Life is always about change. Some changes you see coming and you gradually prepare for what these adjustments will mean in your world. But, others like to sneak up on you and yell “surprise” when you’re not expecting it. These events can feel like an earthquake when the status quo of life is shifted by an unexpected pivotal moment that changes your course.  This pretty much sums up 2014 for me. Moving on, letting go, and finding a new normal in a shifted world where you suddenly find yourself forced “out of the box” without a GPS to guide you forward.

For me, 2015 is all about learning to live and thrive out of the box. I’m on a quest to find creative solutions, re-frame old narratives, and begin new journeys in every aspect of my life. Living outside of the box starts by asking questions differently and being willing to admit I don’t know the answers.  I am promising myself to “think from a different angle, with a different set of muscles, with a different set of expectations” (Think Like a Freak, pg.8) when it comes to both major and minor life events. 

Today we are purposely starting New Years Day differently.  Instead of tearing down Christmas decorations, we are taking the family to an outdoor ice skating rink. We are going to start 2015 from a “different angle using a different set of muscles”.  We are also starting a family Joy Jar where we will intentionally record moments of brightness in our lives.  We might not be able to control our tomorrows, but we can certainly do a better job of celebrating the todays.    

Regardless of how change comes, we must learn to accept life’s adjustments, seek joy in our circumstances, and find balance in the new environment. 

Bring it on 2015 – here’s to a new year of choosing joy and living out of the box!