2015. It’s a brand new year with a fresh start and a clean slate. 365 blank pages to write your story—exactly how you want it to read. What could be more exciting than that?!
For most, each new year brings a lot of emotions. Excitement, thrill and happiness, sometimes mixed with a twinge of sadness that another year is over and that it went way, way too fast. Sometimes there are thoughts of not accomplishing everything you wanted to. Other times you are happy to see a year gone because it was filled with pain, sorrow, loss and other emotions that are hard to put into words. For me, the past few New Years have definitely contained all of these emotions and more.
2014 was a year of transition and experiences for me. It was a full and busy year soaking up so many experiences that life has to offer while also fully accepting exactly where God has me and what He has done in my life. From taking on the role of President for the Iowa chapter of the American Marketing Association, to taking a new job, to being on NPR with Robert Siegel, to celebrating Halloween with the Governor and the First Lady, to going on a lot of dates (some good and some bad, seriously, I have stories for days!), it’s been a spectacular year full of growth and opportunities. Because it’s been a year of transition…
I am ready to put 2014 behind me. Filled with great experiences, there were some highs and lows and still some really tough things to work through. I am not going to make a list of resolutions this year that I know I probably won’t fulfill. My Facebook news feed is filled with resolutions and big news from friends of how their life is going to change in 2015. I am so happy for each of them that will have life changing experiences in 2015, but for me personally, I don’t have any big news to announce like having a baby or getting married. Instead, I am going to have a monumental birthday this year, so I am going to focus on my list of things that will make me happy and make my life fulfilled prior to my birthday and throughout the rest of the year!
Looking towards a new year, I know I am so much stronger and ready for whatever comes my way. 2015 is going to have big things in store for me. I just know it. I am so excited for this year along with the ways I am going to grow and be challenged. I always yearn for more, to learn more, to be better and to give more. And I know that 2015 will provide all of these things and then some.
Anyone that knows me knows how much I love glitter and anything that sparkles. I never want to lose my own personal sparkle or the glimmer in my eye that shows my zest for life. I have encountered a lot of trials in my life the past five years, and there have been times that my sparkle didn’t feel very bright anymore. Last year my sparkle felt pretty bright again, and in 2015 it’s coming back in full force! Here’s my reminder to keep my sparkle going because I am in charge of my perspective and how I feel this year. And it’s going to rock.
New beginnings and a clean slate. 2015 is going to be my year, and I can feel it! Bring. It. On.
Angela
Iowa Farm Grown 
I seem a bit late in reading this but 2015 has not still begun for me. I have had a very busy 2014 like you and I thought that I will have my moment this year, but I’m still searching for it around the bushes. May you find it, too, though. And, yeah, don’t let anyone ever dull your sparkle!