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Happy 2013! :) The year of an attitude of gratitude.

Thursday, January 3, 2013
Well, edits are turned in for It's a Sweet Life, my Coffeeshop Coven prequel that releases on 1/18. And...for those of you who don't follow my Facebook page, I'm happy to announce that Siren has accepted The Denim Dom (Tony's story) and the contract has been signed and returned. I don't have a release date yet, but look for it in March of this year.

(Yes, I finally got Tony's story written!)

New Year's day was pretty melancholy for us because it marked the one-year anniversary of our dear friend's passing due to brain cancer. I spent it working on edits and watching The Twilight Zone marathon on SyFy. I didn't want to see the news or hear one word about fiscal cliffs or anything else.

I quit making New Year's resolutions a long time ago. But something I saw pass through my Facebook feed a few days ago stuck with me, making a "gratitude jar," where you write down every day something good that happened, no matter how small, so you could go back through it at the end of the year.

I decided that this year, I'm going to use my Witches' Datebook that I get every year and write down, every day, something/s good. Already I have that we gathered with friends for New Year's Eve, I signed a contract, finished edits, received a great review from AllRomanceEbooks.com for Bleacke's Geek, and a few other things. Just looking back on the past couple of DAYS makes me feel good. I'm sure after a few weeks and months, when I have blue days, I'll be able to look back and smile and remember to feel gratitude.

What are you grateful for? What have you decided to do this year for yourself to better your life, no matter how small?

5 reader comments:

  1. I don't make resolutions. I find them a waste of time. They don't last as long as it takes to think of them. I like the idea a gratitude book, jar, whatever. I try to be grateful for something every day, but I do not write it down. I really should. Maybe that will be what I do for my self in 2013. I also plan to get my craft room back up and working and PLAY! Have a happy! and thank you for sharing.

  1. Anonymous said...:

    Earlier in the year my family and I were involved in a roll over- guy ran a red light. A rough few months and still in pt but all still here. I want to do the gratitude jar too. I could have used that during the darkest days. (For a little mental therapy, I always like going back through some of my favorite reads. ' Safe Harbor', ' Sunset Hearts', & ' RD', and a few others too...LOL) What I want to do this year is get back behind the driver' s seat and get past my nerves. Thanks again for amazing stories and thought provoking, funny and touching articles. Best of luck to you in the new year- Ann

  1. @pansypetal - Having a craft room is a great thing for stress relief!

    @Ann - Glad you're healing, and also glad I could help take you away for a little while. :)

  1. MJ said...:

    Work on my spirit. Gratitude, looking for the good, gently excising negative and mean-spirited people from my life...

    And give more. Laugh more. Read more.

    Are those resolutions? Not really. Directions maybe?

  1. Vanessa said...:

    Hi Tymber, Congratulations on the Denim Dom and cant wait for the new series as well! see me doing the happy dance? Yay! [big smile]
    I really like the idea of a gratitude jar/diary/journal. I think I may do something similar and incorporate it into a yearly journal I have started scrap-booking style.. in fact great idea!
    I do not make new year resolutions either. Usually I decide on something new I want to know or a skill I want to develop. As I get older I really do want to keep the ole grey matter active and healthy. I haven't decided yet. In the past I have returned to Uni to study geology when I was in my late 40's, very late :-), developed my photography skills using an SLR and now a DSLR. I am quite good if I can say so myself. :-) I have continued to develop my creativity and artistic bent with scrapbooking projects... I think if I can finish a few of them this year I will be happy.
    I also like to promote gratitude, I think it helps me to live more in the moment, to live with intent and recognise blessings both big and small. As the other day we had to drive halfway across the country to our eldest daughter's wedding.. crossing the outback my husband briefly fell asleep and we careered off the road one side, fortunately no cars in the other lane and then he awoke to jerk the car back the other way again crossing the traffic, out into the bush. I was so afraid we were going to roll... but after a few minutes all came to a standstill, my husband, our 2 youngest children.. (older teens) and I were all okay, the car was okay, we changed drivers a few minutes later, then stopped for a coffee and gave thanks that we were alive... but ohhhh the possibilities.... but the result... a thankfulness we are here!