Since I was little, I’ve always tried to write down resolutions or keep track of my year somehow. For a few years I wrote down my resolutions and hid them in a book. There were a couple of years when I wrote down all of my big moments or accomplishments on little slips of paper and put them in a jar on my desk.
This year I’ve decided to finally start a blog.
For a couple of years now, my friends and family have encouraged me to start a blog. As someone currently earning a degree in Journalism and a minor in English, you would think I would already have a blog. Well, I’ve tried a few times but never really created anything that I really loved. And I always got stuck on what I would write about.
Over the past few months, I’ve started thinking more seriously about this whole thing. I realized that I wanted to do more writing for fun and for myself. And I realized that I can write about whatever the heck I want. There are a few things I know for sure I will write about here about which I am very passionate: kindness and service, books and reading, friends and family. There are other things I’m sure I will write about, but expect to see posts about those things pretty often.
Since it is the new year, I thought I’d dedicate this post to some of my resolutions for the year. And no, dieting and going to the gym are NOT on this list.
In 2016 I will...
worry less what other people think.
I’m guilty of thinking a little too much about what others think of me. Okay, I worry about it a lot. I think a lot of people do. But as I get older, I think I care a little bit less. I’ve come to realize that I’m not going to please everyone. Everybody has their own thoughts and opinions, and that’s fantastic! I’d rather live in a world where everyone is completely different than one in which everyone is exactly alike. This year I will work toward worrying even less, if at all, what other people think of me.
give more compliments.
I realized recently that I’m really good at giving people compliments in my head. I want to get better at giving them verbally. What’s the point of thinking something nice about someone if they don’t hear it? This world would be such a kind place if everyone voiced their compliments for each other. This year I will give more compliments and mean them.
write more letters, notes, and thank you notes.
I absolutely love getting mail. And I mean good old-fashioned snail mail, not a notification from Gmail. I’ve collected thank you notes and personalized stationery over the past couple of years, and this year, I really want to put it to use. And I want to send more than thank you notes. I want to send random “thinking of you” notes and “just to say hello” notes. This year I will write (and send!) more letters, notes, and thank you notes.
volunteer more.
I’ve always been super passionate about volunteering and dedicating my time to service. Since starting college, however, I haven’t done much volunteering. I blame it on being too busy with class and other commitments. But when it comes to volunteering, there really is no excuse for not doing it. I’ve already started looking into volunteer opportunities on and around campus. This year I will dedicate more of my time to volunteering without making excuses.
read more.
If you know me, you know I’m a total bookworm. However, again, since starting college, I haven’t spent a lot of time reading. My major and minor require a lot of reading for class, leaving little time to read for fun. But I also spend a little too much time on my phone, especially before bed, and that’s just not good. This year I will spend time before bed reading for fun instead of scrolling on my phone.
drink more water.
I pretty much live on water and rarely drink anything else (except for coffee, of course). But I don’t think I drink nearly enough water throughout the day. This year I will drink more water.
have more patience.
I think kindness is one of the most important things in the world. And part of being kind is being patient and tolerant. I’ll admit that I’m not the most patient person in the world, and I’d like to work on that. This year I will work on having more patience toward others and myself.
Well, folks, this is the end of my first blog post. Like I mentioned before, one of my resolutions is to maintain this blog. One of the ways I hope to do that is to take into account feedback from my readers (even if most of you are my friends and family). I can’t wait to explore this new experience and share it with all of you! Thank you for all of your love, support, and encouragement.
Lots of love,
Sarah
T.S. Eliot, “Little Gidding"