2017 Reflections and Consistency in 2018

First, I want to wish you all a very happy new year!!  I used to make New Year’s resolutions but realized by February I was over that!! The last few years I have started some new traditions. I now like to take some time to reflect on the previous year. As I did this recently, I realized 2017 was not my most favorite year! But after reflecting, I decided it was a transition year for me to learn some much-needed lessons. I took the challenges that were set in front of me and wrote down the positives that I took from each obstacle. This has allowed me to be grateful for some tough situations that I faced and made me stronger. Life is not always going to be easy that I know for sure, but if we keep an open mind that we are here to live our best life it will only make us appreciate what we do have. 

Here are my takeaways from 2017:

1. Always listen to my inner voice. DO NOT IGNORE IT!! I found the longer I ignored my inner voice the worse things seemed to get. When I finally sat down, closed my eyes, and listened to my inner voice, everything fell into place.
2. Self-care is vital to my existence! I am always preaching to family, friends, and my clients to take care of themselves. I finally took my own advice!
3. Change can be difficult for me so if I would just embrace it and go with the change, everything usually works out.
4. I am very blessed to be healthy, have an active family (AKA lots of busy boys), and a beauty biz that I love. After my reflections, 2017 was not that bad after all. It is all in the way you choose to look at things. Finding the positive in it all has made me feel very grateful!

My next tradition is to pick a word for the year. This year my word is CONSISTENT. Have you ever done this? I have found this to be extremely powerful. I started this as a recommendation from my mentor and business coach, Lori Crete. Each year I think about where and what I want in my life. This year, I need to be consistent in all areas of my life. My goal is to be present in all that I do. I gave up being perfect a long time ago because perfect does not exist. I want to be present at home, at work, with family or friends, on a walk, or even sitting in the car driving. I used to say I was so busy running around like a crazy person that I stopped being present. I was just going through the motions and not realizing I truly wasn’t there. In this world with so many distractions, I think we could all make a conscious effort to be more present. I have already noticed that consistency is playing a big part in my life in 2018. 

The last tradition for a new year that I like to do is purge. I go through closets, the garage, decorations, the playroom, the salon and anything else that I feel I need to clean. If it does not bring me joy, I either pass it on or give it to charity. Bye-bye!! It feels so fabulous to get rid of the things that do not serve me. Do you have things you need to purge or give away that are driving you nuts? I highly recommend making a list and slowly go down it and clean it out!!! 

I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season and I wish you lots of love, joy, peace, laughter, and good health in 2018! Remember when life seems to give you a giant bump in the road, just put your hands up and ride the roller coaster. There will be lots of ups and downs in 2018 just as there are every year. Choose to look for the lessons that you are supposed to learn rather than saying: “Why me?!”  Keep a positive outlook; it changes everything I promise! 

Love and blessings,

Amy

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pureskin aesthetic salon, a boutique studio located in salinas, ca, specializes in corrective facial skin care, anti-aging, and bridal makeup application. amy amaral, a highly sought after licensed esthetician and professional makeup artist, has helped hundreds of women experience total skin transformation.