Name Them One by One

They say it takes 21 days to make a habit (maybe I should try blogging for 21 days-HA!). 3 weeks. That’s it. So if I do something for a whole year it should become like a character trait or something. Right? On that idea for the last couple of years I have decided to make one resolution each year, hoping that if I stick to it I will create a life-long habit (because if it only lasts a week year than is it even really worth it?).

In 2012 I made the resolution to live with “no fear” and I think I did a pretty good job. I had some pretty scary conversations and made some pretty big decisions that changed my life forever.

Then in 2013, while living in a foreign country trying to figure out how to understand Spanish, I made it my goal to, See more, hear more, love more. Talk Less. I’m a talker and I wanted to learn to be a better listener. I learned A LOT about myself and about others in 2013.

2014 rolled around and I was still living it up in El Salvador and we were challenged to “give a gift” to the Savior in the next year. So I made it my goal to serve someone everyday. I honestly don’t know if I went out of my way to serve others every day, I didn’t keep track, but I do know that I never forgot my goal and having it on my mind made it a lot easier to find opportunities to serve.

This year my goal is again very simple: Recognize the blessings…everyday. I believe that happiness is a choice. I have learned that when we look for the good we find it. And when we look for the bad we find it. Life is very often what we want it to be. Knowing that, sometimes I am still a real downer. I see long hours of work piled on top of excessive homework assignments and having to get up early for church on my only day off. And because I’m so caught up in those things I miss all the beautiful little miracles that are happening around me.

My best friend Shelby gave me this beautiful journal for Christmas (it’s purple!) and since I already had my goal in mind I decided to use it as my Daily Gift Journal.  Everyday I am going to recognize, in writing, at least one good thing that happened. One thing that made me smile. Hopefully this will help me to be happier. Hopefully I will see more good. And that journal is pretty big so I think I have room for way more than 21 days.

Here’s to 2015 being a year of blessings and happiness!