Happy Friday everyone!! Not to mention Happy December! Can you believe we’re at the last month of the year already? Crazy how time flies by so fast – although I feel that this year in particular especially flew by. Not sure why…maybe it’s because I’m finally happy in a steady job, my health is the best it’s been in a very long time, and I’ve made fantastic friends through this blogging community – I think that makes for a fantastic year And although it’s been a wonderful, yet speedy one, it got me thinking about how I want to make next year an even better one and what goals I want to set for myself. But before I talk about 2012 goals, a post I want to save for the end of this month, I want to think about goals that I want to be proactive about, not just for the new year, but for a lifetime. Balance is a lifetime goal for me, and I want to feel more confident in who I am as a person and my life in general, it’s a way of saying to ourselves “I Give Myself Permission To…” and owning it.

I got this inspiration from Sarah Michelle Gellar and her article in this month’s Self Magazine…

I absolutely love her attitude in “Giving Herself Permission To…” and it really inspired me to think about what I give myself permission to do. So I thought it’d be fun to make my own list here and in the comments section I would love to hear yours!

I Give Myself Permission To…

• …let go of regrets from my past. I would love to reclaim my 20′s and live it without an eating disorder and days of overexercising, but what’s done is done. Now I can only live in the present and look towards the future and thank God that I’m a healthier and happier person. Those struggles made me who I am today and I can only hope to help others out there with what I’ve learned.
• …get angry and upset in having HA and not being able to get a period/conceive as quickly as I expected to…and then have a pity party over it all. But I am quick to remind myself that I have a wonderful and fulfilling life filled with loving family and friends and that my miracle will come with patience and perseverance.
• …let myself enjoy the holiday’s with all the indulgent food that comes with it – we only live once and it’s ok to enjoy special moments through food, wine, and of course, good company.
• …to workout at a light intensity and take days off from the gym in order to help our chances of conceiving. Sure it bothers me that I can’t workout like the athlete I am, but now is the time to relax and build a safe nest for baby. I have to remind myself that working out and training like an athlete can happen after the baby.
• …to be happy with my job. Sure I start to get FB envy over friends that have this or that kind of job, but would their job make me happy? No! Being happy is what I strive for in life, and life is too short to not be happy, period.
• …to not obsess over the scale and accept my body the shape that it is. The more I read about other women with HA, the more I realize that I need to be at a higher bmi (22-23=fertile bmi) and that will be a weight I’ve never seen before in my entire life. It mentally sits uncomfortable with me, but I just have to accept where my body and weight will be happy and fertile at.
• …make time for myself by getting a pedicure, reading blogs, and watching trashy reality television – why should I feel guilty for liking the RH?!
• …to always make time for my husband and our marriage. Once we have children I want us to remember that our marriage always come first, then the kids. I believe that to keep a marriage healthy and happy forever, the husband and wife should always make time for each others needs first, then they can tend to the children and give them the most loving, wonderful life.
• …to make time for family and friends. Laughing and commiserating with those special people in your life creates a bond and a happiness that is infectious. I think it’s important to maintain these friendships so that as a whole you’re a happier person, and so then you can give yourself better to all other areas of your life – work, significant other, children, etc.
• …to disconnect from FB and blogs/blogging. Though I do love to keep in touch with everyone, I believe it’s also healthy to detach from the internet social circles and to not get caught up on what is going on in everyone else’s lives – remember that your own life is just as important and deserving of the utmost attention.
• …always be me, and nobody else. There’s only one of us in this entire world, that is what makes us so unique and special, and we should own and appreciate every different, quirky part of ourselves.

I hope you all are having a fantastic Friday and have a wonderful weekend!!! I have plans tomorrow to meet up for lunch and shopping with a lovely girlfriend of mine – I love her dearly and we’ve been friends since Kindergarten – can’t wait to catch up with her And then that night hubby, sis, and I will be at the parentals having our usual family fun – good food, wine, and everything in between

Questions:
What do you “give yourself permission to…”?
Any fun plans for you this weekend?!