A month ago, you, me and millions of others welcomed in the New Year with renewed hopes, dreams, aspirations and…resolutions. We were filled with zeal and exuberance. The energy on the starting line of 2015 was palpable, as if we were all in the starting gates at the Kentucky Derby. It was glorious and exciting!

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays behind me, which included two straight months of agonizing early deadlines, I finally feel I have a moment to take a breather. Relaxation doesn’t come often or easy for me, so I cherish the moments I get to just breathe in and breathe out and actually notice I’m doing it.

The song “Let it Go” from the Walt Disney movie Frozen has enjoyed popularity on a worldwide scale. Yes, the songstress Idina Menzel’s voice is powerful, and the song does have a catchy tune. And, yes it is from one of the most beloved movies of all times (Frozen is the fifth highest grossing movie and the No. 1 highest grossing animated movie ever) but I think what people of all ages love about the song is that you can belt out the words “let it go” over and over again. It just feels so good whether you’re in the shower, driving down the road or at work. It’s a song with built-in self-defense. For instance, you’re driving down the road and a crazy driver cuts you off, there’s no need to get mad. You just sing out “let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go!” It has an instant calming effect with a much better prophecy than “let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!”

Hey Elizabeth,
You don’t know me except our pleasantries in the grocery store, but I want to share something with you. My journey with my weight has been a LONG one. I made a commitment two weeks ago with a co-worker to join a gym with her so we can exercise together. She just recently had a double mastectomy and is having reconstructive breast surgery for the second time in December. She wants to lose 40 pounds before then and that’s exactly what I need to lose. So I thought, heck, it’s a great opportunity for both of us. Well, two weeks of diet watching and exercising have netted a zero pound loss for me! You don’t know how depressed I have been today; I have cried most of the day. So discouraging, and I am not usually Debbie downer, but this has really put me down. I have enjoyed reading about your journey. Do you have any tidbits for me to keep this going?