I indulge in silliness. I color with my boys. I draw on the ground with sidewalk chalk. I watch YouTube videos about how to do shimmery, smoky eyes and try to replicate it even if I have nowhere to go. I reach for silly, creative endeavors that serve no real purpose other than joy.
Some days I feel as if I’m getting closer to the best version of me. Other days I eat cream cheese for dinner. But the gift of life is that we get another chance tomorrow.
It’s no wonder so many mothers send me notes telling me they’ve lost themselves. Of course they have! If you live your life to please everyone else, you forget what used to make you you.
I’ve even purposely looked for stories full of exactly this kind of angst, because I love the emotion behind it so much.
When I’m in charge, I can live whatever life I want.
I will not tell her that a man’s work is only out in the world or that a woman’s work is inside the home. If she chooses to stay at home, then we will support her with all our hearts; but we will never teach her that there’s only one kind of woman to be.
Whatever the dream, it’s yours, not mine. You don’t have to give any justification, because as long you’re not asking anyone to give you approval, then you don’t need anyone to give you permission. In fact, when you understand that you don’t have to justify your dreams to anyone else for any reason, that’s the day you truly begin to step into who you’re meant to be.
I am willing to be the villain in someone else’s story if it means I can be the hero of my own.
And what if I told you that even in spite of my confessions – be they funny, embarrassing, painful, or gross – I am at peace with myself? That I love who I am even when I do things I’m not proud of?
Women especially are so brutal on themselves, and they often talk themselves out of their own dreams before they even attempt them.
As Christians we are called to care for the orphans, the widows, and the oppressed. These are not just a handful of words from the Bible; they are the tenets of my faith.
You know that expression “Go big or go home”? I never go home.
Dreams are things you hope for, for your life. Dreams are the things that occur to you as you go about your day.
You’re not going to achieve anything if you don’t get comfortable with the idea of achievement.
I’m not trying to develop a community of fans. I’m trying to develop a community of leaders.
When you’re in the midst of a crisis, in the heart of the storm, the only thing you can and should focus on is your present. Focus on the day you’re in. If this day feels too big, focus on the next hour and how to care for yourself for those sixty minutes inside of it. Once you gain strength in your present, then you will find the space and energy you need to dream about the future. Only.
I know what it feels like to want to change every single thing that made you who you were, as if becoming someone new might give you power over the mistakes you made.
If you’re going to blame your hard times for all the things that are wrong in your life, you better also blame them for the good stuff too!
There is so much untapped potential inside people who are too afraid to give themselves a chance.
I wouldn’t be who I am were it not for my childhood. I wouldn’t be where I am without the work ethic instilled in me by my father. The same man who praised my achievement might have unintentionally taught me to chase it a bit too much, but you can’t blame the past for the things that went wrong if you aren’t also willing to be thankful for the things that went right. Digging into the whys of how I behave as an adult are what make me able to overcome unhealthy habits.