Hi Graced Mommies and Happy New Year!
We have made it through another year; and amidst a global pandemic at that! Shout out to us! I am proud of us, because these last 2 year have not been easy. For me there is something about 2022 that hits a little different. I am moving with more intention in a more authentic manner. The air in the earth is thick and people are feeling it now more than ever. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for individuals ages 10 – 34 and the 4th leading cause of death for individual ages 35-54. Also according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, there were 1.20 million suicide attempts in the United States in 2020. So, not only are people feeling the tension in the air, people are responding to these feelings by self-harming and ending their lives. I am sure you have seen in the news where Former Miss USA, Cheslie Kryst, died by suicide last month. Ian Alexander Jr., the son of Regina King, died by suicide in January. With there being so much loss and grief, many people are suffering in silence with the belief and misconception that no one understands or can relate to what they are going through. This is a lie from the pits of hell. We are all feeling it!
If you follow any of my Social Media platforms, I am sure you noticed that I went MIA during the beginning of the year. This has been one of the ways I have chosen to move with intention. To quiet the noise and be more present. In addition to this I have been reading more books, eating better, loving on my family and giving myself space and time to heal from the inside out. I am choosing to move with intention this year by treating my life like a garden. Just like weeds in a garden have to be trimmed and maintained so that they don’t choke the life out of the flowers that will eventually bloom; we should do the same with our lives. Life will happen; unfortunate things will occur, people will disappoint us and some days will be hard. These things are inevitable. So how do we fight back in life when the unexpected things happen, when we become overwhelmed with fear due to the uncertainty of the time, or when life pulls the rug from underneath us? We fight back by being intentional with how we navigate life. We do this by making a conscious effort every day to take little steps to improve our lives, we make a commitment to choose to be better, not bitter, and to choose our happiness and healing; by all means necessary.
Here are 3 ways I’ve began living with more intention this year. I’ve committed to working out at least 3 days a week, I’ve set aside at least one designated day to spend solely with my kids each week, and I clean my home every night, so each morning I start the day fresh. My challenge to you Graced Mom is to spend some time with yourself to figure out what YOU really need in this season and be intentional about creating that. My hope is that you create a life that makes you feel eager to wake up each morning and try again, no matter how hard the day before may have been.
If you need a starting point to help you begin this journey, I created a Goals Guide to assist you. You can find it here.
Until next time.
XOXO,
You got this!