the year of "yes"

 

How true is that?

 

I am the queen of overthinking (or worrying), as I explained a little here, which leads to a lot of negativity. I truly see myself as more of a "realistic" person rather than "negative", but there's a very thin line between the two. Most of my overthinking stems from the fact that I don't necessarily believe certain things will happen or work out. This is where I need to change my thought process.

 

I am proclaiming 2013 "the year of yes"!

More positivity. More possibilities. More fun.

 

This little idea came about when my friend brought it up right after New Years. I completely agreed! She wants to go back to school & do other things to make herself a better person. This year is the year to do it! We, in general, have a habit of not taking risks or not making the most of our lives. So I've decided, let's start taking those chances!

 

"The year of yes" is about saying yes to more than you normally ever would (within reason).

 

 

Think about it: Is there anything that you've been putting off for fear of it not working out? Or not doing something for fear of how hard it might be to get there? Or maybe you're caught at a fork in the road & not sure which way to go?

 

I don't know about you, but I am my own worst enemy for sure. Always talking myself out of things. Making things seem worse than they probably are.

 

For instance: I've been working on my bag line for quite a few years now, but when I opened my shop for the very first time, I was "overly confident", but also didn't feel a whole lot of support from others. So when I didn't make any sales, I was definitely bummed out. I found myself thinking, "Why am I doing this then?" It's not that I couldn't sell my bags, because I was doing just fine selling them in person & through word-of-mouth. I guess I just wanted to take the next step (opening a shop), but I felt like I had failed. I was too nervous & maybe a little stubborn to open it back up, because I didn't see the point.

 

I decided to push myself more. Work harder. I decided to say "YES, let's do it! & this time, make it better!" So this year, I reopened my shop, changed my brand name to "mac&aris", & I've made sales. (A million thanks to my friend, Kari, for helping me along & always being there for me.) It's awesome, the feeling you get from making a fresh start (new shop, new name) & actually powering through all of your negative thoughts to ending up in a better place than you thought you'd be! It's amazing!

 

 

 

I've also said "Yes" to taking a yoga class once a week. This may seem small or simple, but it's the fact that I'm doing something that matters. It's me, getting out with a friend for a nice little 90-minute momma break every Wednesday evening. It allows me to relax, stretch out, & clear my head! No step is too small. Baby steps is more effort than you believe.

 

A lot of us are trying to find our way in life. Trying to do what's best, not only for ourselves, but also for our families & our futures. All I can say is take that next step & don't be afraid! You never know unless you try something. If in the end it doesn't work out, then at least you can tell yourself, "hey, I tried." Instead of not trying to do it & asking yourself, "What if I did this? Where would I be right now?" Don't get caught up in the "Whats Ifs" of life. Get caught up in "the year of the YES"!

 

After all, aside from bettering ourselves as individuals, aren't we really doing things & taking chances for the little people in our lives?:

 

 

I know I am.

 

xo Tracy

 

{Click photos for sources}

 

 

 Linking up with a few other blogs

The Paper Mama :: Project Alicia