If I were to say that 2019 has started out with a BANG, I would not be exaggerating! While it may only be the very beginning of March, many areas of my life have undergone drastic changes, leaving me in a position to reevaluate different aspects of my life and plot a course of improvement for my mind, body and soul. It is time for new beginnings, new adventures and a brand new path! Would you like to change things up and Follow Your Path to Happiness? I've already begun to embark on this new journey, and I truly believe that it is going to make a substantial difference for me this year!

“There are no wrong turnings. Only paths we had not known we were meant to walk.” ― Guy Gavriel Kay

Follow Your Path to Happiness

Remove Toxic Relationships From Your Life

We are constantly hearing about removing toxic people from our lives and ending toxic relationships. It seems that the public at large is on a bit of kick about letting go of negativity in the past few years. We as human beings are reaching a state of self awareness and realizing the importance of self care, something that wasn't really "a thing" until recent years. Evaluate the relationships in your life at the current moment. While every relationship, whether it be with family, friends or a significant romantic partner, brings its fair share of ups and downs, we all know when a relationship is truly toxic. If someone makes you consistently unhappy, or brings needless drama into your life, cut them loose. I have recently let go of a few relationships that while they have brought a great deal of joy into my life in general, were no longer healthy for me. Adjusting to changes in a relationship dynamic can be difficult and it is normal to miss someone once ties are severed, you will often find that after a period of time goes by...you're much, much happier in general.

Change Up Your Routine

As a full time blogger who works from home, I am 100% guilty of getting stuck in a rut. I wake up, take care of my pets, shower, make breakfast and then sit down to work. Rinse, repeat. I somehow found myself getting caught in this routine and it got to the point where I wasn't leaving the house for days on end. I spent all day, every day either sitting at my desk in my home office working on the blog, or on the couch or in bed watching television or reading a book. I was so incredibly stagnant! I got so used to not doing anything fun or exciting that I was like a ghost of my former self, just passing each day and not having anything to look forward to. While I wasn't exactly depressed, I was certainly not happy! I realized this after a few months and began making a point to accept invitations to local events with friends, and spending more time at family functions.

I began going out to lunch once a week or so, even when it was by myself. There are so many things to do in Miami, but I had become stuck in this rut of not leaving the house except for my weekly dinner date with my girlfriends, and if you have ever found yourself in this situation, you know that once you stop going out and doing things, it becomes a habit to sit at home, being bored, and ultimately, I found that I was just existing, not really living!

Understand the Importance of Your Health

Over a period of about 6 months, I was struggling with my health. I was diagnosed with anxiety by an emergency room doctor on my second visit, but I KNEW that I did not have anxiety. I was SICK. After my new health insurance kicked in, I was able to get proper care and a real diagnosis...while that is a story for another day, I want to stress how important it is to really take care of your health. My condition could have become life threatening if I had accepted "anxiety" as the cause of my symptoms and given up on finding out what was really causing my illness. I made a few small changes to my lifestyle and health care regimen and within 48 hours, I was on the road to recovery and I am still shocked at how much progress I have made in 3 short weeks!

As adults, we are often so busy with work, parenting, running a household, etc, that we ignore the warning signs that something is WRONG with our bodies. We overlook symptoms and sometimes we wind up with a serious medical condition because we didn't receive treatment for a minor issue in the beginning stages. I find this to be especially true for mothers and fathers; we are so busy putting the needs of our children ahead of our own that we suffer through things in silence instead of making an effort to seek medical help.

In a more general way of speaking, it is important for you to take care of your health even if you are not sick. Eat lots of healthy foods, take your vitamins, get exercise and drink lots of water! Our bodies need fuel to run properly, and even simple things like not consuming enough fruits and vegetables can have an effect on how we feel on a day to day basis!

Find Something You Love and Do It

I love the mantra, "Collect Memories, Not Things." I personally live my life by this way of thinking. Fancy new car? I'll pass. Spending Saturday afternoons shopping? Nope, I'm good. I'd much rather invest my money in things that stay with me throughout my life, like traveling with my best friends. Enjoying a really good meal at a nice restaurant with people I love. Taking my daughter on a trip to Romania and Greece to celebrate Mother's Day.

One of my favorite things to do, which brings me so much joy and happiness, is spending time on the water. Growing up in Miami, I have so many fond memories of going to the beach with my family, boating, fishing - I love the water so much that I bought myself an ocean kayak for my 36th birthday, and I try to get out on the water as much as possible! It relaxes me, brings me closer to nature, and gives me an overall sense of happiness. It's also a great way to get myself out of the house when I've been cooped up in my home office for too long!