First off, happy new year to everyone!  🙂

This might be considered a reblog since most of the material came from a previous entry.  The only reason why I wanted to post this again is to remind myself of these 13 guidelines to help me get through the year.  Of course, being the first day of 2013, it is but proper to start off by setting your mind straight on how you want your year to be.  Despite 2012 being a bad year for me, without this list to remind me, it could’ve been much, much worse.  Who knows, maybe having these guidelines can help others too.  So, instead of listing down new year’s resolutions, have this instead.  You won’t get tied down, and have some elbow room to work around should you have an exact goal in mind to achieve this year.

1.  Be positive and stay positive.

2.  Repeat number one.

3.  Say what you feel, as long as you know it’s the truth, or at least has some semblance of it.  Be it about a person, situation, or anything that tickles your fancy, strikes a chord, or messes you up.  Don’t hold back.  Being tactless is something people who can’t handle the truth came up with as an excuse.

4.  Dream big and aim high.

5.  Do anything and everything within reason to make number four a reality and hitting it.  Anything falling short of them or settling for “the good that came out of it” is not an option.

6.  In every undertaking for number five, remember these words:  “discipline and focus.”

7.  Flirt, date, get laid.

8.  Fall in love.

9.  Do not do the latter part of number seven to just to get to number 8.  You should know better than that.

10.  Screen your opportunities carefully.  While most others say grab every single one, remember that opportunities are generic in nature.  Some may help you, while others may look like to help you, but are really to doom you.

11.  Pray.  Whatever religion you’re in, or even if you’re an agnostic or atheist, it doesn’t hurt to ask help from the forces of good…  and thank them once in a while.

12.  Pamper yourself.  However, whenever.

13.  When all else fails, go back to number one.

For those who really know me, you might notice that my “lowered expectations” belief is not included on the list.  Well, it’s simply because that has been my mantra for several years now.  I am what you would say, an “eternal optimist, yet staunch realist.”  Though I try to see things in a glass half-full kind of way, I also try not to let things go way over my head.  In my experiences, this has helped me keep my feet on the ground and makes me appreciate more the little things in life.  Strange as it may sound to others, that’s how it is for me.

Hope 2013 will be a good year for you.  With how things went down for me last year, I’m hoping this year will be way better.  And with the help of these guidelines, I’m sure it could not get any more worse.