent about x, y and z, make the gym an even bigger priority, read more books and write more handwritten letters ... of course! But the aforementioned won't come naturally without a whole, complete me. All of those "to-do's" and "resolutions" are just a trap for failure if the real work doesn't continue and evolve on the inside.

At least, that's my belief.

And, finally, I read this earlier in the week, and it, too, has stuck with me. The loss of life and loved ones in 2012 really, really, really brought this into focus:

There comes a time in life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. Surround yourself with people who make you laugh, forget the bad, and focus on the good. Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't. Life is too short to be anything but happy. Falling down is part of life, getting back up is living.

 Now ain't that the truth?!

Cheers for 2013! Most importantly, here's to an even better, happier, more peaceful life living inside of you!

xx JN

New Year's Realizations

Pablo Picasso's "Dove with Flowers"

The holidays are over. The New Year is here. A fresh beginning. The next chapter.

I pondered two specific questions (among many others) during my 10-days off: "What has 2011 taught me?" followed with "What do I wish to achieve in 2012?"

I have always found the idea that you start the year with a "resolution" a tad perplexing ... because for me, a resolution comes at the end of a journey, not the beginning of a new one. Granted, I realize it merely boils down to semantics, but nonetheless, I would almost prefer them to be "declarations." After all, aren't the majority of these said declarations abandoned within the first few weeks of the year?

As I spent time contemplating the last 12-months, I was able to see that 2011 was a year about lessons & realizations for me, and with that, I believe that 2012 is about putting them into practice. I have been up in my head since August 2010, choosing to face some important questions in order to move forward from my own self-imposed roadblocks. And I asked millions of them, challenging many of my own beliefs and relationships, while allowing my core to be rattled when the answers did not instantly appear.

Sitting now with 2011 in the rear-view mirror, I am filled with gratitude that the Universe and my loved ones were patient enough with me (and I with myself) as I worked (and talked) a lot of mess out. It takes a village, right?

So, now, in a few words, I share with you some of the realizations I had over the course of the last year, and certainly ones I wish to carry with me into 2012:

Everyone has a voice and someone wants to hear it.
What you say, who you are and what you want matter. 
No one is put on this earth to fail. 
People really do change.
Our biggest challenge may in fact be our greatest blessing.
Expectations are not the same thing as intentions.
Work hard to play even harder.
It can be scary being real.
Nothing starts without action.
When we scatter seeds, we must be open to the possibility that they may sprout and grow in an unexpected place in the garden.

As you peruse your own list, know that you make a difference in the world merely by being you. And anything you do to improve yourself in the coming year, will make the world an even better place.

Here's to a beautiful New Year of 2012!

xo JN