Jr. Mintz started Junio Kindergarten this past September, and if you heard the holiday episode of Cynthia Talks Life, you’d know that he’s doing very well. He’s only four years old and can already read simple sentences. The school teaches using phonics, which really helps. The only thing we need to see is whether he retains what he reads once we get to more complicated books. Some people have a harder time doing that. I think it’s mostly people who get bored easily.

So what am I looking forward to in 2023? Even more normalcy! I want to take Jr. Mintz to the Ex in August – I had thought about going this year, but it was a bit too soon. But 2023? It shouldn’t be a problem then. I’m also hoping to do more indoor dining, though I’m unsure whether my husband and I would be going out for Valentine’s Day. We are definitely going to be celebrating the Lunar New Year at the CN Tower this year, however – the annual “Spin of Prosperity” dinner which has been on hold during the pandemic. The last time we went up was in 2020! The only question is whether Jr. Mintz can sit still for the entire 70 minutes for the full circumference.

Globally, I hope inflation, especially food inflation doesn’t go up too much. Groceries are already expensive as is, and it’s sad to see people who have always been able to put food on the table to have to struggle and make cuts. And the increased likelihood of a recession doesn’t help. I feel for those in tech and finance. Globally, I’m hoping for more harmony. I want the war in Ukraine to end. I hope that people in China are able to be more “normal” after three years of living more or less like hermits (especially in larger urban centres where lockdowns kept on occurring). I can’t imagine the state of these people’s mental health. Very sad. Especially for children.

For me, I’m, once again, trying to decrease my time on social media. And maybe do another Facebook friends purge. Many of my so-called have become so “woke” and politically correct that they are doing more harm than good. Some of their comments about being more “inclusive” by explicitly noting various ethnic groups feels very “othering” to me. To be honest, I avoid anything that has this kind of note. It’s disgusting to me, sick to my stomach, even. And when people tell me that I need to “shut up” (well, not in those words, necessarily, though it’s happened before) and give other people a chance to talk, well, you actually AREN’T giving me a chance. And it’s not like the kind of voice I have/my stories and experiences are super-mainstream to begin with. So why not listen? All stories matter. There’s a reason why I have a podcast.

Speaking of podcasts, I admit that I have been a bit lazy with Cynthia Talks Life. I really need to drop more episodes. I know I’ve said that I’m going to take it to Reels more, but the lack of time – ranging from work to my son being in kindergarten and trying to sign him up for extra-curricular activities (while at the same time, not overwhelming him) takes over. I guess I need to be more organized, too.

Anyway, that’s it for 2022! Happy New Year, everyone!

The post Goodbye 2022, Hello 2023 and Normalcy appeared first on Cynthia C. Mintz.

But what about this coming decade? Well, I turned 40 in September, so this is the big decade of middle age for me. I’m still healthy and fit, working out regularly. Over the past decade, I’ve experimented with various types of fitness, including barre, Essentrics, training and even some weird ones where you wear a machine and it’s supposed to send electrical pulses to reduce fat (not that I have much to reduce). That last one was a massive fail for me and I can tell you it’s a complete waste of money. Glad I got my money back for that. These days, I’m sticking with reformer, Essentrics and training. Barre? I might make a return at a later date, but I’m just too busy doing other things. I’ve also experimented with being vegetarian some days, and though I haven’t gone completely plant based (I love eggs and cheese), I can definitely go more than one day without animal flesh. In fact, I want to make that more routine (but that could mean making two separate entrées). It’s my one goal for the 2020s, to be meatless for two days each week and landmeat free at least one of them.

Speaking of food, I’m also looking forward to introducing my son to even more to expand his palate. He does eat quite a variety of different things, though he seems to like baked goods the most. I’ve made protein/fibre muffins (from a recipe a pediatric dietian I follow on Facebook posted) which consists of chicken, spinach, corn as well as cereal (the original calls for “baby cereal,” but I use oat bran). I’m thinking of combining chicken and tofu for the next version just to lessen the meat.

The 2020s will also see my son enter school. I’m actually kind of stressed about it (though I know I shouldn’t be). He’s already on the wait list for three preschools and another school that starts in Junior Kindergarten. I’ve already made a list of schools which might be a good fit for him – he seems to hate large crowds (but it could be a phase), so I’m hoping that he’ll get a spot in a smaller community. I’d hate for him to get lost.

As for me, in addition to trying to reduce my intake of meat, I’m looking to become more mindful. I’m already meditating on a daily basis – even on weekends – and it’s so far been good. I’ve also been journalling (in the old fashioned way) since 2017. I think I’ve gone through enough Moleskine notebooks to fill an entire library! When I first started, I was writing about eight pages a day, but since motherhood hit, it’s been down to four. Being a mom, after all, takes priority.

I’m also trying to reduce my time on some forms of social media, especially Facebook. Sure, many mom groups are amazing (like the baby feeding groups I belong to. In fact, they’re better than a mom app I have. I find the women in the FB group more educated and intelligent while the mom app ladies are kind of…ummm…you know), but my feed in general is just awful. I’m getting the same ads over and over, and many of my Facebook friends seem to be just a tad bit over politically correct. I’ve done some clean-up – I’ve stopped following many people (especially in certain industries), but I’ve cut few friends. It’s probably about time I do. Some people can be just so awful towards you because your views are different. You really don’t need them in your life! I’m going to stick around Instagram though. Seeing photos of other people’s lives makes me happy! Twitter? Well, it’s just too busy to really end up being anything too crazy. I DO plan to spend more time on LinkedIn. Maybe use it to find philanthropy-related workshops in the area.

I’m also hoping to learn more about investing in businesses. And LinkedIn might help. Perhaps I could find some workshops on angel investing via that social network. I know that this is something I’m hoping to expand into, especially when it comes to working with women-run start-ups (women are far less likely to land a deal).

Am I missing anything? I don’t know. I suppose I can always update this post or write a new one if I come up with anything else!

What about you? What are YOU planning for this coming year?

Image By tonkid/Shutterstock

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