Sunday 4 January 2015

Anew


So, here we are: a new year upon us and the festive merrymaking packed away (well, in this house anyway - I've never been one to hang about once it's all over). The tree's outside, no doubt gratefully breathing in lungfuls of chilly air and soaking up the moisture. The ornaments are neatly boxed up and stashed away in the attic. The fridge is once again home to green leafy things.

For many, tomorrow marks 'back to work' proper. Jay's going in and it'll be just me and Joe again through the day. But hopefully I won't find that quite so exhausting. I had some blood tests done over Christmas and it seems I'm iron deficient. Which certainly explains some pretty grim symptoms: palpitations, daily headaches, brain fog, dizzy spells and a constant feeling of grinding fatigue. I was so used to it that I thought it was 'just me' - my body's default setting.

Not so. Our local lovely health food shop had one bottle of this left in stock and after the best part of a week I'm feeling so much sharper and, well, awake. I know red meat's the best form of iron (as well as other things I do eat often) but I'm not a big fan. So, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for 2015.


I know lots of bloggers like to start a new year with a single word which encapsulates their hopes and plans. I prefer that to an exhaustive list of resolutions, although there's nothing wrong with writing down your goals. I've given this word thing some thought and - of course - struggled to narrow it down to just the one. But I think I've got it: Brave. As in, Be Brave.

Life for us at the moment is in a state of transition and we have many decisions to make, particularly regarding buying a house (where?) and what we want to do long-term. We know where we'd really like to be, both literally and figuratively, and I think we both know, particularly after last year, that life is indeed short. I'd hate it to fly by and to look back with regret. You see, I'm not one for taking risks, I live in constant fear of failure and I crave security. But without doing anything too irresponsible I think we should just go with our gut instincts and try. If we fail, so be it. Better to have given things a go than forever look back wondering what might have been.

So as this year goes on I'll share a little here and there of our plans and (fingers tightly crossed) progress.


Being brave also applies to my creativity: to blogging (writing in an honest way, without worrying too much about whether I'm keeping up with trends or about how I come across). To other writing: memoirs and notes (which I'll expand on in a later post); to my photography and artistic endeavours. I'd love to give the blog a bit of a facelift. I'm a true aesthetist. I love to make things look beautiful. Whether that happens (what with my limited technological knowledge) remains to be seen.

I think I could maybe push myself a little more in terms of getting 'out there' with my photography. Instagram is fun but I far prefer my camera to a phone. My social media activity needs a bit of re-evaluation too. Twitter's OK for reading here and there and keeping informed, but I rarely put anything out on it myself. I mean to keep my Tumblr account up-to-date with photos and am considering a Facebook page too (I don't like Facebook very much, truth be told, but it is useful for local contacts).

And Pinterest. Ah, Pinterest: how I love thee. And how much time I waste while away gazing at beautiful pictures. It's research, OK? It inspires me. But maybe I should set a little timer so that those sessions can be kept to a reasonable length.

So, a new calendar. A new sense of purpose. A new year. I'll keep drinking my green tea (surely I'll actually start to enjoy the taste at some point) and trying to use my time effectively: making time for creativity, pushing myself forward and peeping out from the little corner I hide in. Being brave.

If you have a word you've chosen, an affirmation or a goal for this year: feel free to share it here. If you're keeping it quiet, I get that too. Here at Mitenska I like to do a bit of both... 



26 comments:

  1. Funnily enough I was thinking what word I want to focus on during 2015, and came up with celebrate. I'm keen to celebrate the big and small things that make life beautiful, whether that's by opening a bottle of champagne or making a cup of tea after an hour of housework. Good luck with your bravery, and remember great strength can always be found in friendship.

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    1. Oh, I totally agree with both sentiments. And for me it's all about the little things in life... I wish everyone felt that way!

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  2. Happy new year!! I love the start of the year, filling in the calendar, making plans, etc. We're still sitting in the remains of christmas and the first job tomorrow, when the children have gone to school, is to pack christmas away!! Sarah

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  3. your goals for the year sound good, I like your word a lot. I hope the iron supplements help with your energy levels x

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  4. Happy new year Sarah! I love your word and I wish you every success with your bravery. We, too, aren't risk takers and worry about security. We have lived in the same house for 23 years and I worked for the same organisation ( in different roles admittedly) for 34 years. But now, guess what? This year, we are throwing it all up and moving to France! Because life is too short as you say and we will regret it if we don't . Simple as that. So I really understand your word for the year. Good luck!

