Live, Laugh, Love

Hello! It's January 4th and this is my first post of the year! Anyway, I know many people have already made their New Years' Resolutions and some have even broken them. I am not really one to make a resolution in the sense of exercising more, eating less sugar, etc. Although these are great for the physical body, they are easily broken. I know I would just end up disappointed with myself if I made a resolution of that sort, so I'm not going to. Instead, my "resolutions" are to enhance the soul and spirit. My three "resolutions" for 2014 go along with one of my life mottos: Live, Laugh, Love.

This year I strive to:

Live more passionately
It's easy to live life just going through the motions. I know I catch myself stuck in a rut of doing the same mundane things day in and day out...and some of these things have to be done, however, it is my goal this year to find at least one thing each day to be excited about. It can be an event I'm attending or even just a class I'm going to because it's for my major. I just want to be excited and passionate about life...more than I ever have been, because, as John Waters brilliantly put it, "life is nothing if you're not obsessed."

Laugh more often
My friends know that I love laughter...they might even say "Steph, how is it even possible for you to laugh any more than you do?" Honestly, I don't think I laugh enough. Sure, I laugh a lot...but not enough for me. I get too serious about life sometimes and need to lighten up...I just need to laugh, because as cliche as this is, laughter can be the best medicine at times. It can release the stress of the day and even work out those abs...and for lazy people like me who don't do push ups or sit-ups, that's pretty cool. My friends make me laugh, and I make them laugh (or at least try to), which is great because, as stated previously, "I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it's the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person," (Audrey Hepburn), so my friends and I are just going to laugh it up this year...I've decided.

Love more deeply
I'm not talking about loving a significant other...I don't have one of those. I'm talking about loving family, friends, and most importantly, my Heavenly Father. The greatest commandment is love and 1 Corinthians 13:13 says "Three things will last forever: faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love." This year, I'm going to strive to do all things in love. When I say those three words, "I love you," I want to truly mean it, more than I ever have. "I love you" gets thrown around a lot. In our society it's something we say when we leave or go to bed. We often say it to just about anyone...acquaintances, close friends, and family members alike, so much so that it's kind of lost its meaning. When I say those three words to someone, I want them to know that I really mean it. This year, I want to show love through my actions and also my words; I want to hold onto my family and friends and I want them to know how deeply I love and appreciate them because as Audrey Hepburn so gracefully stated, "The best thing to hold onto in life is each other."

Here is one more quote from Audrey because I love her and think it wraps up the theme of this post beautifully.

"The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode, but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows. The beauty of a woman grows with the passing years."

Yours Truly,
Steph