Making The Choice to Thrive and not just Survive
This year was supposed to be MY year. I turn 30 this week- and I had all these goals. All these things I couldn’t wait to “become” this year. And then well… you all know. Life came to a standstill. Our family’s daily routine came to a screeching halt, and I lost myself. And I feel like I am not being dramatic when I say that I feel like I lost myself completely. I was no longer thriving, I was just surviving.
I lost passion for many things I normally felt extremely passionate about. I had tremendous anxiety attacks heading in to a job that I historically loved. I felt lost in motherhood, in womanhood, in friendship. And I felt jipped that this year- “The Year of Emily” wasn’t at all what I wanted it to be.
Well today I have decided that this is not how I want my 30th year to end. This is how I want it to begin. With me crawling out of this weird phase and place that I’ve been hiding. I need to stop waiting for our lives to return to “normal” and embrace the notion that I can still CHOOSE to live my best life- right here, right now. I need to thrive again.
And so my dear reader, if you feel in any way similar to the way I am feeling right now please join me as I make a list of the ways I am going to choose to THRIVE instead of just SURVIVE the remainder of this year.
- I am going to move my body every day. In a way that feels GOOD. This may look different each day, but I am going to choose to move my body because I respect my body- not because I hate it.
- Instead of focusing on things I “can’t” or “shouldn’t eat” (based on *diet culture*) I am going to focus on adding things in. More fruits, more veggies, more things that make me feel good.
- Practicing gratitude each day. I moved my gratitude journal to my night stand, with a pen. So that each night I can write down three things I am grateful for. Every day things.
- Refocus on spiritual study each day. For me this is scripture study, motivational talks, podcasts, and prayer. A little bit each day.
- Have a more intentional bedtime routine. In order to show up for my life, I need to be rested and ready.
This is just a start. But it feels good. And I feel ready. So here we go- I am turning 30 and this is still MY year. My year to thrive.
-Em
