Embrace it all.
2021 was all about re-centering myself, and my family, as we navigated all of life’s ups and downs. It was a year of rest - not that I actually physically rested much as a mom of two young boys - but I did genuinely allow my mind to rest in ways I haven’t in quite some time. Where I once clung to control, structure, endless to-do lists, and the need to always be accomplishing “more”, I deliberately slowed way down and chose to throw the expectations away.
Let me tell you, this is painstakingly HARD. More times than I care to admit I had to be coached through days or weeks where I felt like I wasn’t doing enough - often thinking I was less than. That I wasn’t writing enough, running enough, that I should have picked up an additional course to teach or I should be doing more activities with the boys, that I should have made more progress on writing my own book vs reading others works of art, etc., etc., etc. (special thank you to Ciara , Susan, and so many others for helping me so often as I worked to realign my priorities and my mindset…it truly does take a village).
Reflecting on it now, I am able to view 2021 for what it really was - one big (necessary) training session, where I was required to flex my muscles time and time again, in order to create the space I needed to actually evolve into who my family needs me to be now - who I am truly becoming. I spent 2021 continuing to tear down walls and expectations, and living more freely, in order to fully embrace this beautiful, messy, hard, and joyful thing we call life.
And that is exactly how I intend to live in 2022 - embracing it all. The tough stuff as much as the easy, the love and joy that will come with expanding our family as much as the exhaustion and tears it will also ultimately bring. Embracing the chaos means embracing my life as it is, not as it used to be (or how I once thought it should be). In a year that promises to be so full of change, I know I do not want to feel like I’m suffering through the hard. I want to embrace and enjoy as much as I can of all the small and large moments; I want to continue on this internal path of peace and watch it spread throughout our home as well.
I am not the same woman I was a few years, even a few months ago. It’s been a rewarding yet difficult adaptation for me (and if I’m being honest, it’s been an adjustment for those closest to me, too). Yet instead of feeling like I need to tip-toe around who I am, or the convictions I hold true, I am committed to embracing this journey of fully stepping into my truth as it relates to how I live my life, and what I envision for our family.
For me this includes embracing:
How I choose to parent my children, my views on their education (current and future) and development, and how I serve as a guide within their personal journeys related to God and faith.
How I support my husband in his career, his personal goals, and the growth of our marriage/relationship as we adjust to being parents of three boys.
How I actively approach my faithfulness and my personal relationship with God. My faith was tested in more ways than I could have dreamed in 2020 and 2021, but with the help and guidance from some amazing women in my life, I have come out the other side stronger and more grounded than ever (thank you to my prayer warriors - you know who you are).
My mindset towards my body and my fitness; adjusting how I view my body was one of the greatest mental shifts I made in 2021. Instead of wishing I looked a different way (the comparison trap is rough, especially during pregnancy), I am fully embracing the body God gave me, while consistently striving to be my healthiest self.
How I advocate for the health and well-being of those within my home. The past 2 years of a pandemic, and 7 months of pregnancy during said pandemic, has taught me more about the importance of utilizing my voice than all my other years put together. I have had some of the most challenging conversations of my life as I fight for what I believe is best for my own health, and that of my children’s (including the sweet soul growing inside me)… more on the importance of remaining your own biggest health advocate in a different post.
My career. I said goodbye to a “dream job” in 2020 and to teaching Sport Management/Marketing at the collegiate level in 2021. I remain incredibly proud of those careers, but possibly even more so of how I ultimately chose to shed the final layers of who I thought I “should be” in order to open up and enthusiastically embrace myself as a health and clean beauty advocate, a resource for moms, and a writer (…and dare I say, future author).
As we begin an entire new chapter of a year, I hope you spend some time reflecting on what you truly want life in 2022 to look like - what do you want more of in your life? What do you want less of? Who do you want to BE when you spend time reflecting next December?
We cannot predict all that will unfold this year, but we can absolutely choose how we respond - either as a victim, or the sovereign entity we were created to be and become. Life is all about how we create joy within the threads of each of our days, and I am committed to embracing it all; living for every single moment of slow, beautiful joy.
So tell me, what do you hope to embrace in 2022?