2014, You Were Good To Me
Oh, 2014. You were good to me.
Yesterday, I spent most of the day in this cozy little spot (I've nicknamed our new chair "The Marshmallow" or "Mallow" for short.) I read, prayed, dreamed and planned. And it was wonderful. Thinking through the next year, putting dates on things that I want to accomplish and setting small but reasonable goals gets my blood pumping. I printed off a 2015 calendar and I'm ready to see things happen.
But, before I could successfully plan through 2015, I had to sit back and review the year before. I used these fantastic worksheets from The Well Studio. {You have to subscribe to their mailing list to get them, but I highly recommend that you do!} In the process, I learned a few things about myself and about this last year.
1. Writing notes to people is therapeutic.
I wrote four notes to four lovely ladies who really inspired, encouraged, loved and served me this year. Putting pen to paper to say thank you for loving me was weird at first. But as the words kept coming, I grew increasingly more grateful that there are people out there who care for me. Who want the best for me.
2. Create something every day.
Whether it's a blog post or a product, I must create. Last year, I noticed that if I don't make time to express myself creatively, I get cranky and agitated. I lose steam and feel like punching someone in the face. I can't operate if I'm not creating.
3. It's not worth getting frustrated all the time. Be joyful and dwell on what is good.
The beginning of last year was a stressful time. I was planning two major events on a volunteer basis while also juggling two jobs. My husband was in school full-time (and still is) while launching a new service and heading up the youth group. We were going non-stop and it was easy to dwell on what was going wrong, not what was going right. We would have days of bashing people or ideas. It was horrible and not loving. We resolved this year to begin to dwell only on what is good. That doesn't mean we can't vent or process through negative emotions. But, the key is to move on. Now, we have to say three-ten (depending on the intensity of the ranting session) nice things about the person or institution. It's been freeing and joy-giving.
4. Be willing to say "no." Have a few things on your plate and excel in those.
Because 2014 was such a chaotic year, in the last few months, I resolved to slow down on life a little bit. I had to make some painful decisions to say "no" to things that I loved. But, I knew I needed to get steady if I wanted to keep going strong. So, one of my philosophies for 2015 is to go deep in a few things. I want to excel in my current job as a media director, as well as with Tabitha. Instead of reaching out for anything and everything, I want to go deep in just a few.
As I sat on The Mallow with a cup of tea, I felt a deep sense of gratitude and peace from 2014. My husband and I celebrated 4 years of marriage; I made some big career decisions; and, I started my own business. Thank you to those who have and continue to support me on this path!
So here's to 2015! May it be filled with love, joy and pursuing our wildest dreams!