embrace the journey

There are moments in life when the path feels unclear. You don’t know if you should slow down, speed up, or just stop all together. You try to listen deeply to what your heart is saying but there is so much uncertainty you can’t seem to hone in on what you truly want.

You feel twisted and unsettled. You have no idea where to go. You want this uneasy feeling to be over with already. You wish you could click your heels and be standing on the other side. Looking at if from a different vantage point. The view of having made it through.

But here you are in these uncharted waters. Deep in the uncomfortable growth is happening. You are learning to steer your own ship. You are figuring out slowly what the next right move is and you are taking it. You aren’t rising in leaps and bounds but you know that all you need is be right here.

You know you will find your way somehow. You always have. Even when you were at your darkest points you rose above from the ashes. You learned to stand on your own two feet and walk again. If you did it then you can make it through this.

Life has a way of throwing curves balls all the time. It is not in avoiding them that you become who you are but in facing them head on and learning how to swing. Do not be discouraged when you strike out. You will get another chance at the plate.

Remember your strengths. Don’t shy away from who you are. Don’t try to push down this uncomfortable feeling. Be fully in it.

You don’t know where you are going to end up. Embrace the journey. Live in the moment. Cry when you are sad. Laugh when you are happy. Invite others in. Share your story and know that you are never alone.

how I spent my summer vacation

Do you remember that first day back to school in September?  Your teacher would ask you what you did over summer vacation.  He or she giving you just a brief moment to summarize everything that happened.  But how can you do that in one quick second?  

 My heart is filled with summertime stories.  The types of stories that included sun kissed skin, melting ice cream, and lots of fresh air.  There were all sorts of adventures and traveling down unexplored roads.  Late night giggles, lots of sunshine, and feeling the sand between my toes.  

It was a summer I want to hold onto.  A summer filled with love, adventures, and traveling down unknown roads.  It was an opportunity to let go of the everyday routine and allow my heart to lead me where I wanted to go.  

I am grateful for all baseball games.  The many days at the beach.  Sinking deep into yoga and finding my way back to meditation.  

I am grateful for the brilliant colors this world shows up with.  Epic sunsets in the most stunning orange hues.  Brilliant blue skies and white puffy clouds.  

Adventure awaits around every corner.   It will not come knocking.   You need to go after it.  There is beauty out there just waiting for you to experience it.  

But sometimes you just need to stay where you are and sink deep into slowing down.  My front porch was a welcome invitation.  It provided me a space to journal, read, and deeply breathe in the fresh air.  Time on my porch is like medicine for my soul.  

There were books.  So many books devoured.  'Marrow: A Love Story' by Elizabeth Lesser ... 'Secrets in Summer' by Nancy Thayer ... 'How to Walk Away' by Katherine Center.... were just a few.  I became best friends with the library again, spending time writing there and exploring the shelves.  

There was live music, new restaurants, fish caught, weights lifted, time babysitting, sand castles built.  Many baseball games, a foot ball game, a golf tournament.  It was the summer of epic adventures.

As it comes to a close I want to remember to savor it all.  All to often I am moving quickly from one thing to the next that I do not take a proper moment to celebrate and appreciate what was.  There is lots to appreciate about this past summer.  

And so I am heading out to my front porch with my journal and taking some time to reflect on all that was.  The memories, the feelings, the taste, the sounds.  The beauty and delight.  Laughter and tears.  Heart expanding moments and road blocks that forced me to push through.  I want to remember it all.  To stand in glory of the goodness as well as the the shaky uncomfortable ground.  All of it makes up what this epic summer was.  

I invite you to not let the feelings slip away to quickly.  Take a moment to reflect.  You don't jut have to do this alone in your notebook.  Get those you love involved as well.  Around the dinner table ask everyone to share their favorite summer memory.  Ask them what summer taught them.  Their answeres may surprise you. 

My top five summer memories are?

The feeling I do not want to forget from this summer is . . . 

One thing I learned this summer is ...

Let's Work Together

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know your worth

You are the one carving out the road before you.  You decide where you are going to go, who you are going to take along on the journey, and when you are going to stop to admire the view.  Yes, you are the one holding the map and choosing the final destination.  

As I stand on this unknown ground I been savoring the moments I would not have had the opportunity to enjoy had I been working.  This has been an epic summer.  Exploring different places, spending time with family, and finding new roads to go down on my bike.  So many memories created and tucked inside my heart. 

But then there is this little voice inside my head reminding me that I have yet to get a job.  It makes me doubt my worth, doubt my skills, doubt my ability.  I wonder why it is that I haven't heard back from places.  Why I didn't get a chance at the ones I really wanted.  And what is it that my future holds.  The negative self talk has been fierce.  

I need to shut down the negativity in my head and remind myself of my worth.  No one really knows what they are doing.  We all tend to make it up as we go along.  What matters most is the willingness to put yourself out there and take a chance.  I am proud of myself for the chances I have taken but also know that there is so much more that I want to go after. 

I need to stand tall with my head held high and my shoulders back.  To speak with confidence.  To believe in my gut that I can do whatever it is I put my mind to.  

I am

+ a creative thinker
+ a problem solver
+ patient
+ a good listener
+ grounded and mindful
+ kind and compassionate
+ able to express my heart through words
+ thoughtful
+ a hard worker
+ determined
+ brave
+ able to admit my mistakes
+ not afraid to try new things
+ passionate about my work
+ wanting to help people unearth their light
+ me, and there is no one else like me

Taking a moment to sit down and write who I am reminded me of all I have to offer.  I am an asset.  I am ready to learn, grow, and develop into my next iteration.  We all have iterations of ourselves and throughout our lives they reveal themselves. 

