Wrapping Up the Year!

By: Marcia King-Gamble

www.lovemarcia.com  

We’re wrapping up yet another year, and I’ve always found it a good time to reflect. I call  December my woulda, coulda, shoulda month. No time for regrets, I think about  my “didas”, and I am grateful for good health, because without it, I have nothing.

2017 was a grim year for so many. Floods in Texas, Hurricanes in Florida, Fires in California. Many lost lives.  Many lost homes. Many were despondent. My heart goes out to all those displaced people. But this too shall pass, unbelievable as it may seem..

There’s much to be grateful for.  Whenever I think I have it bad, there are others who have it far worse.  I have a home to live in. I have food on the table. I have supportive friends and family. I have good health. When I get down, I remind myself to stay positive. I focus on what I've accomplished. The good things that have happened,  and will continue to happen; the small difference I made in one person's life.

What did you accomplish this year? What were the highlights?  What made you smile? Where did you go? What did you do? Who did you help? Did you contribute to making our little world a better place?   

Every year I start out promising to do one act of kindness a day. Just one small thing  can make someone smile and feel special. It can simply be letting a person ahead of me in the grocery store line, or thanking a person for making my life a little better. It could be the guy who picks up my trash or the stranger who holds open a door. Everyone needs and wants to feel special.  Sometimes, extrovert that I am, I cross the room at a party to speak to the lone wallflower. I try to pay attention and be aware that not everyone is as comfortable in a crowded room as me. 

Opening your heart, and giving of yourself shouldn’t be something that happens once a year. And giving doesn’t have to be money. Giving of your time can be equally as valuable. Volunteers are needed at so many places. Find  a cause that you're passionate about and volunteer.  Mentoring young kids (our future) is a wonderful way of paying your good luck forward.

Start out each new year with a list of things you want to see, do, and accomplish. This is where a vision board comes in handy. As many of you know,  I design a vision board every year.  As I write, I’m reviewing the one I designed in January of 2017. It's a perfect reminder of what I accomplished and what I did not.  Did life take me in a different direction? How could I have done it better? 

My 2017 vision board had a newspaper article that I'd like  to share.  It’s titled the 2017 Starter Guide and it has a  list of manageable goals. Here are a few  that resonate with me and are easily transferable to 2018:

·         Learn to say no

·         Get enough sleep

·         Don’t go to bed in a state of emotional turmoil

·         Offer to help

·         Do mundane and difficult tasks first

·         Laugh and have fun

·         Have a thankful heart and stop complaining

·         Engage in physical activity

·         Choose your friends wisely

·         Do what is right

·         Compromise

·         Take responsibility for your own actions

·         Look for ways in which to demonstrate kindness

When it comes to physical activity, I’m a huge proponent of exercise. Exercise has gotten me through some of the more challenging experiences of my life. Endorphins are a natural opiate, and there are so many benefits to moving your butt.  Exercise keeps you looking young, and it  keeps you positive. Keeping those endorphins flowing are better than any prescription drug I know. It manages depression, high blood pressure, diabetes, and just think, you’re burning calories and losing weight at the same time.

The end of the year is also the perfect time for “feel good stories.” I’m releasing  two in conjunction with well-known authors, and I'm excited.

 The first is novella number 5 in The Holiday Sparkle series; another collaboration with talented author Bettye Griffin . Last year the first in the series was Love on Lakeview Drive, followed by Naughty in New York, Holiday in Houston and lastly, Loose in Las Vegas. This year we bring you Rockin' The Rockies.   

Novella number 5, Rockin' The Rockies  is set in Aspen and Denver. Yes, the rented red dress makes another reappearance and it again transforms lives. This time, my heroines experience love at a charity event, and it's told from the two heroines points-of-view.   

    

My second release, penned with author, Sandra Kitt, is titled ‘By Design.’  Welcome to the world of the retail store and all its intrigue. This series starts off on the east coast, Fashionistas get ready. Please check Amazon and Barnes and Noble for these releases in the next week or two, but certainly before Christmas.  Be sure to add both to your holiday shopping.

In closing, I'd like to thank you for your support and wish you a safe and happy holiday. Keep that attitude of gratitude going, and good things will come to you.

My wish for you in 2018 is to have all your dreams come true.

Romantically Yours,

Marcia King-Gamble,

About Marcia King-Gamble

Romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue. This former travel industry executive and current world traveler has spent most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned over 34 books and 8 novellas. Her free time is spent at the gym, traveling to exotic locales, and caring for her animal family.

Visit Marcia at www.lovemarcia.com or “friend” her on Facebook: http://bit.ly/1MlnrIS