I have to be honest for a moment here. I tooootally failed at 2016. Big time. I was pushing so hard towards my goals that I absolutely did not spend intentional time doing ANYTHING for myself or the back side- the heart and soul of my business. 

Blogs were few and far between, work on the website was halted, I literally lost sight of the entire reason I started. So for 2017, I have been absolutely fighting TOOTH and not-so perfectly manicured NAIL to keep my why’s intact in every aspect of my business.

So, when it came time to choose a word of the year for 2017 (thanks for the prompt Day Designer) I was concerned that I would really struggle, because I wanted to choose something that was meaningful and more than that ATTAINABLE. I didn’t want to get so deep into it that it would take a whole lot of brain power to try and apply it because…..ain’t nobody got time for that. Well, it came to me quite quickly, and instead of analyzing it to death, I went with it. SHINE! Yep. That’s it. Profound and prophetic right? Nah. But let me tell you why I think it’s the best choice for me this year. 

I am not choosing to use my word this way: SHINE BRIGHT LIKE A DIAMOND (if you didn’t sing that as Rhianna would- I’m sorry, we can’t be friends- JK..kinda) but rather this way: 

I do not want to embody the word SHINE in a physical or attention drawing way, I want to embody and live it in a way that lets OTHERS into the light. If I can be the headlights in the snowstorm for others, then that is how I will be fulfilled in 2017. Although there might be some Rhianna blasting too, just to let everyone know I’m here and I want them to be happy, and loved too! I want every aspect of my work, my business and my life to be infused with the light that I want to shine to others. It is not always going to be easy, I am already aware of that, but I want to give it my best shot, even if I shine like an LED christmas light (c’mon- we all know they are not as good as the regulars!) and not like a law enforcement search light (my brother is a cop-it was the brightest light I could come up with on short notice), it’s a start. It’s something. 

When my family went through the worst thing we have ever faced, losing my beloved Aunt Jolene to suicide, I posted this song for them, and it still gives me chills and inspires me to continue to believe that every single human on this planet has something to offer, has the power to SHINE for others, it is what I believe and what I want to promote in 2017. 

SHINE, friends. 

XOXO-Amber