I’ve always been a person who favors sadness. My baseline operating model is generally sad. When I was pregnant with my oldest son, it was really important to me that he never grow up to think that he was the cause of my sadness so I was determined to work on this.

I printed a huge sign to put above my bedroom door which said: “Give up that there’s something wrong.”

I would wake up every morning and see it. I’m a big fan of reminders. We are all works in progress and remembering the destination we strive for is helpful.

This was one of mine.

The boy is 16 now and I am still reminding myself to give up that there is something wrong. That everything is an opportunity or a possibility. And that perspective matters a lot.

And I get to choose the story I tell myself.

Yes to believing in the good. Yes to owning my own life. And yes to believing in the positive.

#yearofyes #karenikayearofyes

Today was the first day this year I sat outside to take my meetings. I decided midday that I was done sitting indoors and I am still sitting outside with the birds chirping and fresh air as the sun sets.

I have been doing all the things I can to help fill my own cup lately. And I see a tangible difference in my level of calm and centeredness. Being outside contributes to that significantly.

I was talking to my husband a while ago and asked him what will matter more in ten years, and I’ve been thinking about this a lot. In ten years when I look back I want to be able to say that I went on adventures and lived my life fully. I want to be able to say I was kind to people and helped lift them up and cheer them on. I want to have learned to sit silently and be still. I want to have grown and learned new things. I want to have poured love all over my people.

That’s all I care about.

That’s the stuff I want to get right. So that’s the stuff I want to lean into because what you pay attention to blooms.

Yes to living life. Yes to outdoors. Yes to adventures. Yes to doing what matters to me.

#yearofyes #karenikayearofyes