Are you living or simply existing? Are you going through the motions of the day? Is it time to shake things up and do something that pushes you? It’s easy to get caught up in our daily lives and tell ourselves that we don’t have enough time or resources to do what we want to do. But, if we challenge ourselves and realize that it is essential for us to do something that brings us to life, we can find a space for it. If you are caring for anyone else, such as a family or a significant other, it’s vital for you to have something that gives back to you. This year, what if you committed to doing one thing that pushes you outside your box.

Every new year is an opportunity to make different choices and do different things. One thing that we can borrow from rock stars is the opportunity to reinvent yourself or your image. For some, it can be as simple as a new hair cut or hair color. For others, it can be giving yourself permission to do things that you tell yourself that you don’t have time for. Do you love watching dancing shows and long to see yourself as a dancer? This year, you can agree to commit to learning how to dance. You can learn how to play piano, shoot photography, or join an improv class? You can do anything you want. There are classes for almost everything under the sun. There are people teaching what you want to learn.

“If you wait to do everything until you’re sure it’s right, you’ll probably never do much of anything.” – Win Borden

I spent the past year confronting so many of my fears. I told myself that I was going to do what scared me. I’m not talking about dangerous things that could harm me. I’m talking about fearful moments when I knew that I was avoiding choice because I feared what it would require of me. I’m talking about letting go in moments when fear made me want to gain complete control. I’m talking about saying things to people when I feared that they wouldn’t like me if I said it. What I found is that the reaction in my mind was much worse than the actual reaction. I pushed myself and was able to do so much more than I thought I would accomplish. I was also able to rise when life kicked my ass. And, trust me, it did. I understand that when you make a declaration or say that you are going to do something that you invite the challenge. You will not only be given what you want, but something you need to test if you are really sure that you want to make that change. There is always a test, so I am aware of it.

We are three days into the year and I am surprisingly calm. I haven’t been calm like this in a long time. I’m not calm because I know that everything is going to be alright. I don’t know anything. All I know is that I can handle it. I have dealt with some very tough things and they didn’t break me. But, for me, this year is about no longer living scared. It’s about moving forward and thriving. It’s about  finding a smile in every day of my life. It’s about finding the lesson in every experience. It’s about loving when I would rather run away and close my heart. It’s about finding courage. I hope you will join me on my journey this year as I share what I’ve learned.

“A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.”- William Shedd