THE GLASS IS HALF FULL 2017
Is it too late to wish you a Happy New Year?
It's still January (just!) so I'm going to go with it. Happy New Year!!
Does anyone else feel like 2017 has snuck up on them? Not that I'm particularly sad to see 2016 go, it was a strange, weird, and damn right awful year for many, but all of a sudden it's January again, just like that, and never has it felt so good to have a fresh start.
One thing I'm very glad to be leaving in 2016 is my driving lessons! On the 29th December I took my driving test for the second time, I reasoned with myself it was a good time of year to take my test as I will have been preoccupied with Christmas and the upcoming New Year celebrations (which we were hosting), turns out I was absolutely right. I was nowhere near as nervous as I was previously and the test ran so smoothly. A pass!
I've already nicknamed 2017, year of the car, year of freedom!!!!!
In all seriousness though, driving is a game changer for me. Since moving house I've been restricted on where I can go because of Caleb's nursery times, I could only ever venture so far or rely on others that could drive who had room for us. It didn't help that I'm actually the worst person when it comes to asking for help too.
The day after I got my car I went to a good friend's for lunch, nothing major, but before I was unable to as it would have meant two buses and not enough time around nursery schedule. I stood there in her kitchen, us chatting away, and I just burst into tears. Don't worry, they were happy tears. I was just so happy to be stood there.
It made me realise just how hard 2016 had been in many ways. Throughout last year I would focus on and tell myself repeatedly all the good things I had. So for example, when we moved I told myself.....I love our home, I love the area, I love the nursery, I love that the boys are settled, I love that Michael loves it, I love the lovely people we've met so far, all I need to do is pass my test......
It's taken for me to pass my test to finally admit that not being able to drive has been isolating and frustrating. It's like a rush of emotion keeps coming over me every time I think back to last year. It's the one time in my life I can say I'm truly proud of myself. Proud for passing, but mostly I'm proud that I kept strong with my positive outlook, besides a few weepy outbursts that my poor husband had to contend with ;). My glass remained half full.
I have to say there's nothing quite like passing your driving test to give you a positive outlook for the new year ahead. I feel refreshed, recharged and ready for 2017.
This will be the year I focus on more personal goals, remain positive and simplify. I said goodbye to a lot of clutter when we moved house and I now want to continue that in all aspects of our life. I've said goodbye to a lot of hard feelings I've been holding onto as well, they serve no one, all they do is harm me more. I choose JOY. Cheesy as that may sound, but it's true.
I wish you a wonderful 2017, and maybe some of you are in a place in your life that's particularly hard or not what you expected just now? I'm certainly no expert but remaining positive and looking to what you do have served as a lifeboat to me. Keep telling yourself your glass is half full, until it actually is, and then go blubbering to a friend over lunch about how hard things actually were and now you're crying because you're happy ;). It worked for me :)
