It's my two year Blogaversary and yesterday was my Birthday! It's no coincidence that these two mile stones are within days of each other. Two years ago as my birthday was approaching I finally decided to take the leap and start Mochas and Mimosas, after sitting on the site for months and trying to make sure everything was perfect before I launched. Spoiler alert, it's still not perfect, but I'm learning as I grow that, that's okay. With February being my birthday month, this is when I get the most reflective about the past year. Here are a few things that 2018 taught me:
- Faith over fear. This was definitely my theme for 2018! Sometimes we have our plans and life throws some things our way that completely takes us off course. I don't consider myself a religious person, but I will say I am spiritual in the sense that I'm more focused on my relationship with God, than I am about going to church. This past year led me to lean into my faith significantly and to really acknowledge that at the end of the day, God's got me! I found great comfort in knowing that ultimately I have to step out on faith and trust that everything will workout. It's the same energy that has helped me with blogging despite my fear that no one would show up (thanks for showing up). Last year, I was interviewed for a podcast (I'm episode 8), became a brand ambassador for an awesome networking group, and had so many other wonderful opportunities. These experiences were confirmation for me to continue to push past my fear and lean on faith.
- No is complete sentence. The older I get, the more comfortable I get with saying no. There once was a time, when I would be so worried about hurting someone's feelings or offending them by saying no. However, I would then begrudgingly perform what ever task I didn't have the courage to say no to. I realize this doesn't serve anyone, and it left me resentful and burnt out. Try it. It gets easier the more you do it.
- It's okay if something is not a good fit. My biggest lesson last year is that if something is not a good fit, it's okay to move on, and that doesn't make you a quitter. Maybe, it's how I was raised, but I take my commitment to something very seriously. If I agree to do something, I will see it through to the end, even if I'm not feeling it. Last year I took an opportunity that I soon realized was not conducive to the way I operate. The environment sucked if I'm keeping it all the way real. Being in that environment started to become so stressful, that it was affecting other areas of my life. Yet, I felt I had to try and make it work to honor my commitment. I eventually realized that if something does not suite me, it's in everyone's best interest, especially my own, to move on.
- You can do anything but you can't do everything. I've mentioned before how I am continually striving for balance as I juggle wearing all of my many hats (wife, mom, attorney, blogger, etc.) while trying to workout, follow the 80/20 rule for eating, be a conscious parent, and drink enough water. It's tough! What I have come to accept though is that balance is going to look different from day to day. There are days I will kill it in two out of four of these categories and that's actually the goal. I'm letting go of feeling guilty for not being 400% which is essentially what I'd have to be in order to kill it in all the areas of my life, and that's just crazy talk.
- Enjoy each season. 2018 helped me understand that events in our life often don't make sense in real time. One of my on going struggles is being present, because I often live for the future. 2018 was a season of surrender for me. Surrendering my plan and really digging deep on why I stared blogging as well as why I began practicing law. I also had to get real about the type of mother I want to be. In the past getting ahead in my career was very important to me, and because of that I had to forgo being wholly present as a mother. I missed school events, was exhausted when I came home so I felt spent and had very little left to give to my family. However, I'm even more committed now, to being more present and enjoy every season I encounter.
I'm looking forward to all the joy and lessons that 2019 has in store for me.
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