Happy New Year! - Oh how things have changed!

So after saying I would do this really regularly I then didn't post for a month.. Woops! I hope you all had lovely Christmases! Mine was amazing! So jolly and it was really nice to see all of my family, yay!

I've been thinking a lot recently about how I have changed as a person throughout all of this. For a while I didn't think I had, but when I really start looking at back at my life 2 years ago I realise that I actually am very different. Not nessecarily personality wise, but more in the way I think and the way my mind works.
I believe there are four main things to keeping happy and they are as follows: Friends, Family, Health and Hobbies. Most other things are a privalidge (apart from the necessities we need to stay alive, obviously!).

2 years ago my thoughts on this were way out of wack. I was much more concerned about what people thought of me, how I looked, how I came across as a person, whether I was pretty enough or skinny enough or if I had nice clothes. All these things I do still think about but if I'm having an 'off day' then that's fine. We all have them! I've come to the realisation that no one can be perfect all of the time, and to be honest - it's too much effort!! I was so worried about what other people thought of me that I was focusing entirely on the wrong thing. It mattered much more to me what others thought than my studies or hobbies and now, although I still care, I'm focused on my future. What things hold for me in the coming years and what I want to aim for. Life has thrown some curveballs at me but I'm learning to handle them and when it's all blown over I will come out the other side a much better version of myself, and I hope others will agree.

Having spent so little time with friends it's made me realise how special they all are to me, although I don't talk to as many people as I did before I'm much more grateful to the ones who have stuck it out with me, so thanks guys! (I'm sure you know who you are :) )
My family have always been so amazing throughout all of this, I've really realised how blessed I am to have such supportive relatives as I do. I don't even want to imagine life without them!
When it comes to health things aren't perfect, but when I look back even 6 months when I couldn't see the light at the end I am amazed at how things have changed, and I am so determined to keep on the up!
Hobbies is a difficult one because I get so tired. But volunteering has given me something to look forward to in the week, meeting new people from all sorts of different backgrounds is really inspiring. I'm very focused now on goals I have for the future and what I want to achieve when things get back to normal - WHICH THEY WILL!! Haha!
I hope to continue thinking this way and keep my head straight on the things that really matter ♥

So here's to 2013, a fresh start and a new beginning. I wish you all the very very best -Happy New Year everyone!

Lottie x