We all have that someone we look up to. When we think of that person, we think “ahhh! They are living the dream!”
Today, is your reminder that even if it looks like their daily life is rainbows and kittens. It’s not.
Everyone has hard days. And that is ok.
So, if you’re having a day when you feel like you’re the only one. You’re not. We are all out here just trying to figure life out, sometimes, one day at a time.
So. Take a deep breath. Get yourself centered. And keep going.
Join me, beginning tomorrow, on my annual “30 Days of Thankfulness”.
Some days and some years. . . It’s hard. Creating a spirit of thanksgiving in your heart takes intentionality and discipline.
If you find yourself finding the negative in your day-to-day, and you’re done with it- join me.
I think you’ll find a new habit, and a little bit of that Negative Nancy weed pulled out of your heart.
What do ya say?! Join me!
2014- Hot Chocolate Race
Dallas, Tx
Today, I did something a little crazy…
I signed up for a 1/2 Marathon.
I haven’t raced consistently, since about 2014…
I signed up for the Bearathon…a race that I’ve wanted to do since we started racing back in 2012.
So, I plan on journaling this journey. I feel like it’ll probably be harder to get back into. Racing in my twenties, was hard mentally…and this time around, I feel like it will be harder to bounce back, physically…we shall see!
I want to see where racing takes me, this time!
Here’s to new journeys!
Have you ever been waiting, waiting, waiting, on breakthrough? A Decision? An Event or circumstance? News?
I don’t know about you, but every.single.time. I am impatient. I’ll admit, over the years, it’s gotten a little easier each time. And yet, I am so done with the process. It’s a growing phase, I am sure. But sometimes, I just want the process to go smoothly. What’s that saying…about diamonds being made under pressure? Sometimes, I enjoy the pressure. I know that something big will come from it, and I will learn something. This time. This season. I’m done. I just want to breathe for longer than a few minutes, few weeks, few months.
I just want a season, where I don’t feel like my head is just above the water.
I’m ready to soar.
Until then, I will keep finding the little moments. I will keep building a life designed to include breathing in the small spaces. Until the small spaces become wide open fields.
It’s funny, though. Even the fields aren’t as wide open as they look from a distance.
It takes time and patience to cultivate any type of field.
Maybe we just need to run through life like we would a field of sunflowers.
A field of sunflowers has weeds. It has obstacles. Yet, running through and around it feels so freeing.
So, we can….work, persevere, be faithful. Find moments of play. And when the harvest comes in, get ready to clear the land for the next season’s crop.
Have you ever been waiting, waiting, waiting, on breakthrough? A Decision? An Event or circumstance? News?
I don’t know about you, but every.single.time. I am impatient. I’ll admit, over the years, it’s gotten a little easier each time. And yet, I am so done with the process. It’s a growing phase, I am sure. But sometimes, I just want the process to go smoothly. What’s that saying…about diamonds being made under pressure? Sometimes, I enjoy the pressure. I know that something big will come from it, and I will learn something. This time. This season. I’m done. I just want to breathe for longer than a few minutes, few weeks, few months.
I just want a season, where I don’t feel like my head is just above the water.
I’m ready to soar.
Until then, I will keep finding the little moments. I will keep building a life designed to include breathing in the small spaces. Until the small spaces become wide open fields.
It’s funny, though. Even the fields aren’t as wide open as they look from a distance.
It takes time and patience to cultivate any type of field.
Maybe we just need to run through life like we would a field of sunflowers.
A field of sunflowers has weeds. It has obstacles. Yet, running through and around it feels so freeing.
So, we can….work, persevere, be faithful. Find moments of play. And when the harvest comes in, get ready to clear the land for the next season’s crop.
*Repost: I wanted to re-share some posts that I’ve previously written. Mainly, because, before change come healing and working on yourself.
Wow. When I wrote this…it was back around Thanksgiving. I remember this one-two week period, distinctively. It was the moment I realized that I really and truly have to shut down, all of the things, so that I may feel all the feels and sort through all of the thoughts. Now that we are 3 months into Corona time, with all of the things that are currently going on in our world. I’ve realized that there are some amazing people out there who don’t know that what they are going through is ok. What you are feeling is ok. You are not alone. If you are someone who lacks the support you need, I’m working on creating a resources page. If your situation is urgent, I implore you…find and seek help in your local community. In the meantime, I hope this reflection of what I wrote back in November is helpful and brings you hope.
Anxiety and Self-care:
Over these last couple of weeks, I felt myself winding up…anxiety wise. I couldn’t figure out what was going on…but I felt like I needed to slow down. So, I did.
I allowed myself to not go full steam ahead.
I allowed myself to slow down and tune in.
If I didn’t feel like writing, I didn’t. In fact, I slowed down to pretty much only my 30 Days of Thankfulness that I was 100% committed to.
