First of all…Happy New Year everyone! 2018 was such a “crazy” year for me. Looking at the analytics for Crazy Blonde Life makes me very proud because the blog grew more than I ever expected. It grew because I worked very hard and tried to focus on writing for women like myself. Women who have arrived in midlife and want to live the best life they can possibly live. This year will be no different for me than last in that I will continue to pour my heart and soul into Crazy Blonde Life. I have plans for more YouTube videos, more podcasts, more recipes, more fashion and I’m revamping my MidLife Comeback Plan for 2019!

All of that aside, 2018 was an extremely difficult year for me personally. I miss my daughters terribly because as you know, they’ve all moved to different states and I don’t see them as often as I would like. That’s part of the reason for all of the travel. My father passed away in June and even though he wasn’t a young man and he was very sick, it was much harder that I expected it would be. I’ve also spoken on these pages about the struggles with my marriage and that has been the hardest part of all. In spite of these things, I’ve tried to remain positive and pick myself up every day to begin again. Going forward, I have a vision for the new year. I wish to guide myself by how I want to feel. I want to feel peace, clarity (that’s a big one), excitement, optimism and joy. How will I accomplish these things? First of all, as I wrote yesterday, I’m going to never forget that in every moment I have the freedom to choose. This year will be about my personal declaration to be happy. I will not let others determine my happiness because that’s giving up the power that is mine. I have the power to be happy in spite of the actions of others. What they do, think of me or say about me is none of my business.

So, having said that, let’s start with peace. What makes me feel peaceful?…getting up early in the morning and starting with meditation, sitting still and listening to the wisdom of the Universe. Knowing, deep down in my heart that I’m making the best decisions possible. Letting myself be guided intuitively as I move through my day.

Clarity – Clarity is huge. When I see a clear path and know which direction to go in I also feel at peace. It’s really all connected. When I can go to bed at night and know that I’ve lived that day to the fullest and not wasted a moment of my life and that I will wake up the next morning with a clarity about what I want the day to feel like. None of us can control all of the circumstances of our lives, but we do get what we focus on the most because that’s The Law of Attraction at work. I’ve started on my Vision Board for 2019 to help me really hone in and clearly state my intentions for the coming year.

Excitement – What makes me feel tingly inside? What are the things that I can hardly wait to do with my life this year. What do I look forward to accomplishing? Again, it’s all connected….when I know what excites me, that’s an indication of what will give me clarity and peace. I truly believe that we are on this earth to be happy people and that our happiness is an energy that goes out into the world and makes it a better place!

Optimism – I know that things are always working out for me. There is a reason that I/we all go through trials and hardship. I’ve learned more about what I want because I’m very clear about what I don’t want. Again, that’s the Universe giving me clarity. I don’t want to feel anxious, afraid, sad, etc. I don’t want to live with a bad marriage and I’m optimistic that 2019 is going to be a great year for us. I am optimistic about the growth of this blog and I am 100% certain that this time next year, I’ll be able to say that I’m proud of what I accomplished and I’ll be looking back on one of the most amazing years of my life!

Joy comes from all of the above. It comes from having a peaceful heart, being optimistic and excited about the future, spending time with the people I love and knowing that every day I’m striving to be the best person I can be. It comes from loving who I am in spite of my quirks and shortcomings. It comes from laughter and love.

I think that the clouds from the storms of the past several years are lifting and I can see the light of all of the amazing things coming for me! I am thankful for every single lesson learned and I’m stepping into that light with peace, clarity, excitement and optimism. I hope you’ll join me in creating the best year ever! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support. Here’s to the best 2019 possible!