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    1. I wish you the very best with that! What a great story - and what a great leap you're taking. May it be everything you hope for (and more).

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  5. I don't have a word, but like you I feel change in the air. I also don't like to take risks, and I'm feeling incredibly anxious and unsettled. The New Year is an especially scary time I find. Maybe I should be brave this year as well. We shall see. Whatever happens, I do hope you and yours have a very happy 2015. CJ xx

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    1. Oh, I'm terrible for anxiety. And I don't mean that in the way everyone says 'I'm stressed'. I can literally imagine dreadful scenarios and worry myself sick - I've done that ever since I was a child and it's just awful.
      So I do sympathise. I really hope your worries settle down and things don't seem quite so frightening - welcome on board with the being brave journey! S x

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  6. I hope that 2015 will be a brave new year for you in many wonderful ways! xx

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  7. I don't think I have a word. If I did, it might not be a very nice one. But I feel that it's time to shed some negative feelings and situations for my own good. I hope you have a good year. I look forward to reading more about the changes and plans in your life.

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    1. I hope you achieve your goals and manage to get rid of some of the negativity. It's refreshing to hear about other people wanting to change for the better, instead of reading about those with seemingly perfect lives!
      Wishing you a wonderful 2015.

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  8. Present. As in The Present. I'm often so busy mulling over the past or fretting about the future that I forget to live in the moment, to appreciate and enjoy the here and now. Happy New Year ... and persist with the green tea.

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    1. I'm giving it my best - and it actually tastes a bit better today! I love your word. I really need to work at that - all too often I realise that instead of savouring these precious days with my little boy I'm either rehashing past disappointments or panicking about what may lie ahead.
      I intend to try and catch myself and bring my thoughts back to the here and now.

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  9. I should probably choose the word brave to focus on, too. I am not a brave person, in any sense of the word. I hope your year is shaping to be a good one. x

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  10. Good word choice. I've given up making NY resolutions, too, (who needs yet another to do list?) and go down the guiding word route. Good luck with achieving your goals. As someone very wise once said to me, there's a risk taking no risks.

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  11. Glad to hear you've found out what was wrong with you and things are improving. It should make a big difference for you. Hope everything goes as planned for this new year.

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  12. "I have the enthusiasm, drive and energy to achieve anything that I put my mind to" and "I am in control of my choices and actions" are two affirmations I like to use - as a person who is afraid of failure. These are from a book called 'How to be Brilliant: 90 days to change your ways' by Michael Heppel...give it a go, it's ace!
    You have a lovely blog and a lovely heart...Happy 2015! :) x

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    1. Hello! Thanks for the tip - I do love a good reading recommendation. And I'm a fan of affirmations too (the Pinterest board filled with the is a testament to that ;))
      And thank you for the comment. Happy 2015 to you x

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  13. I just know that whatever word I choose now will probably have changed by Easter! Like you I am quite risk averse and so this year I will try really hard to just go with it and see what happens.

    Good news on getting your iron deficiency diagnosed. I am told that green veg and Guinness are also good sources of iron, but your probably knew that already. I hope you continue to feel better. xx

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  14. Hey Sarah,
    On the advice of Annie, I bought Spa Tone from Boots when my anemia got very bad. It was gentle on my tummy too.
    Your photographs are particularly beautiful in this post.
    Leanne xx

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  15. Brave is a good word. I too tend to be risk averse but have learnt that if you leap the net will generally appear. I do hope all your plans and hopes and dreams come to fruition.

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  16. Oh Sarah, I know just how you feel. Last year we all had to be brave and fight against instinct, but it all came good in the end. I think go with your heart and your head will follow, even it it feels like madness some times.

    Happy New Year. I'm sure it will be a good one. Xx

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  17. Brave, perfect. I love that everyone I see has picked such positive and strong words - strong women, a beautiful thing to behold x

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  18. Brave is a great word Sarah. We could all benefit from being more brave, I think! It must have been a relief to find out the cause of your symptoms. Glad to hear you're on the road to correcting the imbalance. And your sheep photo is gorgeous! What an expression. Bee xx

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  19. Beautiful frosty photos, the wintry colours are gorgeous. Brave is a great word choice. It's definitely something I need to work on too. I think I'm getting worse as I get older - not wanting to step outside my little comfort zones because of my anxiety.
    Glad you have worked out what was wrong with you and are feeling better, it must be a relief to have an answer to your symptoms. I hope 2015 is a wonderful year for you Sarah. xxx

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