Equanimity in Essence

Happy 2019 readers! While 2018 has brought its fair shares of highs and lows, I am excited to take on the new year and the new challenges it has to offer. Is it just me, or does the start of new year seem like the most Monday feeling of all? Usually Mondays, as much as we love to hate them, bring you a sense of “what could be.” Ok, maybe it is just me and my positivity that feel this way about Mondays. On any level, the new year is an awesome opportunity to tap into some untapped potential of yours and I wanted to take this opportunity to give you some motivation and inspiration.

People are quick to disregard the power of a new resolution. I used to be one of those people. But, as some of you may know, I made a resolution in 2015 to “try new things.” While at first this resolution lead me to try different types of food at restaurants, and drinking “more” water (not the best SMART goal), I eventually started trying new things. I started running in 2015, I started reading (more for fun) in 2016, and in 2018 I started writing (you are welcome, my faithful blog readers). While I have seen some personal improvements due to successful resolutions, I have also witnessed friends and family accomplish goals they were hesitant to set. Last January, I started going to the gym with my friend who had a goal to run a half marathon in June. I watched her transform from someone who was not thrilled about the morning workout sessions, to an individual who would spend an hour on a treadmill working towards her goal. Some of the tough days and cold mornings, the thought of my gym companion on the “dreadmill” for an hour without me there, motivated me to wake up, even when I did not want to leave the comforts of my bed.

Motivation and inspiration can come from anywhere, or anyone. We just need to take the opportunity to notice. The new year is the perfect time to take a step back and think about who/what motivates us. Our inspiration can come from anything and each new day, we can find this “anything.” Motivation is sometimes hard to find, but it is all about taking the little steps to make being motivated easier. I had no idea my gym companion would have motivated me as much as she did, and that was a little I took to make my journey easier. I encourage you to set yourself up for success, it is all about the little things (in my case, the thought of someone on the treadmill by themselves was enough to wake me up before the sun was up).

No matter how rough your 2018 was, always remember, God does not give you anything you cannot handle. I am sure that 2018 has brought me more tears than any other year of my life combined (not to be dramatic or anything), but here I am smiling like a dork writing this blog post.

Strategies for 2019

• Find someone who will hold you accountable for your resolution, no matter how big or small.
• No matter how difficult the situation, and no matter how hard it may be, look for your three positives. This may sound silly, but if you can rationalize and convince yourself of the three things you know you will benefit from the difficult situation, you can do anything.
• Be grateful. Gratitude has remedied my sadness more times than I can remember. If you can find a way to be grateful for your situation, or the people around you, you can feel more fully, and I think that is a great way to live in 2019.
• Dream big. They say if your dreams don’t scare you, you are doing it wrong. Make 2019 the year of your dream. Set a goal. Set a BIG goal and go for it.
• One mile at a time.

Thanks for reading!

-Mikaela

“A champion needs a motivation above and beyond winning.”

Pat Riley