I slowed down on house work—to what needed immediate attention…
You know, I have talked about my “5 Daily Things” I started making progress towards, after hearing John Maxwell speak this summer…and for 2 weeks…I didn’t focus on those at all.
And that’s fine. I needed to slow down and figure out what was triggering me.
It took a couple of weeks, and one good night of crying…but I finally figured it out and got all of that anxiety tension released.
I love this article about anxiety and self-care.
We really need to make ourselves, and listening to our bodies a priority.
When we are taking care of ourselves, we are better able to take care of others.
There is room and grace for survival mode.
There is room and grace for missing out on taking care of ourselves. It happens.
But, once we cue in…we can slow down to figure out what’s going on. And what we need to do.
Check out the article. Tell me what you think. I’ve tried all of these tips and agree.
It’s funny, because I used to hate yoga for exercise. It felt slow and awkward. But last year, I tried it for a season and loved it. It was just what I needed..and I’ve been missing it, since I gave it up last summer.
When you think about self care, don’t be surprised if something you used to hate or would never think about doing for you turns into a something you like.
If something crosses your mind to try…try it.
If you’re a mama-or someone who needs self care, but doesn’t have a budget to spend on yourself…don’t worry.
When I started my self-care journey I had to get creative, because we didn’t have the budget for me to go get massages, pedicures, and the like every week.
I’ll share resources on some budget friendly and simple ways to find self-care. As well as, things that are self-care that you may not have thought about. I certainly didn’t.
How did that happen, again?
2019- early 2020, I was excited to start writing, again.
Then, the pandemic.
Then, we started traveling, full-time, and homeschooling.
And writing. . . well, that went on the back burner.
And, these past 3 years. . . They’ve been hard, but they have given me SO much!
I’ m excited to start unpacking all of that. To share our journey. To help others.
Resolutions. New Year, New Me. All of that seems heavy to me, this year. I want nothing to do with it.
What are you
But, I do know what I’m looking forward to: continuing our homeschool journey, more trips, enjoying life, sunsets, warm weather, being outdoors, spending time with family and friends, and so much more!
What are you looking forward to?
Some days are hard.
You might feel the tension of wanting to get past a certain obstacle, once-and-for-all.
You might feel like you just don’t have the energy.
You might feel like you’re.just.done.
You keep pressing forward, and put one foot in front of the other.
Then, the tides turn.
You realize that the things you have prayed, wished, hoped, and longed for- they are beginning to unfold.
All the things that didn’t make sense before are beginning to make sense, now.
Y’all know that I’m BIG on sharing what I’m going through in the hopes that it helps someone. That if someone else relates, or gets hope from it- than it’s important to share!
Today, I realized, that so many things I’ve prayed for over the last 10 years have begun to come to tuition- even if they didn’t look the way I intended- or according to my plan.
Today, I want to encourage you- if you are there, in the deep of it all.
If you can barely see what’s ahead of you.
If you are barely surviving- and holding on. . . Keep on keeping on.
Keep fighting.
Keep pushing forward- because- if you pursue the things that are on your heart.
Man, things will look different.
I can promise you the timeline. That’ll look different for each and every person. It’ll depend on how much of the work you put in- but, man. . .
Where you see darkness, now- you’ll see the light and beauty, later!
Keep holding on! Keep fighting. Keep making changes!
This has been weighing heavily on my heart.
My goal in writing this, is not to diminish any one side’s voice.
Rather, to bring to the table that there is a time and a season for everything.
I feel like I’m pretty middle of the road- and even so, I know I’m still at fault, at times.
I’ve spent the better part of the past year trying my best to listen, and I still felt like there were times my voice wasn’t heard.
On one end, I’m tired of being a punching bag, on other, I need to stop throwing the punches, on the other, it’s time I make amends, and use my voice to help build bridges.
The point of this is, cycles happen- and they don’t break until there is change.
And, there needs to be more people standing up in the gap, building bridges to make change.
This is not to say that this is necessarily “your time” for any specific area- rather, whatever you are ready for, and on your time table- I’ll hope that you’ll remember and be open to what changes you are personally ready to take.
Politics aside, this is not to say don’t stand up for what you believe in.
Rather, stand up for what you believe in and be loving to your neighbor. Hear when you have wronged others, and when you’re ready- because we are all on different time tables- break the cycle.
We all have a responsibility to the parts we play in our circles, in our society, and in the world.
In different aspects of our lives, we may be in different parts of the cycle. We may be breaking cycles in one area, and still needing a lot of work in another. And in some- man, do we really need to just stop talking, and start listening and doing!
If I’m way off base, or you feel like any part of this was hurtful- please feel free to open up to conversation with me!
My goal is to keep a space that allows for honest, open communication that works towards coming together.
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