New Year's Resolutions, and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Happy New Year!  Welcome 2014!  I have a great feeling of hope & optimism heading into this new year, more than I can remember feeling in years past.

I am a new year resolution maker!  I LOVE anything that has to do with lists, fresh starts, changes and future plans.  So here are my New Year's Resolutions for 2014:

...Actually, first I'd like to give a quick movie review.  It all ties in...

This evening, we took the girls to see The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

I loved it.  It was soothing, exciting, poignant, funny, adventurous & homey, and the cinematography was fantastic.  If you haven't seen the movie, it is about a mild-mannered guy who frequently finds himself lost in the fantasy world of his imagination.  These daydreams are a much needed escape from his ho-hum life.  Until one day, his fantasy world becomes his real world, and Walter Mitty (re)discovers that he there is an adventurer within him after all.   The great thing about this discovery, though, is that he doesn't go crazy with it.  He uses it to settle back into his old life, but with a new perspective and ambition.

Basically, Walter Mitty finds balance.  And it makes him happy.

Now, back to my New Year's Resolutions for 2014:

I resolve to strive for greater BALANCE in my life.  In church last Sunday, a lady spoke on this topic.  She suggested that as we consider our upcoming year, we focus less on adding new things into our lives (I will exercise 5 days a week; I will read 12 books this year; I will feed the homeless once a month).  Rather, we should look for ways to improve the things that we are already doing - look for ways to bring our current lives into greater BALANCE.

This idea resonated strongly with me.  And watching Walter Mitty today firmed it up in my mind.  This is what I want to focus on in 2014 - Improving the BALANCE in my life.  Here are just a few ways that I think I can do this (although I'm sure that as the year progresses, I'll find may more areas in which my life is out of balance):

~I will try to find a balance between healthy eating and the occasional treat.

~I will aim for a better balance between the calories I take in and the energy I expend each day.

~I will strive to balance the need for "me" time with the need to help & serve others.

~I will strive to find a balance between time that I spend on electronics and the time I spend reading, or chatting with my husband.

~I will work toward a balance in the time that I spend working (cleaning, planning, cooking, etc) and the time I spend playing with my kids.

Here's to a well-balanced, happy & peaceful 2014!