Life Lessons from Hallmark

I have a longstanding love affair with the Hallmark channel. I'm not sure how it started, but the relationship was cemented with the generous showings of Murder, She Wrote and the fact that they turn my beloved romance novels into real life, terrible movies. (And I do enjoy a terrible movie, as evidenced by my love for SyFy movies.) As most people know, Hallmark magically turns into a 24-hour Christmastime romance movie marathon. Normally, I'm all about the marathon; however, this year I'm still in the post-breakup state of mind and not quite ready for all the lovey-dovey, happy endings that Hallmark is guaranteed to give me. I know that it has been 8 months since the break-up, but I'm just not ready for Hallmark level love. 

That being said, last Sunday morning I gave in and watched 'Tis the Season for Love starring Hallmark darling, Sarah Lancaster. The movie was adorable and really got me thinking. Not to spoil the movie, but a rough plot synopsis follows: Sarah plays a failing Broadway star who comes home for Christmas, while home she begins to wonder if it is time to give up on the dreams that aren't happening and build new ones. Of course there is also love to be had in the hometown - the love interest is a cute fireman, who would never exist in my hometown - as well as a part-time job teaching drama and a Santa who seems to have a magical touch. In the end she gets a Broadway part, as an understudy, goes back to NYC, and then gives up NYC to follow her new found hometown dreams. 

A few years ago, I would most definitely have wanted to scream "What are you doing?!" while I watched this. Now, though, I actually went "Huh." I would never give up my dreams for a part-time job, but recognizing my reaction change made me very aware of the underlying theme of the movie. The idea that you should reevaluate your dreams and not just blindly follow them really hit home with me. I have always been someone who sets a goal and follows it. I often check-in with myself to make sure that I am on track to achieve the goal; however, it has been a long while since I looked to see if the goals I have set are still the ones I actually ones I want. 

As we near the end of 2015 and begin to think about a new year of opportunities, I realize that it is a good time to reevaluate my goals in addition to checking if I am on track. My initial thought is that - yes, I am doing what I want to do and am still on track - but Hallmark has made me want to really dig in and look at it from all the angles. I am heading to Florida for vacation on Friday and plan on spending the week decompressing and thinking about what I want out of my life and if the goals I have set will help me achieve them. I will also keep my eyes peeled for any hot, single, smart, perfect fireman, because, who knows, Hallmark might be on to something. So as you end your year, I encourage you to look at your dreams and figure out if the dreams you are chasing are still the ones you want to catch - or if perhaps, you might want something different than you did at 22.