Everyday Beautiful is my recap of the things that brought me joy during the previous week.
Happy New Year, my friends! While the end of 2023 didn’t go quite the way I anticipated (does it ever?), here we are. The Christmas decorations have been put away, we had our final Christmas celebration last night – it feels like a good and proper way to start anew.
After writing my Everyday Beautiful – 12/10/2023, I honored my feelings and took a much needed break over the holidays. December is a month of pure stress for me – I wish it could be different, but I don’t know if it ever will be. It’s not just about the giving of gifts, but the maintaining of the constant Christmas magic, the gatherings, the end of the year school projects and performances, the memories, the baking, and celebrating, and don’t forget the sicknesses! We cram so much into the last month of the year, it’s no wonder we welcome January 1st with such open arms.
Looking ahead to 2024
While 2023 had some wonderful memories, the thing that stands out to me the most is my diagnosis of Acid Reflux. I spent the second half of the year hoping that it would just go away, so that I could move on with my life and enjoy all of the foods that I once did. But it wasn’t until a couple of weeks ago that I realized that it will only go away if I make some life changes. My coffee intake has been the hardest adjustment – going from 4 cups a day to 1 or 2 now. Coffee is one of the greatest joys of my life, but coffee is making me physically sick. If I was a smoker and I was hacking up a lung every time I smoked, the answer would be easy – just quit smoking. So why am I treating coffee any different? Why do I love something that is causing me such physical discomfort?
Around the same time, I watched the video with Marie Forleo and the Glucose Goddess and learned so much about how our body can have so many health issues that correlate to large glucose spikes and dips throughout the day. As someone who also has Type 2 diabetes in the family, I became very curious about how flattening my glucose levels could potentially eliminate my acid reflux and prevent a pre-diabetes diagnosis in the near future. The best part is that it’s NOT A DIET. In her book Glucose Revolution, Jessie Inchauspé has created a list of 10 hacks that you add to your already existing way of eating, that helps your body limit the glucose spikes.
These two minor epiphanies have led me to my 2024 word of the year – WELLNESS. I chose wellness, because I want to feel WELL. This can be used in so many aspects of my life – physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s not a drop 25 pounds goal, or cut out carbs goal, I just want to start feeling well. And because I’m focused on a feeling instead of an accomplishment, the process to get there can evolve as I need it to.
Links I Loved
If you’re looking to create a word of the year, this is my favorite process to follow.
Black and white thinking is something I would like to move away from in 2024.
Looking to set some goals this week, month, or year? Avoid these mistakes.
Words to Live By
We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.
Edith Lovejoy Pierce
Do you have a word for 2024? I’d love to hear what it is! Cheers to a wonderful 2024!
Becca @ Life’s a Pearl
I love your word for 2024. It’s so multifaceted! Very excited to check out this interview. Thanks for sharing so many great links!
I have a phrase for 2024 – go deeper. This mostly applies to my reading life but I like that it can tie into any part of life for the year. It’s a good reminder for me to put more time and energy into what I’m already doing before expanding outward and taking on even more.
Cheers! 🥂🎆🥳
ASHLEY
I love this phrase! I’d like to adopt it when journaling or questioning things in my life. It may uncover some good and deep things!