Then There Was January
The holidays are over, the kids are back in school, and I am back to work! Praise God for a much needed season of restoration and snuggling with my babes on the couch!
I know I’ve been a little quiet the past few months. It’s not like me to go off the radar but I knew I needed to step back a bit and pass on certain opportunities to make mental and emotional space for a new season. So much happened so quickly the past few years and by the time October rolled around the casual notions of rest and be still abruptly became a beacon – entranced, I couldn’t help but go there in search of respite from B U S Y. It was so good and desperately needed.
Frankly, I am completely over being busy all the time. Over-scheduling and under-loving myself and others as a result of endless demands for more is something I said goodbye to in 2015. Intentional living is the name of my game and “hustle” is a thing of the past. Life is too short to rush through it. Of course there are seasons of busy, but they should be just that, a season. When busy becomes a way of life year after year, exhaustion and overwhelm are right there alongside it (and coffee… and tequila). I think when we choose to say no to the hustle it becomes easier to say no to the things that don’t matter and yes to the things that we can really pour ourselves into confidently and with purpose.
January is one of my favorite months simply because of that proverbial clean slate. I love the idea of starting fresh and the excitement that accompanies pushing that magical ‘re-do’ button. However the difference between this January and January’s prior is the measure of grace I have for myself as I refocus on work (ahem, that course we’ve been talking about since early fall), recommit to eating well and training daily (I like to call it training instead of working out – it makes me feel I’m working towards something really significant….like a bikini), and continuing to grow in my relationship with God.
I hope 2016 is off to a great start for you and that you are refocused on what matters most.
Love to you all,
We can I’ll take a page out of your book Alison, thank you for sharing! I’m trying to do some of the same myself. I’m trying to do some of the same myself. Jill
Glad to hear you’re back. Happy new year!
Refresh , Restart Refocus Reboot. It makes sense and you do it with such grace. So many times we focus on success and what that looks like and busy painting a pretty picture , when this is in fact our real lives, we should be in the moment and enjoy it for ourselves and not for what the world will think of it.
Amen!!