Happy New Year!

So it's the first day of a brand new year. I am seeing lots of wishes for the coming year all over social media and in my blog feed. I posted my year-end taking stock last night. I was up early this morning, walked the dogs, reheated a chunk of last night's dinner (frittata) for breakfast and contemplated what I was going to do with a brand new day in a brand new year.

It's funny though. Is it really a brand new year? It's all a bit arbitrary. I'm a teacher, so, for me, the new year starts in September. The Jewish New Year starts in the month of Tishri and usually falls sometime in September. The Chinese New Year starts in late January this year, but usually falls somewhere in February. 

It's also a time for resolutions, most of which are bound to fail. (It is always crowded in my two yoga studios every January) It's okay. Every day is a new beginning, so we wake up and try again. 

Last January, I resolved to review more. 

Wait. 

Let me check the archives. 

Ah. This year, I reviewed 62 books. In 2015, I reviewed 42. So, yay me. There were still books I wanted to review but couldn't. In fact, I favorited 96 books on GR. Hm,m. Do I focus on the books that I did not review or do I celebrate the fact that I reviewed 20 more books?

I will remind myself to focus on the positive because I tend to view the negative. I will also remind myself not to judge myself. 

In January of 2014, just after finishing a course of chemotherapy and was about to start radiation treatments, I returned to yoga with the intention of incorporating it more fully into my daily living. The practice has helped me regain strength and equilibrium. Before, I was a casual practitioner, into it more for the exercise than anything else. Now, I find comfort in my nearly daily practice and try not to mourn when I can't make the studio. I am trying to take my practice with me when I fold my mat up. 

So, intentions for 2017:
Be present. 

Enjoy what I am doing at the moment. I guess this is a restatement of "be present" but with a challenge for me to find the positive.

Keep my lists and challenges but don't sweat it if I fall behind.

Share the beauty and wonder of reading as well as I can.

It is what it is.