Here’s the thing about 2020

by In blog Tagged , , Leave a comment

My alarm went off far too early for my liking this morning, as last night I optimistically set it to wake me up in time yoga. As in, before work yoga. As in, wake up, get ready, go to an hour long yoga class, come home, shower, all before work yoga. I got out of bed, stretched, and debated going. I crawled back into bed and debated some more (as you do). And then I decided, nah, not today.

I waited for the guilt to set in. I waited for the “you’re going to regret this!!!” I used to feel every time I skipped a workout, every time I chose sleep over sweat. But here’s the thing: it never came. Read More

5 Sneaky Ways to be Rebellious This Year (in a good way)

by In blog Tagged , , , , , , Leave a comment

 

A dear, dear friend (cough Pinterest cough) once told me,

In a society that profits from your self doubt, liking yourself is a rebellious act.

Doesn’t that make you want to go and love the $!@# out of yourself, just to piss off the world? Anyone? Just me? I love getting to be a lil’ rebel. (Probably because 90% of time I’m the biggest rule follower…)

When you get to be a rebel and it’s good for you… I’m a fan. Committing to liking myself, at the very least just to make society suck it, has been empowering for me. Here are five simple and sneaky ways I’ve been trying to rebel against what is assumed of us, what others consider normal, or what the world wants us to do. In 2017, let’s resolve to be rebels. Read More

Perfectly Happy, Yet Far From Perfect

by In blog Tagged , , , , Leave a comment

2016 started out so great. So, so great. The first few minutes of the new year I was dancing next to some of my best friends – dressed up! – in a brewery filled, surprisingly, with a lot of people I knew. I am such a fan of going to an event and stumbling upon more friendly faces than you expected to see. It’s one of my favorite feelings. New Year’s Eve was filled with good food and good drinks and even better people, it had laughter and dancing, and I went to bed extremely late and extremely happy.

The first few days of the year continued to get better. I got together with friends to catch up, to talk about our holidays, to dream about the new year and what it might hold. Definite events and exciting unknowns. I spent a lovely afternoon with new friends and old, discussing what the last year held for us – high lights as well as low. I managed to get a motley group together to play banangrams at a bar, one of my current favorite hobbies, and I just love when my friends all mix together. I finished a few books (alllllllways a great feeling). After 31 long days of Dressember, I got to wear jeans! I’ve been on cloud 9. I find myself dancing in the car alone, singing out loud while doing the dishes. I’ve been so happy. Read More

Dressember 30: New Year, New You

by In blog Tagged , , , Leave a comment

For the month of December – in honor of Dressember – I’ll be blogging everyday! Thoughts on anything from fighting for justice to feminism, from dresses I’m wearing to books I’m reading, and everything in between.

As another year comes to a close, it’s all but impossible to reflect on everything the last 365 days held and what you hope to find in the next 365. Resolutions are started, new lists are made, goals are written – everyone wants change. Everyone wants to lose 10 pounds or start eating more vegetables, they want to stop drinking so much beer or start being more grateful. Every year, it seems like the same resolutions come out simply worded in different ways. I want to look better. I want to act better. I want my life to be better. 

I saw an article the other day about what someone wants to gain in 2016 – instead of focussing on resolutions that center on what to drop in the new year, they wanted to instead look at picking up some good habits. Last year I decided on 3 things I wanted to start and stop in the new year. There’s so many different ways to start the new year afresh, so many different outlooks on how to bring about change. Read More

Dressember 27: He is Faithful

by In blog Tagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment

For the month of December – in honor of Dressember – I’ll be blogging everyday! Thoughts on anything from fighting for justice to feminism, from dresses I’m wearing to books I’m reading, and everything in between.

There’s only a few days left in 2015, and I’m sitting here wondering where the year has gone. It seems like just yesterday I was celebrating Christmas in Malawi. It seems like only a few days ago I was getting off the plane in San Diego, excitedly welcomed home by so many faces I had missed. Was it really 10 whole months ago I started working for IGF? Eish.

As I realized next week is a new year – next. week! – I also realized I have no idea what 2016 holds for me. Sure, a few weddings I’ll be attending. A few big events I know about. But the the details, the in between? I have no idea. I realized I’m pretty much exactly where I was at this time last year: looking out on 2015 with excitement and hesitancy, exhilarated at the thought of all the freedom it held …and terrified at the thought of freedom it held.

But then I thought back on all that 2015 held for me. So much I didn’t see coming, so much I couldn’t have even imagined. Some good, some bad. But through it all, God was with me. Seasons I thought I would never survive came to a close, problems I thought could never be solved are gone, questions I thought would never be figured out are now answered. In everything, God surpassed my expectations. He never left my side, even on the days where I mistakenly thought He had.

He has been faithful in every promise. Today I realized (…or, re-realized) that He will continue to be faithful. Yesterday, today, and forever. This next year might be a mystery, there may be a lot to uncover in the months ahead and a lot of decisions to be made, but I don’t have to do that alone. I don’t have to doubt His goodness or His mercies, because He promises it’s unfailing and they are new every morning. I don’t know what 2016 will hold, but I know Who holds me.