New Year's Thoughts

This year, I opted not to make any New Year’s resolutions. Resolutions are great, but often times the ones I make on New Year’s day are simply a reminder of what I didn’t complete the year before. I did, however, take a mental inventory of my life now compared to my life five years ago. After thoughtful introspection, the word that came to mind was: content. Today, I need much less than I did five years ago. The Hubs, a craft room, and a great community of family and friends are the only things I need to feel content. Well, those and a laptop to design and blog.

I can always tell how happy (or depressed) I am by how often I engage in retail therapy. If I’m content, I rarely need the instant gratification of a cute new purse or pair of shoes. Five years ago, my closet was overflowing with a mountain of stiletto heels and leather clutches. Throwing $600 towards a new designer bag was no biggie. Needless to say, I wasn’t a happy person. Well dressed? Yes, but also miserable. Today, I would never spend my money so carelessly (also, Hubs would have a field day).

Social researchers (a.k.a. Yahoo article writers) always say that in married couples, marrying the right person will determine 90% of a person’s happiness. For me, the “right person” is not a perfect person, but one of integrity, humility, and faith. Integrity, so he is trustworthy. Humility so he places others before himself. And faith, well, that’s one that’s personal to me. Of course there are a million other factors that determine compatibility (like sharing the same life vision, communication styles, etc.), but the three I listed are my deal breakers. Hubs isn’t perfect (who is?), but he definitely encompasses my top three. Marrying him is the  reason I’m so content right now. Who knew that unconditional love could fill up the empty space in my heart where I used to stash purses and shoes?

Card Recipe (all supplies SU unless noted): All in the Family jumbo stampin’ around wheel, Stitched background stamp, card stock in kraft, whisper white, & riding hood red, water color pencils, aqua painter brush, scallop edge punch, stampin’ dimensionals, American Crafts thickers (felt letter stickers)