the year that was and the year that is.

my friend and i kiss 2013 goodbye.

2013 is over and i can only look back to so many things that conspired to the year that was -- to friendships that just got stronger, to unceremonious goodbyes, to sincere forgiveness, to hopeful beginnings and lots of leaps of faith. if there's one big thing that sums up my entire 2013, it was that my faith was tested to its strongest. it was a crazy year and it drove me to the craziest i can ever be. but it was beautiful. i consider it the best year of my life by far.

now, i welcome the year that is, hoping that it will exceed every good thing about the past year. it's a tall order but of course it just got to be better.

my part in making it a better year, breaking last year's record, is by creating and commiting to new year's resolutions. i'm a big believer of new year's resolutions so here goes my list for 2014.

judge less. practice patience. smile more. commit to an exercise. save a lot. read more. write more -- believe that you're good at it. spend less time on internet. speak up. say things -- but don't gossip. be ridiculously straightforward -- and don't be sorry about it. get more first-time experiences. drink more water. indulge in sweet lattes. try a new hairstyle. give more -- give your all. help a stranger -- at least once a day. give genuine honest compliments -- without being an ass-kisser. welcome new people. make new close friends -- and keep the old ones closer. look out for inspiring people -- and stay away from the toxic ones. assert yourself. be brave. make mistakes -- and make sure you learn from them. cry hard. laugh harder -- laugh a lot. sing out loud -- let them stare. be carefree. be mad. dress up. think deep. be shallow. spend christmas at home. give thanks. give love. find love. be proactive. give chances -- and take chances. you'll never know what is until you give in.

and most importantly, keep the faith -- to anything and everything. in Him.