I stare out that big picture window that I’ve been looking out every morning for almost a year. It takes up over half of the living room wall and extends basically from the floor to the ceiling. Big windows are one of the things that speak to my soul. I’m the kind of person who can’t be home without the blinds and shades open. I must allow the outside in.
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What will I stop apologizing for?
I typed this question into the notes on my phone as I sat and listened in a Strength Finders training. I originally intended this to be more about strengths and personality and the basic characteristics of how we’re wired. Over the next few weeks it grew into something much more broad.
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When I came back from Rise, I was inspired to do better. I mainly felt convicted around health and wellness because this was an area I’d been sitting on the back burner for so long. I also felt a little attacked about wasting my morning hours. It was hard for me to not try to enhance all of my habits at once, so I picked a few small things to work on first.
Since we’re wrapping up the first month of the year and most of us have already abandoned our New Year’s resolutions, I thought I’d share these simple hacks I’ve been doing for the last few weeks. These are super easy to do and don’t require major life change. The idea, however, is to build a little momentum that could nudge us along to bigger changes.
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I’ve thought a lot about what I’d share here on the blog this week. I’ve been working to keep an editorial calendar, like a big girl writer would — a calendar where I plan out what I share and have everything ready to go in advance. That way, when life gets busy like this past weekend, I won’t neglect this work.
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This post is for my new friends joining me in Hope*Writers. If that’s not you or if you have no interest in writing, you can probably skip over this post. I just needed a place to save these tips to send my new writer friends. If you’re interested in Hope*Writers though, go here for more info and reach out to me directly with any questions you have!
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It’s my birthday and birthdays have always been a pretty big deal to me.
I’m in Fort Myers, FL for the Rise Conference this week. (Follow along on Instagram.) Today is day one and I could not be more excited to sit in this room. This will be the first birthday that I can remember spending alone — without my closest friends/family — and though I was excited at first, I’m having a bit of anxiety about it now. Nonetheless, I’m going to find me a cool spot for dinner and I’m going to celebrate the heck out of the opportunity I’m getting to attend this conference. I’m probably one of the few who’d choose to spend their birthday at a personal growth conference and then spend lots of money to make it happen….. There’s your first fun fact about me.
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I’m about to have another birthday. I have a fun post planned for my actual birthday and for now, I want to talk about my expectations of where I thought I’d be at 34 years old.
There are so many things I thought I’d have done by now. I always thought I’d have kids by 32. There was no special reason for that number, just a subconscious thought I had. I thought I’d be more settled. I thought everything in my work would be systematic. I thought I’d have a hefty retirement account. I thought I’d not accidentally overdraw my bank account anymore. (Simple mistake…stop judging.) I thought people would respect me and I’d have clear boundaries. I thought I’d have stopped people-pleasing. I thought I’d shop for whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I thought I’d have a big, pretty house full of people.
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If you’re looking for a fun and simple way to document this upcoming year, I highly recommend the 1 Second Everyday app. This is my second year to use this app and I still love it so much. Like I mentioned last year, this is not the sort of thing that I’d typically be good at. I had to simplify the process wayyy down so that I wouldn’t jump ship. After being so thrilled with my finished product last year, I was determined to stick with it.
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I didn’t intend to be a spokesperson for simple living this holiday season. It just sort of happened. I often share my own journey and discoveries online with my community and this year, as I settled in to a simpler way of doing things, I accidentally encouraged other women to do the same.
It wasn’t an easy transition. It was intentional. When I felt the holiday stress and anxiety bubbling up inside, I forcefully pushed it away. It was an intentional decision everyday to just be present in the moment and to do my best for that day.
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One of the main concepts that I’ve thought back on from the Hope*Writers Conference, came from co-founder Gary Morland. He told the story of baking a wonderful dinner for your friends and pulling it from the oven. The smell fills the room and you’re so proud of the masterpiece that you’ve created in your kitchen. Then, you look around and wonder where your friends are. Why aren’t they here to eat your magnificent dinner? They’re not here, because you didn’t invite them.
