Guest Blog by: Dawn Hurlebaus The changing of the year often brings parties and excess. Instead of being careless, I am choosing to welcome the New Year safely. I gently say goodbye to the year that is leaving. I reflect on all it brought me - good and bad - and choose to focus on the good. There are many accomplishments I am proud of. Today, I release the past year and embrace the future. In the past, when I have used the word resolutions, I associated it with failure. I was always excited at the beginning of the year. I said I was going to lose weight and exercise and after about 30 days I fell back into my old ways and habits. To say losing weight and exercising was broad. I needed to break it down into daily manageable steps.I love that New Year’s “resolutions” makes me think about changes I want to make in my life. However, since weight loss surgery I don’t like to necessarily use that term. I would rather call it my Ways of Awareness. These are ways that I want to create awareness in living my best life. Call it whatever you want … Awareness, Recharge, Reset, Intention, Aim, Aspiration etc. For example: Although the end goal is to lose my regain, I am choosing to first focus on hydrating and eliminating liquid calories (#5 on this list). I am choosing to track everything for the first 2 weeks (#6). I will take my daily vitamins and have a full set of labs done (#11). Today I will park as far away from the store I am walking into as possible. New Year’s resolutions can be a powerful way to alter the direction of your entire year. They can also transform your life. Pick a few of these resolutions that resonate with you and enjoy the happy life you deserve! Consider these “Ways of Awareness” to fill your life with more happiness and joy: 1 Laugh at least once a day. Laughter releases endorphins in the body and brings instant joy into your life. 2 Stay grateful. Reflect on your daily blessings and find gratitude in them. 3 Find hobbies that make you happy. What do you enjoy? Tap into your natural passions with a new hobby that brings you pleasure. 4 Reconnect with nature at least once a week. It’s important to enjoy nature and find time to explore it. 5 Eliminate liquid calories. Commit to saving all your calories for food. Drink lots of water. 6 Track everything. Have you ever heard the word “stalled”? If you feel like you are stuck, perhaps simply for 2 weeks track everything you eat and drink. 7 Express your appreciation to others. Ensure that others know you appreciate their efforts. Making them feel good makes you feel good too! 8 Clarify your priorities. Spending time on those activities that support what’s most important to you brings you satisfaction and fulfillment. 9 Organize events with friends. Your friendships can be a source of joy. 10 Exercise frequently. Exercise helps fight stress and increases energy. It can also improve your mood and make you feel happier. 11 Take your vitamins and make an appointment for a FULL set of labs. Are all your vitamin levels where they should be? What about everything else? 12 Get enough sleep. Researchers have found that getting enough sleep boosts happiness levels. 13 Stay present in the moment. You can find joy in the little things by enjoying each moment of the day. 14 Keep your mind active. An active mind avoids boredom, so you can find more joy. 15 Make new friends. New friendships instantly add joy to your life. 16 Give and accept more hugs. Hugs can lift your mood, and researchers have found they have a positive impact on endorphin levels. 17 Spend more time with your children. Instead of watching TV or focusing on work, find more time to spend with your children. See the joy of life through their eyes. 18 Play more games. Do you love board games or puzzles? Running around with your kids or pets? Let loose and spend some enjoyable time playing games. 19 Avoid anger. Giving in to anger drains the joy from your life and makes the people around you miserable. 20 Encourage the people around you. As you encourage others and help them find happiness, your own joy will increase. 21 Do something just for you. It’s important to find time for yourself. 22 Look for the positive aspects. Find the silver lining in all situations. 23 Smile more. Make smiling a priority and watch joy fill your life. 24 Create new goals. Find happiness in new directions and goals. 25 Reconnect with lost family members. Have you drifted apart from some family members? Rediscovering your bond will bring happiness to both of you.