Happy New Year!! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that 2014 has gotten off to a sweet start for you. Last year I started a little something on my Facebook page called “Cuppa Positivity with Ann~Margaret”, and I’m so excited to continue it in 2014. My word for last year was “POSITIVITY” ~ here’s the post all about it ~ and, this word is definitely going to be a part of this new year! *I have a new word for this year, too, so stay tuned for a post all about it this week! Being positive is something I always strive for, something I am always wanting to grow in, and sharing it with others is a bit like the cherry on the cupcake! By choosing the word POSITIVITY as my word for the year, I think it encouraged me to focus on it even more than I already did. In fact, I know it did. I wanted to live up to the hopes of this word; I wanted to make this word proud…I wanted to really try to LIVE the word I had chosen. And, I’ll tell you a little secret…this word really taught me alot in 2013. It taught me that when I focused on it, when I looked for the positive parts of the day, the week, a situation…whatever I was dealing with…well, it seemed to take the attention away from the frustrating or disturbing part. It wasn’t that it fixed everything, but it changed my outlook. And, I’m here to tell you…my outlook on a situation…how I view it…where I put my energy in it…this all makes a huge difference. So, imagine that I am focusing on the good, searching for the positive things, looking hard for the happy stuff. It matters, and I realized that the more I did these things the easier the POSITIVITY came.

My faith is very important to me, and I just love the book Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. Most days I am truly amazed how the message for the day seems to be as though it was chosen just for me. I love that! Have you ever had something going on in your life and just found yourself already guessing about the outcome, dreading the direction it was sure to go, or trying to plan what you would do when the unthinkable surely happened? Why do we do that? As my mom has always told me, “Don’t cross that bridge until you get to it, Ann~Margaret…why do you want to even guess how this will go…you must think POSITIVE.” Really…really…you mean I should really try to fill my mind with positive thoughts on a situation rather than trying to be in control and go ahead and figure it all out???? Let me tell you this…THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR was not really my style. I definitely needed to think it through and figure out what would happen, what I would do, what others would do. Whew ~ I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a whole lotta work to me!! I have found it is truly a beautiful thing to expect good things and take my worries to God, expecting that He can help me to control my thoughts and direct them in that positive direction.  And, reminding myself to let go of the worry and fear.

 So, as we begin this New Year, I want to ask you to join me in holding onto the POSITIVITY. It doesn’t matter if it is just a glimmer, a teeny tiny little sparkle…grab onto it and don’t let it go! And, the more you nurture it, the more you embrace it, the more you think about how awesome this positive part is, it will grow. But, you have to give it some attention. And, that means share that POSITIVITY, think about it, focus on it. Before you know it, you will be seeing more positive things popping up in your life. And, oh, here’s another little secret for you ~ they were there all along…we just had to take time to notice them!! Are you with me??? I don’t hear you…c’mon…now I do!! That’s what I’m talking about!! Here we are, 2014 ~ ready to find, see, and cherish all the POSITIVITY you hold!! Hold tight…you are gonna love my word/words for this year, too!!

*I love how I used the word “sparkle” above, and then, realized I had also used it in my post last year on the last photo!  See, POSITIVITY just makes everything sparkle!!

Warm Hugs to YOU!!

Copyright 2014 Ann-Margaret, Artist ~ Writer ~Photographer/Ann-Margaret’s Visions
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