Lessons from 2013

Here we are beginning another new year and, yes it is true, over a year has passed since I last posted anything to my blog. I apologize for being absent for so long. Let me tell you what I have been up to. In 2013 I did the following:

Hitting the ground running this year!

• Went to massage therapy school and received my massage therapist license and master bodyworker certification
• Graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and became a certified holistic health coach (AADP certified)
• Gained 20ish pounds
• Exercised only a handful of times (seriously--over the entire year)
• Practiced yoga only a handful of times (boy am I stiff!)
• Opened my own massage studio in the basement of my mom's house (doesn't sound very chic but I assure you, it is beautiful!)
• Went to a Chi Running Instructor Training (still working on the certification)
• Sent out Christmas cards (first time ever, so never mind that they went out well after Christmas--and maybe New Year's).

In a lot of ways I feel that 2013 was all about getting to the starting line--my own personal starting line--for the amazing success that is waiting for me. I put some things that are very important to me on the back burner and focused on getting this education that I feel will propel me into the realization of my dreams and the amazing journey that will take me there. I gained a lot of weight, but I let go of the belief that deprivation is the only way to lose weight, and I am so much happier living without deprivation in my life. What a relief! I stopped exercising almost entirely, but I learned to more effectively listen to my body, and now that I am back to exercising regularly (3 days in a row so far--woohoohoo!!!) I am paying more attention to what my body is telling me in the process. Surely this will lead to much more success in maintaining a long-term workout program, and will help me to prevent injury. Another major victory! I learned that loving my body isn't just about loving what I see when I look in the mirror--but that is a story for another time, and another blog post.

There are so many other things I have learned this past year, but rather than go on and on and overstay my welcome, I will end by telling you that 2013 was an amazing year, that I am so grateful for the lessons that I learned and all that I experienced in 2013, and that you will be hearing from me A LOT in 2014! Duh! I have to share the rest of my lessons some time, don't I?

Here's to a fabulously happy and successful 2014. And who knows, maybe I will actually have somebody to kiss on New Year's Eve of 2014. Anything is possible!