I’ve had an emotionally exhausting and extremely frustrating week.  I can’t help but think that I should have better control over my emotions.  While I’ve always had a little bit of “firecracker” in me, I have really become devastated this week about things that maybe I should have handled better.

As a result, these “spells” I have suffered from have made me want to do things to improve myself.  My hope is that if I know that I am doing the best that I can, then I won’t let other people’s feelings and actions affect me quite like I have been affected this week.

IF I AM THE BEST ME THAT I CAN BE, THEN THAT’S THE BEST I CAN DO.

Although most people make New Years’ resolutions, I have decided to make some Mid-Years’ resolutions.  Starting today, June 1st, I am going to work harder than ever to be the best Valerie that I can be.

1) I will be a better friend.

I have over 1300 friends on Facebook, but I can count on two hands the people who are my TRUE friends.  The rest seem to be “surface” friends.  I am going to decide which relationships I need to truly nurture and I am going to do everything in my power to be the best friend I can be to those people.  While I don’t really know what that will entail, I know that I will no longer waste time on people who don’t spend time on me and I will honor and value and spend time on those who are my true friends.

2) I will be a better daughter.

Again, not sure exactly how to do this, but I will do everything in my power to honor and respect both of my parents and my mother-in-laws.  I want them to know that I value their opinions and I will work hard to make sure they never feel that I am dismissing them in any way.

3) I will exercise regularly.

I don’t only want to be the best me I can be in my relationships, but I want to be in the best physical shape I can be.  As I approach 40 in a few short months, I want to be able to be confident that I am taking care of myself.  I want to be around to share as many years as possible with my handsome husband, so my goal is to exercise a little bit every day.  I even started the 30 day Ab Challenge!  Lord help me!

4) I will watch what I put in my stomach.

There is so much talk about how wheat/gluten is a poison in your body.  I have decided that I want to try to go gluten/wheat free for a couple of weeks and see how it feels.  It is worth a try! When you look at ingredients in processed foods, you can’t help but question what in the hell you are eating anyway.

5) I will be a better mother.

I have been yelling a lot lately.  A lot.  About stupid things.  I have always been a yeller, but lately it just feels like I fly off the handle about everything.  My goal for the rest of 2014 is to savor every moment.  It’s to recognize that they are kids and to LET THEM BE KIDS.  I won’t get mad if they are pushing me to get something they want, because that’s their job.  I won’t take it personally when they complain about our rules, because it would be unnatural for them NOT to complain about them.  I will hug them more, love them more, and enjoy them more… every single day.

6) I will be a better writer.

I LOVE to write.  It makes me a better person to get my thoughts on paper and to share those thoughts with others.  My writing is not only a ministry to other people going through similar things, but it is therapy for my own soul as I work through my thoughts and feelings.  My husband is very aware of this and whenever I am in a particularly difficult mood he will say, “Honey, let me take care of this… you need to go write.”  My goal is to make a topic calendar and to stick to it.  I will have a specific topic chosen for each day and when that day rolls around, then I will sit down and write.  I know how important schedules are in my life, so it would only make sense that I would plan out my writing like I plan out everything else.

7) I will be the best wife I can be.

Finally, and most importantly, I will be the best wife I can be.  Everyone who is close to me recognizes how blessed I am to have finally found the man who loves me more than his own life.  Because of that awareness, they are all quick to tell me that I need to do everything in my power to keep him!  Even last night my brother said, “You need to make sure Joe is good.  You have to keep him happy before anyone else.”  And that’s true.  My focus needs to be on making sure that he knows each and every day how much I love and respect him.  I need to allow him to be the spiritual leader in our home so that we can be the best US that we can be.  As I heard at a wedding this weekend, a successful relationship is not about loving each other more than ourselves… it’s about loving US more than anything else.

And I do love US.

Hope the second half of 2014 is wildly successful for you.  Remember… you don’t have to wait until New Years to make resolutions for change.  We can change ourselves anytime we choose.  Tomorrow is a new day.