The more I read, the more I am inspired. In the last two weeks, I have started new books, I have read countless WordPress blogs, I have sifted through hundreds of Instagram posts and have connected with some incredible new creative souls.

Today though, I am most intrigued by an old friend’s blog post, for its message certainly ties into my #tut30days writing exercise.

Someone once told me that for women especially, selfish years are minimal. I remember the conversation well- It has always stayed with me. “Women are cared for by their parents, and then they drift out on their own. They take care of themselves until they fall in love, settle down, and then they become mothers of their own. They care for their children and when that period passes, they find themselves taking care of their parents. Lastly, they support their significant others once again into old age.”

I feel as though I am perched on the latter half of my selfish years. Yet my husband and I hustle hard, too hard at times, and there are moments that feel like we are just hamsters on wheels. 2017 is about taking some of the control back.

Today’s writing exercise involves “creating a theme,” and mine speaks to selfishness and balance. This year, I resolve to be good to myself, be more mindful of my own needs and the needs of my husband and canine companions. Last year, my travelling frequency got the best of all three of us: I developed bad habits and let my health slip, my husband had to play the role of single homeowner and dog parent, and one of my pups was all out of sync, left in her crate for longer hours and confused about “where mommy was.” (She’s sitting under my feet as I write this.) We even dealt with periods of her not finishing her meals in my absence.

2016 was devoid of a creative outlet, something that I am working on improving. Passion, time spent on my mind, body, and spirit was not a priority before.

I need to find a way to balance work and home life, as my job still involves travelling and it will forever be one of my greatest loves. My mantra then, my theme, is to possess both roots and wings.

How does one do that though, without creating lofty goals?

The blog mentioned earlier touched on something really interesting- My friend wrote a letter to herself, to open in 2018. What would be said? What ideas would be revealed?

I decided to try it for myself. I went down into the basement and plucked a relevant card from my stash of stationary. I wrote down words like, “so proud of you,” and “warrior, a true inspiration” before closing, “Happy New Year and cheers to the next chapter!” I sealed the envelope and tucked it inside my journal.

And I will carry the card with me, to remind me that I have 364 days to make each sentence relevant. (Who wants to open a card on NYE to read kudos about getting thin, when the scale hasn’t budged in a year?) It will serve as a constant voice, to slow down, write, kiss harder, do ten more minutes of cardio, read, discover…

It will remind me to stay true to the path I’ve chosen for myself, with the stationary cover singing its message, foreshadowing all that roots and wings entail.