Overwhelm this world with your kindess …
It used to think being called “nice” was the biggest compliment I could ever receive. It would put a smile on my face and in my heart to hear that from people. I was taught to do the right thing and say the right thing and, honestly, to put other people’s comfort and convenience first.
Uncommon advice.
As our children become more independent and self-reliant, I begin to ask myself: “What’s next?” “What do I do now?” “Where do I put all this energy that I used to pour into them?”
Sometimes it feels like there are a million answers to those questions. And other days, it feels pretty hard to nail it down. I mean, it could be soooooo many different things … I have a wide array of talents or things I could pursue, so where do I even start?
Wild Joy
I remember when I was a little girl I used to pick bouquets of dandelions for my mom. She loved them (or at least she acted like she did), and she still loves to tell stories of how we would pick them and hand them to her like a great gift. It was only when I was older that I learned they are actually considered weeds. People often add poison to their lawns just to get rid of them. Yikes!
Worth the effort!
I’ve felt like a robot for so long now … work, work, work and do, do, do …make a living no matter what it takes. When we started a family, it simply didn’t matter whether I liked my job. It was something I just had to keep doing so that we could eat, so we would have a place to live, so we could make our ends meet. I never really learned to slow down.
Tell your story …
I have always said that I didn’t want to stand out. I didn’t want people to notice me, or point and laugh at me or say: “she’s different, that one.” The paradox is that I also do kinda like to stand out: I like to teach, I love to sing solos, talk and, as you may have guessed, I loooove to write. If I’m being honest, I think maybe I’m really just scared of being seen — of being noticed. What really lies at the heart of that is, being accepted and affirmed for my thoughts, my feelings, my unique perspective on life.
The hard things …
No one likes to hear “this is good for you,” especially when it comes to doing things that are unpleasant. Truthfully, I’ve avoided doing tough things most of my life because hiding behind my fear of failure had always seemed easier than the thought of trying and potentially failing.
You are miraculous!!
Wow, does anyone ever remember hearing someone they love telling them it was okay to love their body?
Take a good look into your heart.
You already have everything you need inside of yourself.
Hug your soul.
I have spent most of my life (and energy) trying to make sure everyone around me was happy. I don’t remember ever learning how to care for myself or to ask myself questions like: “What do I need?” or “Is this good for me?”
Make the ordinary come alive for them.
Do not ask your children to strive for extraordinary lives.
Beautiful souls.
When I was a young, working mom, I remember my own mother telling me that: "when we struggle to get to the top of a mountain, we have two choices: 1) to ignore others struggling behind us, or 2) to turn around and offer a hand to help them up." This resonated pretty strongly with me because I wasn't seeing many other "working women" helping each other out.
Do more of that!
I've spent most of my life hiding my true self. I just didn't believe that I had permission to be myself or to speak my truth. Sometimes it feels like a long, long time to hide or to be afraid of being authentic.
Fiercely kind …
This quote resonates soooooo strongly with me, especially with the change in leadership in our country right now. It really doesn't matter if we agree with each other (politically speaking), but I get overwhelmed when I think about being led by people who aren't kind or compassionate. How do we teach our children to be hopeful when the people we are supposed to look up to don't consider the greater good?
Look forward …
Happy 2025, beautiful souls. I picked this quote for today, in light of the new year, because I need the encouragement to look forward with hope. You see, it's been my way of operating to stay stuck in the past, and I need to remember that I have been transformed, just like a butterfly.
Do the dishes …
This quote really makes it manageable for me, the idea of “changing the world.” I am so guilty of believing I have to do huge, life-altering things before I can be a world changer. But if I think about it, everyone looks at this world with their own eyes, their own set of circumstances.