It is the start of the new year, and everyone has a new outlook on what they want to achieve.

For some it is health, others want financial stability, and even more want the full package.

But what is the full package in life?

I watched this video this morning and thought it was funny but true as well. What stage of life are you in? Do you still have the little white trashcan someone else gave you when you got to university? Or have you upgraded your life to the stainless steel, fully automatic can?

Let’s take a moment and reflect on our selves…

What did you find? Did you dig deep enough?

Personally I have been reflecting on where I have come from that has made me the person I am today. All the relationships, all the pain, all the joy, every part of my family, all the choices, and all the regrets.

So what now? What choices are set before me to make in this season that will influence me personally into who I become in the future. The truth is the future is unknown. I used to try and have 10 year plans; however, I quickly learned life is liquid. It is life, but it is always changing. In some moments we because are hard as ice and cold because of what we experience. At other times we are boiling with rage for ourselves or those close to us. We can be like snow softly falling and bring peace as we wait for that expectant change to coiled in our hearts. Or we can be water, weather flowing, raining, ragging, or standing still. The point is we are always the same, no matter what, You will always be you and I will always be me.

So after looking beyond who I am in this moment I have decided. Being able to look closely at life is art. We are all beautifully and wonderfully made. I want to live every moment in transparency. As the purist form of myself that I can be.

I was recently asked if I could redo life what would I change. I thought long and hard. There are many joyful memories I would never change. There are also many painful memories; however, I wouldn’t change a single moment of time. Every embarrassment, every mistake, every block in the road… It was all a giant set up to mold this wonderful person with every detail and every moment of learning into who I am today and who I am becoming tomorrow.

Don’t fear change, embrace it! If you are unhappy with you today, look closer, dig deeper, search beyond what you know now. Because, tomorrow you will still be you, but there will be a change.

Art is only appreciated once it has been looked at closely. So today take a moment, look closely at yourself, look closely at your partner and appreciate all of your life. Don’t be afraid to let others take a look. Sometimes it only takes one admirer to make art priceless.

Myself and my Husband in Claremont, California

(My featured photo today is thanks to my eye doctor and her amazing skills of looking beyond the surface)