Happy New Year 2015! Making My Mantra

Welcome to 2015! Earlier this week I was able to ring in the new year with a great group of family and friends. We rocked togas and completed good luck traditions from around the world. Throughout the night we ate lentils, made sure every single light in the house was turned on, and exploded pomegranates in the street. We wanted to make sure all of our guests started the new year with tons of positivity and luck!

But although I still fully believe these traditions have set us up for success :), I know that ultimately WE are the ones that will determine what kind of year 2015 will be.

Last year I decided to pick a mantra - a slogan or motto to embrace for 2014. Seeing Perry deal with the reality of ALS made me realize the importance of taking nothing for granted. So, I wanted to make sure that I was appreciating all of the gifts that life had given to me. My mantra was CARPE DIEM.

2014 was a crazy year with lots of challenges AND lots of new adventures. I ran three half marathons: Nike Half, Harrisburg Half, and Wild Half. I joined Team Perry at the ALS Walk and made a few crazy bets along the way. I attended the Zumba Instructor Convention for the third year, and taught Zumba at two resorts in Punta Cana. I accepted a new job (and another one). And as I look back, I believe that I did SEIZE THE DAY!

Now at the start of 2015, I question where I want to go next. What should this coming year be about, and what do I want to accomplish? And then I saw this picture...

I don't know this kid. But I love him. Because he reminds me of ME.

I'm not fast. I'm not in perfect shape. I'm not competitive. I show up at the starting line ready to chat along the course (yes, I'm one of those runners). But I never say, "Hey, let's win this thing." Somewhere along the line I decided to stop at GOOD. And I made myself believe that GREATNESS was not an option.

BUT... what if I was wrong? What if greatness is something within ALL of us? Take a minute to watch this video...

Somehow we come to believe that greatness is a gift reserved for a chosen few for prodigies, for superstars, and the rest of us can only stand by watching. You can forget that. Greatness is not some rare DNA strand. It’s not some precious thing. Greatness is no more unique to us than breathing. We are all capable of it, all of us.

And so comes my mantra for 2015. This year I will not "stand by watching." This year I'm on a quest to FIND MY GREATNESS. Will you join me?

#findyourgreatness #NYE #mantra #resolutions