It's My Party... and I can do Whatever the F*ck I Want!

In my last post, I mentioned that I don’t subscribe to the New Year’s Resolution bandwagon. One reason is that I found myself making unrealistic goals based on what others were doing (or saying they were going to do…) and not what I needed to do for myself. Years ago, I decided I wouldn’t make a special goal or resolution, and instead would focus on and try to be mindful of what was going good for me from the past year.

Growing Up in 2017

2017 was a year of self care growth for me. I realized that I needed to take care of myself, just like I want others to take care of me. If I can’t do it for myself, pay attention to and actually attend to my own needs, how can I expect someone else to do the same for me? What I learned from my commitment to myself is that not only did I begin to feel emotionally and physically healthier, but I also stopped expecting as much from others. In turn, this made it so much easier to begin to share my needs with others and greatly improved many relationships.

Celebrate You...the Way You Want!

Now, January is my birthday month! I started a new tradition last year: annual birthday trips! Last year’s trip was solo to North Georgia. That trip wasn’t just about celebrating myself, but also about learning how to enjoy solo travel for pleasure. Like many people, I typically travel alone for work. Most of the time, these are a “Wham! Bam! Thank you ma’am” type of trip. There’s nothing wrong with a fast paced trip, but we do need to slow down every now and then. Slow down to enjoy what is going on around us. Open our eyes, and take time to see what else is out there. For my trip last year, I explored a part of Georgia I had visited in the past…with others. For my solo trip, I was able to go where I wanted, when I wanted, and choose activities that appealed only to me. I also challenged myself to go out of my comfort zone. For this trip, this was going out to eat alone. What I found is it is easy to do, once you’re used to it, and easy to meet others for conversation.

A rare sighting of the BFF!
We'll let the BFF think my "uber excited" expression
is all about him! What he didn't know is
IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

It's My Party...

This is year I have a check mark on my travel bucket list: Nashville! The BFF and I are going. Why? What happened to my “I am woman hear me roar” solo travel? It was an option though I realized I did not want to drive four hours alone and Nashville seems worth celebrating with another.. Again, it’s a way to celebrate me and celebrate the way I want! It’s my party and I can invite whoever I want!

Stay tuned for next month’s love yourself more tip: buying yourself gifts.