i’m a lover of traditions…
…and the last three years i’ve written posts on my birthday sharing some advice i’ve learned as i walk through life.
year twenty seven.
MAN. some big stuff happened in this past year.
i learned a lot of lessons and i really feel like it was a year of ‘growing up’ for me.
i learned about the comparison game, i hiked my little heart out, i finally crossed something else off of my home list, i soaked in the small moments, and felt the sharp sting of friendship, i traveled like crazy and even got engaged! <3
all in all – this year was amazing.
so here is a little advice from me to you…
1 || your attitude makes a big difference.
2 || chase your dreams.
3 || joy isn’t just a feeling
1 || your attitude makes a big difference.
i wish i had learned this years ago. well, maybe if i’m being honest i’ve always been learning this and will continue to walk through it. while we can not always control what happens in our lives we can control our reactions to them. i’ve really felt like the Lord has been chipping away at some hard-rooted attitude struggles. instead of me focusing on all the bad i’m trying to constantly remind myself that there is so much good, and joy, and love around me. even if the bad stuff is really BIG…i can still have a joyful attitude.
2 || chase your dreams.
we all have those little dreams hidden within our hearts – and most of us try to bury them deep inside in hopes that they don’t get crushed or ruined or we find out it’s not really dream-material. can i just encourage you to push past the fear and give it a try? for so many years i’ve felt like my dreams are stagnant and lame and the more i’ve looked into them and found how awesome they are more and more new dreams come to light. i dream of owning a mountain house, of being a great photographer, of hearing peoples stories and connecting with them…i dream of so many things. and it is ok to chase after them!
3 || joy isn’t just a feeling.
this has been a hard, hard lesson for me to learn.
for so long i’ve tied ‘joyful’ to a way of feeling – and in the past few years my worldview of that has been drastically changing. joy does not come from emotion; it doesn’t come from great situations, happy days, beautiful memories, or hopeful moments. it comes from the Lord – and it is rooted deep within you – and as you cultivate it (think of it like flexing and strengthening a muscle) it becomes more and more grounded and firm. so that even in the hardest of times, your joy radiates through to others. to me joy and hope and patience and steadfastness all walk hand in hand.
since i’ve given you some advice, i would also love to share some things i’ve learned this year…
// when God is bringing something to fruition – don’t run from it.
// you can be creative without having to force it.
// i absolutely love having blue hair and i hope to bring it back next year!
// if i put weight on – i can work to get it back off.
// i love my family.
// i am excited to move somewhere else – if you’ve known me for any length of time you’ll know how HUGE this is.
// i can laugh until i cry – multiple times even in one day.
