This is one word that has been on my mind lately, and even more so now that we are about to enter a new year.

Relationships – how to keep the good ones, get rid of the bad ones, and build stronger ones with the people closest to me.

2019 has proved to be a year of reflection for me. I didn’t wait until the end of the year to reflect, I did this all year long and came to a lot of conclusions, and in turn, came up with a few strategies that made my life (and the lives of all my family) better.

These strategies were not a cure all – they don’t work all the time and sometimes new situations come up that leave me wondering where I went wrong. Now that I know what to do, how could I go wrong again?

The answer is simple – I am only human.

I think the pressure to be perfect has long since left our home…the longing for peace has taken over the perfection sought after when you always feel you have to have a clean house, fresh baked cookies on the table, neatly folded laundry, and happy AND well behaved kids ALL THE TIME!

And thank goodness, really…thank goodness. No one is perfect – we are all human.

So when it comes to relationships, and more specific, the relationship with my significant other, my husband, I have had time to reflect, strategize, find peace and love…but even then, there are days when I get it all wrong – because I am only human.

Things bother me, and frankly, they are the same things that bothered me 20 years ago, 10 years ago, 5 years ago, and now today.

So what do I do?

I let it go…because, as a human, I have the power to control my mind, my thoughts, and my actions.

I stop expecting things to change and I start focusing on what matters to me…a happy home, happy kids, loving relationships, and peace.

I let it go, and even though I will get it wrong a million more times in my life, I will let it go today and I will feel more joy internally, more contentment, more love, and less frustration.

Expectations stop us from seeing the good. Expectations and frustration don’t allow us to grow…they build resentment and anger. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if 2018 was the year that we all allowed our good relationships to grow? How would your life be different? How would your home be different? How would you feel? I can guarantee that this one switch will feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. You will wake with joy and fall asleep with peace.

Along with dropping our expectations, I have a couple more strategies that I follow to ‘let it go’ and I would love to share it with you.

1. Drop your expectations. Start with one thing that bothers you and NEVER expect it to change. I have done this so many times, and because I stop expecting it to change and I stop focusing on it, you know what happens?  It changes…disappears, and is non-existent.
2. Smile more. Sounds ridiculous right? Trust me – just try it. And once you have mastered the smiles, start the mornings with a cheery song or dance…or anything that will start everyone’s day off well!
3. Forgive.  If you know me, you know why this is the 3^rd on the list…it is one of the toughest things for me to do.   Forgive someone because it is only hurting YOU. It is an unimaginably powerful feeling to forgive…like you are walking on clouds…not weighted down.

You have the power in you to make your relationships better, create more joy in your home and peace in your heart.

Because…you are human!