My advice to me

For reasons unknown to me, I find myself giving a lot of solicited advice.

Amazingly, I seem to have all the right answers to every one else's issues. I'm able to clearly see the answers to their problems and succinctly communicate what they should do to fix it. 

In the meantime, my own life has more dips and hairpin turns than a muddy motocross track. And I find myself having too many regrets for poorly made choices that seemed like a good idea at the time. 

So I decided, that instead of the proverbial "New Year's Resolutions" that inevitably get tossed aside after 72 hours or less, I would instead do what I seem to do best, and give advice to myself for the coming year. 

So here's my advice to me for 2014. I sure hope I take it. 

Dear me, 

- Theres a reason the rearview mirror in the car is so small. It's for glancing at occasionally, and only when necessary. The windshield is larger because you are supposed to be looking ahead of you. Take a lesson from your car. Stop looking at what’s behind you so much.

- There were a few absurdities and blunders this past year, yes there were.  Don’t dwell on what you can’t change. Learn from it…laugh at yourself and then move on.

- You’re a writer, so write.

- You have a wonderful, crazy, colorful family. But they won’t be here forever, they are only on loan. So reach out more. Invest.

- Your friends have lost moms, dads and spouses this year. You know what each of those losses feels like. Don’t waste your experience.

- You are an optimist. Don’t let the cynics of the world change that. It’s one of the things I love most about you.

- Your sister is right. You tend to over-think everything.  While some people and subjects are worth extra thought, most aren’t. So stop it. You’ll give yourself a headache.  

- Laugh more, especially at yourself. Other people already are anyway – so freak them out and join in.

- Dance more. Alone or with someone. With wine in hand, music blaring, in comfy pj’s. Dance away girl.

- Open yourself up to different. Different can be good.

- Stop dwelling on lost friends. Some of them needed losing. And if they loved you they wouldn't have left anyway. You've got friends aplenty. 

- Don’t own another’s emotions. You’ve enough of your own to manage.

- Stop texting and emailing. If he wanted you, he would be there. 

- See that thing in front of you that you keep saying you’re gonna do? Get up and do it.

- So you’ve been rejected. Who hasn’t? Michael Jordon was cut from his high school basketball team and look at how that turned out.

- You have two guitars, a ukulele, a drum and a piano.  Make music for goodness sake. 

- Feed your soul more and your body less, and you'll lose those 20 pounds you want to lose.

- Start every day with this question: How can I make this day count? Then do it.

- Plan a trip to someplace you’ve never been. And then go.

- Anger serves nothing. Neither does fear. Don’t give either one of these a moment of your energy.

- Pray every day. Especially for those who don’t ask for it.

- Your legs work just fine. So get moving. 

- Stop waiting for someone to bring you flowers. Plant your own garden.

- Don’t let someone with the significance of a speed bump become a roadblock in your life.

- We are born in one day. We can die in one day. We can change in one day. We can fall in love in one day. Anything can happen in just one day. So pay attention every day.

- Be careful who you make memories with. Those things can last a lifetime.

- Not everyone will like you. But not everyone matters. 

- You moved to the mountains girl, so start climbing!