. : P A U S E : .

2018 was my year of Abundance. I spent the year thinking of the things that I have and how it never seemed to be enough. I also spent the year parsing out what I wanted in my home and cleaning out some old things that had been weighing down my spirit. I didn’t spend as much time as I wanted wrestling with the challenge, but still found it useful and wanted to have another theme this year.

In 2019, I will focus on pausing. Too often I respond to someone in a way that could have been avoided because I didn’t stop to think. Or I spend time on a project that probably wasn’t worth the few precious moments that I have to myself. I want to learn how it would help if I let a few heartbeats go by before making a decision or, more accurately, learn what it feels like to actually make a decision instead of just responding.

I want to leave the world a better place than I found it. I can’t shower my favorite charities with money and I’m way too introverted and unable to go out into the world and make big changes. But I can practice being gentle and kind. And I can practice teaching my children to make careful decisions about how they treat others. While that won’t make sweeping changes around the world, it will matter to the people around me and slowly ripple through the world, just like the butterfly in my cover picture.

When I want to scream and shout at my children? Pause. Think about what they’re asking me when I want to automatically say NO. Think about what could happen if I respond with something soft, rather than sharp.

When I want to respond to my husband with a sarcastic comment? Pause. Am I personalizing something that’s not meant to be personal? Am I not giving him enough credit?

When I’m walking through a store and see something that is super cute but am not sure if I really need it? Pause. I have an abundance of everything I need. Other than cuteness, what will this add to my home?

When I want to share a tweet that doesn’t reflect the hope and love that I want to share with the world? Pause. How do I want my friends to feel when they scroll through my social media? Uplifted and smiling? Or angry and hopeless about the state of the world?

I have so much hope for 2019 — do you? Tell me a few things you are hoping for in this new year in the comments below!