2013 lessons.

mornings are golden.  I get more work done in the mornings before lunch than any other time of day.  Plus, I love mornings.

hope does not disappoint.  When all else fails, God is always constant.  My faith will always bring me through the toughest experiences.

there is no fear in love.  When there is love, fear is gone.  It's that simple.  All you have to do it trust.  And, while trust is scary, opening myself up to others always results in something amazing.

investing in warbdrobe staples is lifechanging. Not only am I saving money by buying only "necessary" items, but I'm getting more wear out of these clothes.  Some staples I purchase this year were a black, barn vest; black and nude flats; a leopard scarf, statement necklaces, a black maxi and a chambray shirt… just to name a few.

purging is freeing.  Have you ever watched hoarders?  I wouldn't call myself a hoarder as my pack-rat-ness isn't crazy, but I can definitely identify with some of the anxiety I see them experience in the show.  Recently, I've moved out of the guest room of my house and to the second floor.  It's difficult to let go of things, but I try to remember simple purging truths.  If I haven't touched it in years, I'm not going to miss it when I give it away.  The memories associated with items will still exist if the items are gone. I don't need this stuff. :)

there is such a thing as rest. For me I'm in a constant state of exhaustion.  I've felt like this for over 15 years, and as an adolescent the doctors thought I was just "growing".  But I've had numerous tests done, yet doctors can't explain my exhaustion.  So I have to be very mindful of how much I exert myself and what real rest means to me.  And surprisingly enough, rest for me is that quiet time in the morning when the rest of the world is waking up.  So I've been making more of an effort to go to bed at reasonable hours so that I can enjoy those early mornings.

project life is the best thing in memory keeping.  Project Life is a scrapbooking system by Becky Higgins where you document your life by putting together simple layouts in pocket-protector type pockets.  For my project life, I'd been documenting every week of 2013 with a spread in my album.  Project Life couldn't have come at a better time.  Because I was documenting every week, I took more pictures and wrote down more bits about my day.  And after losing my mom I found I took pictures of/with my mom that I wouldn't have had I not been doing project life.

always choose love.  Everyday I have the choice to be kind and love others or be selfish and mean.  And no matter the situation, choosing love and losing self is always the best choice. always.

don't give up. When life seems overwhelming, just keep swimming.