My most wonderful time of the year
Well…it’s 7 PM on January 31st which means in just a few hours we will officially be 1/12th of the way through 2019! I swear time is flying by, even though there have certainly been days that I felt were dragging into actual eternity. As January draws to a close I wanted to check in with all of our lovely readers and see how everyones first month went in terms of rethinking/reframing your resolutions and doing more of what sets your soul on fire! Allison and I both wrote our January posts on our intentions for starting 2019 off in an empowered way, instead of stuck in the often toxic cycle of resolutions. If you missed them, go back and check out the last two posts — we put a lot of passion into them and were really excited to write them! Plus this post will be much more relatable if you’ve read them!
Since accountability is key, I thought I’d focus my February post (which I’m posting a day early) on checking in on the progress I’ve made, encouraging all of you to share what your experiences have been like, and to share my passion for Mike and I’s most favorite time of the year….HEART MONTH (Feb 1-28)!!!
Much like Allison, I wanted to work on a healthy and strong body going into 2019. I too have made this resolution FUN by getting even more into cooking and recently I have been extremely into smoothies. It may sound silly to some but I have been having a blast playing with different recipes and combinations, all of which have resulted in fun and delicious fuel for my body. I have also made it a point to try a bunch of new plant based recipes and much like my smoothie experiments I’ve been having fun testing out various buddha bowl combinations. Mike and I have also been trying to make it a point to get to the gym together when we can and make a date out of it, even if it’s for a quick 25-30 minute workout!
Heart month starts TOMORROW which means February will be jam packed with energy flowing from what sets my soul on fire: advocacy, writing and awareness surrounding heart health and healthy living in general! Even though I am certainly very involved in the community, my shyness and often times fear of being in the “spotlight” (even for a good cause) tends to get the better of me. That, coupled with working full time and struggling to stay healthy this winter while keeping my Atrial Fibrillation in check, has often caused me to stop myself from fully engaging on the next level (particularly when it involves speaking/socializing instead of hiding behind my keyboard and writing!) 2019 is going to be the year I vow to challenge myself more, overthink less, and continue to really step outside of my comfort zone. I’m proud to say that I have committed to joining the ACHA (Adult Congenital Heart Association) committee for the 2019 “Walk for 1 in 100” DCMARVA Congenital Heart Walk this spring, along with being a captain for the University of Maryland’s team once again. Mike and I have also accepted a speaking role for a lunch and learn series at the end of the month which will be one of our bigger presentations/speaking engagements to date and we sat for a phone interview with the National Team for the American Heart Association. Finally, we are beginning to move forward with our plan to launch a website/platform this spring relating to heart health and other things that make our hearts happy! There is certainly a lot in motion, but I am amped up and ready for it all! I am feeling so good to be prepping to volunteer so much!
So…I’d encourage all of you to take tonight to reflect on how the first month of your year has gone. What are you excited about? What are you having fun accomplishing? What can you do to be of service to the greater community? Is there a cause that sets your soul on fire? Do share!
ALSO - .tomorrow is national GO RED day to raise awareness for heart disease and stroke. So please, rock whatever red you have, spread the word, and post pictures and tag Mike and I!
XO,
k
