this is what we need to know.

I'm making this soup! Except there are about 37 other vegetables involved! This soup and this post are brought to you by the fact that tomorrow, I return back to Minneapolis. It's been a holiday for sure.

Dear you and me,

This past year was...a year. In which lessons were learned, teachings were taught, love was loved all over. I'm here to tell you the things that I've recently and always been reminded of. I'm hoping to make them the superstars of my life this year. Yours too?

• First thing's first; only you can truly control your life. No one has the right to tell you what you are and who you are. You are what you feel. So take those inhibitions, those inklings, those dreams and just go.

• Recently I've learned the importance of letting people love you. To love and be loved is one of the biggest favors you can give yourself. If love presents itself to you, you take it and run with it. In all forms. It's precious. Necessary. It doesn't mean you're not strong anymore.

• Eat so many of nature's colors and cook them up yourself. It's so crazy important to realize and put into action the amount of care it takes to prepare the nutrients your body really, truly needs.

• You better take care of that body of yours...it sure does a lot for you.

• Positivity above all else. I've recently seen, first hand, positivity proving itself to be the most powerful form of self-medication. It works, you guys. And it's free.

• Be a good friend to the people you really care about. Really let them know that you want to listen.

• Whenever you go anywhere, make sure to make eye contact with people and smile. I've recently noticed the decreasing amount smiling in myself and others. It's really a bummer to walk around in a world without smiles, so let's fix that.

• Accept compliments. Even though it's hard, even though your first thought is that it's disingenuous. Guess what--it's definitely probably not. 

• That fresh air outside is meant for breathing in, so use it daily.

• Pet animals as often as possible because all they want to (usually) do is love you.

And my new year's resolution: be conscious.


GO FORTH.