Hello 2015!

I have been waiting for, like, forever for 2015. A year, actually, because I don't like even numbers.

So HELLO 2015! I'm happy to see you. I'll forgive you the bitter bitter cold.

Here are my exciting plans for you:

For the last couple of years I've been setting themes and goals instead of resolutions because my resolutions tend to be a bit nebulous, and actually last year my goal of communicating better was a huge bust because I had no concrete smaller goals to achieve the larger one. But, oh well, 2014 you even year you. Who cares! Adios!

This year's theme is one straight out of Stewart Smalley.
My theme this year is to: LOVE MYSELF MORE.

Cringe, gasp, point, laugh, this is what it's going to be for me this year. I realized that my larger goals for the year: eating better, being more creative, and being more thankful for what I had all wrapped up nicely into loving more.

What shows you that you love you more than eating an apple instead of a biscuits and gravy? Or taking the time to reignite some creative energy and spending time on "frivolous" passions? Or instead of complaining about this that and the other showing yourself and the universe that you are grateful for what you have?

The big component of my year is a huge undertaking and I haven't quite figure out how to do it yet, but I plan on having a news fast for the entire year.

Yes, you read that right. The entire year.

I'm a person who gets swept up in it. The fear, the anxiety, the worry, and anger. I have my causes that always get me riled up. I get depressed over how many people seem to automatically reach for a gun instead of a discussion. I get fearful about the world and the people in it. And not only does that not add to my year's theme of loving more, those emotions don't help you love the other people of the world. And this year's theme is all about the love and the creativity and the passion.

But I have no idea how I'm going to accomplish this. The easy parts are easy. No TV news, no internet news sites, no NPR on the radio (that last one gave me so much anxiety it was silly - what would I possibly listen to in the car?!). But then it gets grey. Do articles about home life or "5 Things You Are Doing Wrong In Your Marriage" count?

I've now decided yes.

I don't just want the actual scary news pouring into my brain, I also don't want to be told what to want or what my marriage is lacking or how to be a better parent in my brain either. I just want me. 100% ole me. Which makes Facebook and Twitter tough. I started out by getting rid of all the newsy news people on Twitter, then the comedians who discuss the news, then the non-profits who talk about the news, and now I'm down to very few things of interest on Twitter. And you can't get on Facebook because it's always telling you who liked what article and flashing that up. And after the terrible shooting in Paris, I realized Instagram isn't safe either. And does seeing all those beautiful home interiors I can't afford inspire or cause shame? Food for thought.

I don't have an answer yet. I tweet my gratitudes several times a week. I will be posting more design work on Facebook. I really don't want to quit you Instagram. I talked to a very creative toy maker the other week and he only gets on social media to promote his own work. He doesn't hang around. Maybe that's where I will go. But I love my Louise Hay messages and my Dave Ramsey encouragement (yup, still doing that).

For right now I still get news once a week from the magazine The Week that is delivered in my mailbox. And everything else will be based upon whether this helps me to love myself and others more or not. And if not, it's gotta go!

So that's the big goal. My next smaller post (man, this post has gone on too long), will be about the smaller goals.