Reflections & Intentions
Happy new year! Sharing what's on my mind as we begin 2025: Read on for life, movie, and TV recommendations.
I’m not a big believer in New Year’s resolutions. Instead, I find that setting intentions is more helpful to me. These overall guidelines are like a flashlight illuminating a path in a dark forest. They make decision making easier and can help provide motivation for certain habits and routines. For example, I concentrated on physical health and creativity one year. I devoted more time to writing and music as a result. I began a daily practice of journaling which served as a mindful check in, as well as a writing warm-up. I made some changes to my diet and started taking some supplements that my doctor recommended. I developed a consistent routine for daily exercise. This year, I’m thinking more about connection. I’m trying to prioritize time with people above all else. However, if I can combine a walk with a visit with a friend, for example, that’s fantastic. I won’t set aside my previous intentions; I’ll just keep adding to them.
I love those end of year lists that are dominating media. Last December, I wrote about books I’d read. This year, I made a list and realized that my favorite reads were ones I’d read before, in 2023 – Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver and Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. The personal journeys of the characters in both of these books resonate with me, as well as their engagement with nature. The rest of the books I read were not as noteworthy as was the experience of book club and discussion with a group of women whom we didn’t know at first. I’ve been bringing my mom to a monthly, evening book club in our community for about 7 months. It’s been rewarding to participate with a diverse group of ladies. This year, I hope to read more – both book club books, as well as some of the others on my long list. Of course, I’d like to keep my focus on writing my own book, as well. I’m currently deep in editing punctuation. Fun! No, really…I do like the process, because I can see it shaping up to be a readable novel.
So, because I love those lists, I decided to make my own. Here are my favorite things of 2024, in no particular order.
Activities:
· Journaling in cursive
· Morning book reading with coffee
· Baking and cooking everyday meals
· Spotify playlists and the joy of finding any song I want to listen to
· Daydreaming about ice skating when I hear a lyrical song
· Playing mandolin, guitar and singing; music jams & classes
· Small venue concerts
· Walks in the park or hiking in nature
· Time with people I care about
· Dancing
· Skating
· Theater, small shows as well as Broadway blockbusters
· Traveling
TV Series:
· Great British Baking Show - the ultimate cozy, sweet show. They inspire me to create more in the kitchen.
· The Diplomat - riveting drama, I watched while riding my stationary bike. It always gets my heart rate up.
· The Law According to Lidia Poet (watch in Italian with English subtitles) - sexy, fun and delightful story about the first female lawyer in Italy who solves murders. Hearing the beautiful language is a must, though you can opt for dubbing in English on Netflix.
· The Lost Kitchen - a chef opens a restaurant in a small town, Freedom, Maine, creates a menu based on locally sourced ingredients. There is such demand for reservations that they began a lottery by postcard for them, receiving thousands.
· Only Murders in the Building - Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez are so good together!
· The Bear - This is intense and so real. Another one to get the heart rate up. Some of my clients and I have discussed the realism portrayed of toxic behaviors in families and an adult child’s reactions.
· Couples Therapy (reality show on prime) - if you could be a fly on the wall in a therapy session. I think it’s fascinating. I’m not trained in couple’s work and I believe it’s an art. It must be rewarding to affect people’s relationships in this way.
· Spinning out – for junk tv 😊- A drama based on an ice skater who shares a bipolar diagnosis with her mother. It’s over the top, but hits home. The skating is actually pretty good too, a rarity in most skating dramas.
· Survivor - my husband and I enjoy this a lot. No, I could never do it, could you? I can’t go without food for more than a few hours. Never knowing when people are lying would kill me. I added the Survivor podcast to my spotify. It’s really entertaining and adds to the experience.
Movies:
· A Complete Unknown – biopic about Bob Dylan. The actors performed all their own music. I didn’t know how much I’d enjoy Dylan’s music, but I did, and newly discovered Joan Baez, as well.
· Klaus – This will be a new holiday classic for me. Really funny and heartwarming.
· American Symphony – about Jon Batiste as he writes his first symphony, and his wife, Suleika Jaouad. She has a recurrence of leukemia at the time that he’s hitting the heights of his career. Their love and support of each other is beautiful to see. His music is inspirational. It really touched me. I’m going to follow Jaouad’s writings on journaling and life.
· Miss Americana – about Taylor Swift, it shows her emotional and mental health journey as she finds herself as an artist and as a woman. She literally found her voice!
· Simone Biles Rising - about Simone’s life and career, culminating in her last Olympic Games as a 27 year-old gymnast. The way she uses mindfulness, meditation, and therapy, is impressive and influential. She’s a bad a!@* too.
Thank you for reading. If you’ve come this far and enjoyed reading this, would you please leave a comment or hit the like button? It fuels me to know that there are readers engaging with what I share. Sending you love and light. Best, Amanda