Happy New Year!

Allow me to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy new year. May 2014 be filled with love, happiness, and be YOUR year. 

2013 and its troubles are in the past, so you now have a full, blank year (well 362 days more like) ahead to mould and shape into your personal preferences.

Have you made any new years resolutions? Most of the time people do not carry out their resolutions, for many a reason - be it lack of interest, or any other valid point.

Perhaps the term "new years resolution" is also partly to blame. What happens when you only commence an item on your list in say June. Is it then called a mid year resolution? Does that fact alone render the item invalid?

I prefer to call them goals. Essentially, that is what they are. A person wants to lose weight, or take up a new hobby, learn a foreign language, work hard in order to be promoted or complete the current degree/diploma. A goal just sounds so much better too. It inspires motivation, and the feeling of accomplishing that goal is empowering.

I listed my goals in my last post, and although it has been said that making a list puts things into perspective for a person, it isn't guaranteed to be less daunting. True, knowing what you need to do is half the battle won, but actually carrying out the act may be easier said than done.

2013 was not my best year by any stretch of the imagination (and all my own doing and I accept responsibility for that), but I vowed to turn 2014 into something I could feel proud of. Lately I've felt to be in limbo. 

Why? 

Maybe it's because the job hunt hasn't quite yielded the results I intended it to. I have lost my sense of worth just sitting at home and feel an employment contract will reignite my passion for life. There are so many things I want to see and do, but require that monthly paycheck in order to begin. Quite possibly, my expectations have been too high. Seriously, some people wait months to find their ideal job and I've only been actively looking for a couple of weeks. I have forwarded my CV to some recruitment agents and am holding thumbs for some interviews later this month, once everything has returned to normal following the festive season. In the meantime I will maintain my positive outlook and the trust the right job is out there waiting for me. 

All the best for 2014, readers. Spend time with those you love, and challenge yourself to do something you fear - it's all about the happiness factor and personal growth.

On a very happy note, last night our friends Carey-Anne & Ryan welcomed their little girl into the world. Congratulations Mom & Dad de Goede, may your daughter bring you much happiness and joy!

Until next time.

2013 - A Year in Review

2013. The year of the snake according to the Chinese zodiac.

An excerpt from Zodiac.com:

Ride the calmer waters of 2013 with ease!

Expect an exciting year, not necessarily for the faint of heart! The Year of the Water Snake begins February 10, 2013 and ends January 30, 2014. Be bolder and more open-minded as this year unfolds!

Do your best to get organized as the year begins. Setbacks, delays, and a need for some do-overs can challenge everyone's patience and resolve. In a Snake year, jealousy and keeping secrets works against everyone's best interests. A big lesson for all is to have the courage to face difficult emotional truths and still be true to what your heart tells you.

A snake of a year indeed. Personally, it hasn't been one of my best years, and come 31 December I will be very glad to see it go. In fact, I'll wave it goodbye with as much gusto as I can muster.

Things I've learnt in 2013:

1) Doing things for yourself is empowering. Those small niggly DIY tasks, or perhaps trying to do something new that you would normally ask someone else to do. You'll be surprised at the sense of accomplishment you'll feel when the task is completed. By the same token, if you try and don't succeed - ask for help. This was a big lesson I learnt in 2013, and remember there is no shame in it. 

2) Fix damaged friendships/relationships as soon as possible. The longer you leave it, the harder it will be to fix and although things may never be the same again, you will salvage a relationship that (at some point) meant a great deal to you. Try, and if the other party is not forthcoming, step back. There's only so much a person can do.

3) How to budget. Wow, now this one was educational. In today's tough economic times, a person has to budget. It is a necessity. The cost of living has skyrocketed. Between increased fuel prices and thus inflated food prices, higher electricity costs and fewer salary raises, citizens are forced to count their pennies and carefully calculate their spending. The latest gift the South African government has given us is E-tolls, right in time for Christmas, which only adds strain to the average man on the street's already fragile residual income. To combat this, I have taken out loyalty cards at most of SA's major retailers. True, my purse can barely close for the Dis Chem, Clicks, Pick n Pay, Woolworths, and Edgars loyalty cards that are in it, but every little bit helps. I may only get a tiny percentage of my spending back, but it's better than nothing right? Another trick is to rather take your own shopping bags when doing grocery shopping, and this alone saves you 27c per bag. It's all in the small things.

4) Happiness is a choice. Yes, I understand depressed people will argue that it's a chemical imbalance and they cannot control their happiness meter. I agree, but believe that these people can choose to be happy. Take that first step to seek help, and therefore choose to be happy. Go to a pychologist for counselling, and then if prescribed, take the anti-depressants. No-one can help you unless you want to help yourself.

5) Give back. Whether it be your time at an animal shelter or at a children's home, or if time is in short supply, a donation of either cash or goods. Many charities in our country do not receive government funding, and rely on the goodwill of residents to keep them going. I need not remind you of Karma, and what goes around comes around.

Right, onto highlights and lowlights:

Peaks of 2013

- Top of the list is our overseas holiday in June with my grandparents to celebrate my mom's 50th birthday. We did a cruise of the Greek Isles and Turkey, followed by a few days in Croatia. William and I then continued on to the UK for a week and caught up with some old friends - easily one of my favourite trips abroad.

- I lost a good deal of weight and became a fitter and healthier version of myself (blog post to follow in the new year).

Pitts of 2013

- Academically, it was a bad year. I was unsuccessful in passing the one undergraduate module in order to complete my Bachelor of Accounting Sciences degree. It is a subject I've always battled with, but have accepted that I need help in order to pass (see life lesson one)

- Some prominent people in my life really struggled this year, and the shockwaves from their battles impacted on me. Not going into detail with this one, but the problems have been rectified and going into 2014 I am hopeful that these issues will remain in the past where they belong.

Goals for 2014

* Pass that nasty subject (Group Financial Reporting) and graduate. 

* Find a fantastic job that enables me to travel (ha ha) and reignite my sense of self worth.

* Complete an Open Water Scuba Diving course and dive a ship wreck off the coast of Durban.

* Generally - spend time with those that mean the most to me. Quality time quality time quality time!

Thank you for taking the time out to read this blog, it means more to me than you know.

Wishing you and you families a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2014 (the year of the horse).