There was a time in my life when I was the shy quiet kid just trying to blend into the background. Over time I grew more into myself as I learned who I truly was.  I am still learning and know that it will be an ongoing lesson.  

I love unearthing where I want to go as I listen close to my hearts deepest desires.  I want my front porch to continue to be my office.  I want to help people step into their own light.  I want to create and cultivate community.  I know that I can do this.  I just need to keep taking risk's and stepping forward.  I also need to ditch the negative self talk and speak those kind words that I know to be true.  

And so I am taking my I Am statements and writing each one down on a slip of paper.  Each morning as I sit in front of my alter and write that days intention I will read these words out loud.  Reading them out loud will help imprint them on my heart. 

Sometimes we needed to be reminded of how amazing we really are.  Be compassionate with yourself and give yourself that reminder.  

Who are you?  I invite you to write down your own I AM statements.  Be bold, be kind, be brave with your writing and really share who you are in all of your radiant glory.  

Share a few of your I AM statements in the comments so that I can celebrate who you are, exactly as you are!

Let's Work Together

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the simple moments

I crave moments over possessions.  Tiny pockets of time where connection runs deep.  I love when my heart opens up and a lasting memory is created.  This is more important to me than fancy shoes or an expensive vacation.  The best moments occur through a shared experience.  

Randomly finding a beautiful spot along side of a pond and spending all day there chatting and laughing.  

Coffee together

Long walks

Getting lost in the woods

These precious moments fill my heart.  It is what gives purpose and meaning to life.  Yes, nice things are nice.  But for me they are not a necessity.  I need the basics for survival.  Not the fanciest car, biggest house, or most expensive piece of jewelry.  

“I’m just searching for moments”

— One Week

I crave living simply.  Letting go of material things.  Purchasing only the things I need and purging what I don't.  I choose to carve out time for adventure.  Take the chance to connect.  Push myself outside of my comfort zone.  

How about you?  What is it you crave in life?

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summer reading list

There has been a bit of sweetness that has come with being unemployed.  I have slowed down and gotten back into many of the things I enjoy that I always put on the back burner.  Sinking into a good book is one of the things that I am loving these days. 

On my night stand sits a stack of books.  I can pick up anyone of these books ad instantly feel inspired no matter what page I turn to.  The library has also become my second home.  Reading on my front porch in the sunshine makes my heart smile.

Some of the books I have devoured this summer are:

How to Walk Away - Katherine Center
If you have never read a book by Katherine Center I highly recommend you pick one up.  All of her novels are fabulous.  You get to know the characters in her books so well that they feel like friends.  I get so sad each time I come to the end of one.  How to Walk Away is her latest book but you can't go wrong with any of them.  

Secrets in Summer - Nancy Thayer
This was the first book I ready by Nancy Thayer and it was the perfect summer read.  Fun, easy to follow storyline that transported me to Nantuck and made me dream of visiting one day.  

Moving Water - Christine Mason Miller
I first read this book two summers ago but had to read it again.  It is a story that reminds you how deeply you matter and how your choices effect others.  It is a brave story of life with all its unpredictable messy moments mingling with the love and laughter.  I admire Christine's bravery to share her hearts so openly and the courage to tell the truth about the messy parts.  

Univited - Lysa TerKeurst
So many of the words in this book hit me like deep truth bombs.  Throughout there is a lot of spiritual talk about God and different bible versus.  This is not usually my jam but I shifted God to what I believe in and was able to savor so many human truths.  

Have you read anything good lately?  What books live on your nightstand

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One-On-One Mentoring

take flight

You might not know where you are going, but the only way to take flight is by boarding the plane.  Standing with your two feet firmly planted on the ground will not get you anywhere.  You need to move.  You need to reach.  You need to take a chance.  

For the past ten years {probably even more} I have been living within the same two mile radius.  Yes, I moved four times but I didn't go far.  My home location shifted but everything else remained the same.  I go to the same grocery store.  Check out books from the same library.  Travel down the same roads.  I know this area like the back of my hand.  There is a comfort here.  

There is also this tiny little whisper that I am beginning to hear.  It is seeking out a shift, wanting to explore new roads, and unearth different places.  Experience what life is like beyond this two mile radius.  

I have always dreamt of living in a sleepy little seaside town.  Where I could get all of my errands done on my bicycle.  Spend evenings on the porch with loved ones.  Go for walks at night.  Listen to the sound of the ocean daily.  Enjoy the buzz of the summer visitors and savor the quiet when they scurried home.  A little town that I could become deeply engrained in the small community.  

I recently finished a book about Nantucket where the main character was a children's librarian.  Even though I have never been there I found myself wishing I could click my heels and be transported.  This book got me buzzing about a different place, a slower life, an opportunity to savor the outdoors more than I get to today.    

What has held me to this tiny radius is my family and my love.  It would be hard to be a plane ride away from family.  We do so much together and it is such a joy to be an aunt my nieces and nephews.  My love is part of a family business that is rooted here as well.  

But this feeling inside of me has me wondering.  With no job tying me down is it time to take a leap and seek what is beyond?  Throughout this entire uncertain moment of my life I have been keeping one thing close; staying open.  I am staying open to possibility.  Staying open to unearthing what the next right step is.  Staying open to embracing the moment in front of me.  I am simply staying open.  

In this state of openness flight is possible.  I know I need to keep following my heart.  Keep stepping forward.  Keep moving.  When I stop everything becomes stagnant and I lose my passion and fire.  The idea of flight lights me up.  It reminds me that I can do anything.  

And so I do not extinguish the tiny voice.  I acknowledge it even though I do not know what it means.  I listen to it and continue to listen to all the whispers.  I do what feels right.  I keep stepping forward.  I extend my arms and prepare to fly.  

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