Breathe.

It seems like a natural thing to do and something I don’t even think about as it happens.  A few things have happened in 2017 (at the beginning and at the end) that have made me stop and think  “am I really breathing?”.  Do I stop and breathe during the chaos? Do I take deep breaths during the calm? Do I model for my own children how to breathe during stressful times? Do I breathe in fresh air whenever I get the chance or do I move from thing to another without stopping to breathe? Do I model for my school staff that it is okay to slow down and breathe? At times it feels like I live a life of an endless to-do list, much of it is my own doing and I do love a good to-do list.  Work is busy (even though I have the best job on the planet) and our family is busy (even though we strive daily to eat dinner together around the table).  Reflecting on the last year I realize that I’ve lost some control over living a healthy lifestyle as I’ve let other stuff get in the way.  I’ve let the kids watch t.v. during dinner so that I can catch up on emails. I’ve opted for Chick-Fil-A instead of taking the time to make a meal that I’ve planned and prepped for because I was too busy/too tired to cook.  I’ve missed moments with my kids (both my school kids and my own kids) because I need to mark stuff off my to-do list and perhaps I’ve taken on one too many tasks. I’ve missed out on connecting with people in all areas of my life.

I’ve forgotten to breathe.

Choosing breathe as my one word for 2018 means that I will breathe…

during the chaos that doesn’t have to be chaos if I remember to breathe through it.

fresh air when I get back to my running routine that I have let slip away and take deep breaths during my early morning workouts.

during the moments of calmness and just enjoy the silence. 

I chose the beach as my picture background as it is where I breathe the best and often use it as my happy place.

Cheers to a year of making it a habit to intentionally breathe!