Starting the Journey Over

What fears grip you as you try to fall asleep at night?  Do you wonder how you are going to pay a bill?  Are your kids on the top of your mind?  Are there problems in your relationship with your significant other?  Are you afraid that you are going to be alone?  Do you fear failing?  And when I ask about the fear of failing, I mean do you fear failing to the point that you are even afraid to try?  Different fears grab onto each of us during different seasons of life.  I have had many sleepless nights over some of my fears.  The fear can be crippling.  You can feel the weight of it pressing you down and holding you there.  Just thinking about some of the fears I have had over the course of the last few years, I can feel that tightness creep in.  One of the hardest things is to face our fears.  I have always had a fear of failure.  This fear has given me many nights of tossing and turning where I just can't shut my ...

Yep, you need to go into time out.  You read that right!  When is the last time you took a day to relax and unwind, to do something you really want to?  I took that day yesterday, and it was amazing!  I spent the day with my youngest, just being with her and connecting.  I had been wanting to spend a day with her for quite some time, but life kept getting in the way.  Hearing her say, "This is the best day ever," made me melt. I have gotten so caught up in life and the things I need to do that I can sometimes forget about the things I want to do.  Having goals and working towards reaching them is great, but we also need to take a time out once in awhile.  We need to decompress and just enjoy life.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy what I do and working towards success, but let's be honest, we all need a break once in awhile.  Taking a break allows us to recharge our batteries.  This weekend I did just that.  I spent time with frie...

We set lots of goals for ourselves.  How much thought do you put into your goals?  Do you see something and think, "I could do that," and make a new goal?  When is the last time you sat down and thought about what you really want out of life? It seems like people make a lot of decisions on a whim lately.  They see something someone else has and want it or they see someone doing something and think they can do it without thinking about if it is truly something they want.  It has become about comparison.  This person has it, so I have to have it.  Life has become one big competition, but a lot of people are falling short of really living and are losing the competition.  Just because it is a goal or a desire for someone else, does not mean it is meant for you.  Success, joy and happiness can look very different from person to person.  One persons joy may be your misery. I have a challenge for all of us today.  Take some time and th...

What do you expect from yourself?  Do you expect great things from yourself?  What do you think others expect of you?  Do you allow the expectations of others to dictate how you live your life?  Think about your answers to those questions.  I mean really think about them. I am going to rewind 4 years in my own life.  I lived my life to fulfill the expectations of everyone around me.  I gave of myself to satisfy everyone else to the point that I ran myself into the ground.  I put unrealistic expectations on myself because of allowing everyone to speak into my life and tell me who I should be and what I should do.  I was not putting my own real expectations on my life.  I was living for everyone around me.  I was left exhausted and unrecognizable to myself. I was trying so hard to fit into this perfect little box with a pretty bow tied around it.  That is not me.  I have opinions, goals, dreams, frustrations and so much ...

Each day we take another step forward.  Each day we are closer than we were yesterday.  I have heard this so many times, and it used to frustrate me beyond belief.  Just keep taking steps forward, no matter the size.  I heard myself tell other people this same thing, knowing sometimes how empty those words can feel. Here's the thing - When you're in the thick of it, it doesn't feel like you can even take one more step. It can be exhausting to just get up in the morning.  So, when people tell you to just keep taking steps, you kind of want to scream.  It takes everything in you to just keep doing what you have to in order to survive. What I didn't realize before is that by surviving, I was taking a step forward.  It may have felt like spinning my wheels at the time, but sometimes we just have to stay afloat.  It can be a season of just living and not giving up.  You may need to pause for a breath, collect yourself, plan a new strategy of att...

STOP!  It is time to stop looking at everyone around you and comparing your life to theirs.  We have all been guilty of this.  Wanting what others have, belittling ourselves, letting the green googley eyed jealousy monster take over.  Stop wanting other peoples lives.  Stop trying to be a replica of someone else.  You are unique and beautiful.  There is not another you, and that is truly amazing. It is so easy to get caught up in looking at what other people have without thinking about what got them there.  We then feel like we have less and often get angry and frustrated because it's not fair.  Sorry, this is going to be a bit harsh, but it's time to get off your butt and work for what you want just like they did.  Don't want what others have.  Think about what you want for your life and go after that.  Dig deep and find your purpose.  Create the life you are meant to have. I can promise you that it is going to be tou...

Some days are just better than others!  We can literally be lit on fire from the moment we wake and hit the ground running.  Today is one of those days for me.  I got to spend an amazing few days being poured into and growing personally and professionally.  I woke up this morning feeling like I can take on the world.  There is a lot of work ahead of me to reach the goals I have and a lot of habits I need to change. Even looking ahead to all the work I am going to need to put in, I am truly excited this morning.  I want you to think about the last time that you woke up feeling excited and ready to take on whatever life is going to throw at you.  How long has it been since you felt like you were in charge of your own life and not just along for the ride? What changes do you need to make in your life to be excited to take on each day?  Do you have habits that you need to change?  Do you need to take control of your health, fitness, career or...

Sometimes life takes some pretty unexpected turns.  It can be exciting, scary and just plain mind boggling a times.  We can think we are prepared for where life is going to take us next, only to find out how much we were definitely not even close to ready.  I have learned that preparation can only take us so far.  Things can change in the blink of an eye.  This isn't always a bad thing.  In fact it can be pretty terrific at times. I guess what I am getting at is that we can't control everything in life.  We may try our hardest to manage life, but there are other people in life with us.  We can really only "manage" ourselves and our reactions to what goes on around us. Whether good or not so good twist and turns are coming at us, we have to adapt and sometimes let go of how we thought things were going to go.  Letting go can be extremely difficult, but the weight that comes off your shoulders when you do is nothing short of amazing.  ...