I started my day by listening to a team call for a group I’m in. I wasn’t going to listen but I’m so glad I did. During the all, the group leader encouraged us to magnify and share our “wins”. Not necessarily things we’re grateful for but wins we’ve had in our lives. Things we’ve over come, despite the obstacles or setbacks. This isn’t meant to boast or brag but to get you thinking about how much you can overcome and what you can do if you put your mind to it. It got me thinking of things I’ve had to overcome in my life. I think a lot of people look at me and think I’ve had an easy life and that’s just not the case. So I started making a list of wins in my life.
- My husband. I have an awesome husband who loves me and would do anything for me. I’m kind of a pain and he deserves better but for some reason he sticks around.
- Not having to be on heart medication despite all of my heart defects. Every year I go to the Mayo Clinic and my Cardiologist says that at my next appointment, we’ll talk about heart medication. Every appointment, she says we don’t need medication yet because I am in such good shape. For someone who has had 3 open heart surgeries and several pacemaker surgeries, this is a huge win.
- Moving to Arkansas. This was never on my list of places I wanted to live. However, in the past few months, central Arkansas has become one of my favorite places.
- Leaving what was comfortable and safe. We had it pretty good living in our hometown. We had good jobs, a small house payment, and our families were close. But we weren’t completely happy. When the opportunity presented itself, we went for it and I’m sooo happy we did. I’ve grown more in the in the past 3 months than I have in the past 5 years.
- My house. This is a HUGE win. I never loved the house we lived in for the past 10 years. Our house now is a rental but it’s the prettiest house I’ve ever lived in. And stay tuned because 2019 is going to bring us an even better house!
- True and authentic friendships. It’s hard to keep friendships going for a long time. Some of my best friends are across the country. Some of my friends have been my buddies since I was 20 years old and some are very new friends. As adults, there are a lot of distractions to friendships. The friendships I have made through the years have survived because of the effort made despite distraction.
- Accepting that I won’t have a baby. This was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done. For a long time, I was angry that I didn’t get to be a mom like everyone else. I finally came to the conclusion that motherhood isn’t for me and I can thrive without it. Also, I value my sleep…
- Losing my fear of what people think of me. For years, I avoided a lot of things because I was concerned about what people would think of me. Then I realized those people aren’t paying my bills and filling my head with negative thoughts wasn’t doing me a damn bit of good. I’ve changed my life and started some side projects that fill me with happiness.
- Gaining clarity of what I REALLY want. All my life, I’ve wanted to be a writer. I started a blog and to my surprise, people like it. It’s made me a better writer. I’d love to write a book and get it published. I’m just putting that out into the universe. If you know how to get that done, tell me…
- Being a stepmom. Marrying a man with kids isn’t for the faint of heart. Cultivating relationships with kids who may or may not want you around is humbling and at times, humiliating. It’s constantly wondering if you’re doing the right thing and being 100% honest, it’s sometimes difficult to share your husband. I’ve made it work and learned to thrive and not just survive.
This is a great exercise! Write down 10 things you’ve won or overcome. I guarantee it will make you feel like you can do anything. 2018 has been a huge year of change for us. I’ve grown as a person, as a stepmom, and as a wife. A year ago, I wasn’t loving life but was convinced it wouldn’t change in the near future. Now I look back and laugh at that because what we have now is so much better than what I thought we’d ever have. I’m excited for more good things in 2019!
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