As with most of the conscious population, I tend to reflect as the year closes. Thankfully my reflections have changed over the years, an evolution of sorts. I used to condemn myself for those outrageous resolutions that I did not follow through on and make myself a new outrageous list that I would not or could not follow through on for the coming year. However in the past few years, that reflection process has changed. I now understand the importance of accurately reflecting on the events of the past year and how I contributed to them. I say accurately because in the past I have let my expectations of what should happen (in my mind anyway) and how others should act (again, my own mind creating ideas for others) affect my responses and ultimately my actions. A friend once told me not to take much of what others do personally because nine times out of ten you are just on the receiving end of a whole bunch of events that had nothing to do with you. Since I abhor drama (my definition being the lack of personal accountability and decision making and the attempt to drag others into that murky abyss), I find it very useful to take a step back and accurately evaluate the situation before I respond. Of course I am no expert at this (I don't think I have enough time in this life to accomplish that) but I have found that when I take a breath and assess before responding, I can make adjustments to my expectations before they get in the way.
So 2012 for me is going to be about micro-adjustments. Our bodies are constantly making micro-adjustments every second of every day to adapt to the surrounding conditions.
I am committing to helping my mind learn how to make those micro-adjustments to avoid getting trapped within my own expectations.
Alright, enough of the deep thought for one blog entry. Our holidays were spent in Florida, where the weather and the
company were nothing short of fabulous. We spent time on both coasts, first with Scott's family in Bradenton for Christmas then with my peeps in Stuart for New Years. We fished of course (although my off-shore day was nothing short of miserable due to windy conditions and 4-6ft seas coupled with my lack of sea legs since I'm not on the water very much) and kayaked, and I got to try paddle boarding (which I loved!). There was some shopping (I can't beat my mother-in-law for being a super bargain hunter), and a whole lot of eating (Scott & I introduced his family to some healthier versions of holiday treats which they loved). I got down to the beach or water as
much as I could and soaked up the sun like the worshipper I am (although I must confess that I am a little disappointed at the lack of tan I came home with...) and I practiced the art of doing nothing. This is always a challenge for me since I feel like I have to be doing something all the time, but I am getting better at it and believe I will have it mastered soon so I can move onto other projects...oops, did I say that out loud? Seriously, I really did take some time to just be in the moment & enjoy not having to do something at every moment. My struggle with doing nothing is that I only 
have so much time in this life and there is so much I want to do. The flip side of that coin is that life happens while you are making other plans and if you don't enjoy the now now, you can't get it back later. And so it goes I guess. All in all, the trip was perfect and when we came home we were pleasantly surprised to have a string of 50-60 degree days (for those of you questioning my joy at these temps, I do live in Missouri, and it is January. I'm jus sayin...). So bring on 2012 with the Half Ironman, science & nutrition business, volunteering, dogs, my
wicked awesome husband, and the winter (there's one of those micro-adjustments I was talking about...never before would I have been ready for winter but I figure it has to be better than last year-lol). Love & light to all of you and may your 2012 be without expectation and filled with joy!
