Seeing all the good!

I'm sure it's easy for you to identify the bad, the unfortunate, the sad, the heartache, the stress and the anxiety that this year has stirred up. I'm sure it's easy for you to sit in that space of negativity, because when it comes down to it, this year has been hard, really freakin' hard. We all have faced our individual challenges and with that being said, the feelings we have felt are universal.

What I want to challenge you to do today, is to step out of the ease of identifying the bad and the hard and to look at the beauty and magical moments that have happened this year. There may not be many, but there are some. If you can hold tightly onto these magical moments as we approach 2021, maybe, at some point you can look back at this year and only remember the beautiful, magical moments that you had. 

As part of my morning practice, I write... every single day. As part of my monthly practice, I do a monthly recap on all the good things that came from the previous month, one challenge and then the things I want to accomplish in the next month. This practice has offered me grounding in the fact that although we were locked down, the numbers are rising, and people are dying, in my home, in my world so many special moments happened and are still happening. 

These are some of the good moments that came out of this year for me:

• My date with Ella in January to ECHO and Al's French Fries as some 1:1 time before I went back to work after maternity leave.
• Hot cocoa dates with my loves - with ALL the whipped cream.
• Dates with a bestie to watch the Bachelorette before we both returned to work after maternity leave.
• Alex starting a new job!
• Before the pandemic hit, I was able to travel alone to Toronto for an amazing, life-changing conference.
• Sewing Mr. Fuzz, we made a teddy bear!
• SO many movie nights, always with a sweet treat.
• Virtual conferences and education!
• Reconnecting with loved ones.
• Identifying and using my voice - SO much self-discovery this year. 
• Wine nights via FaceTime with a few of my besties!
• Local trip to a Lake House with friends for some amazing days, laughs and needed connection and fun!
• Our adventure with chickens - holy smokes - if you haven't seen my instagram stories about these chickens - it's pretty funny... check it out!
• Golfing adventure!
• All the bonfires, s'mores and, as Ella says "s'marshs'mellows"
• The smell of fresh cut grass and flowers - especially the lilacs as they start to bloom
• Pool "parties" with family and friends.
• Ella learning "One Hand in my Pocket" and singing it most days on our car rides (don't worry, I silenced the one swear word ;-))
• A ride with my dad in his power wagon that he fixed up.
• Ice cream dates with family.
• Camping ... always camping. Lake George adventures with my loves!
• Boating with my parents.
• My Sunday morning walks with a bestie. 
• Sleeping in and not being so strict on my wake up time.
• Yahtzee nights with my love. 
• Friday afternoon bike rides with a bestie.
• Anniversary dinner and hiking Camel's Hump the next morning with mimosas at the top to celebrate 5 years of marriage.
• All the arts and crafts, playdoh playing, swingset swinging, learning to bike ride and do the doggy paddle.
• Watching Adalyn take her first steps.
• French vanilla coffee.
• Weekend breakfast dates with my parents.
• Quite mornings on the porch with my journal and the birds while the rest of the family slept.
• Country running - the birds, the ever-changing scenery and just me and the dirt road. 
• Podcasts - thank GOD for podcasts!
• Ella hiking up snack mountain! What a trooper! 

These are just a few of some very special moments that this year has brought me. Reading through these and writing them down leaves me with a feeling of satisfaction, happiness, peace and calm. There can still be so much good and so much magic during such an unsettling time. 

What are some of the magical moments you've had this year? Write them down. Put them somewhere as a daily reminder that although this year has been challenging, it has also been beautiful. 

I hope that you consider doing this practice. Sending you a big virtual hug.