Cultivate

For the upcoming new year, I have chosen one word that I will focus on, that will help drive my resolutions and goals.  For 2014, my word is CULTIVATE.  In order to cultivate new things, or to grow, change is often required - YIKES!  I have continually told myself throughout 2013 that change is good, and through a lot of prayer, faith, and help from my friends and family I have been able to make a LOT of major changes over this past year: where I live, relationships, and now career changes.  I could not have done it without my faith and all my incredible friends and family!!!  

I chose "cultivate" specifically because it deals a lot with growth, and growth is something I want to achieve a lot of in my personal and professional life over the next year.  I specifically chose cultivate because I want to grow, but I also want to nourish other things in my life: 

• Cultivating relationships:
•  With family and friends:  Continuing to stay close to my family and friends, and learn more about how to support and encourage them.
• With myself:  Learning to love myself, and embrace who I truly am.  Also taking care of myself with better eating habits (i.e. not an entire tray or package of cookies in one day!), regular exercise, adequate sleep (not currently a problem!), and relaxing.
• With Christ:  Continuing to learn about Him and grow in my faith through regular worship, Bible reading, Bible studies, and serving.  
• Cultivating professional skills:
• Work on my adjusting skills
• Work on my chiropractic knowledge  

I also want to cultivate other things such as love, hope, happiness, good habits and health, contentment, peace, awareness, optimism, joy, hospitality, and generosity.  "Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress." ~1 Timothy 4:15 

I LOVE this image from LifeHack.org:  

 I LOVE the phrase "design your life," because we are responsible for our lives, and we have the power to create the life we want.  I also love the visual of all the brightly colored paints, and the idea of them being painted onto a blank canvas!  While we try to "paint" our lives exactly how we want it, sometimes there are splashes and splatters that end up on the canvas unintentionally, kind of like many of our life situations.  However, when we stand back and look at the whole picture, it tends to look incredibly beautiful (even if it's not what we imagined!).  

Some other great images from LifeHack.org: 

I truly hope I make 2014 my year to shine, and I hope you do too!!!  I pray you achieve everything you want to over the next year, and that incredible blessings come your way!  God bless :)