Take Stock of Your Life
I am writing this blog in the days following the horrific assassination attempt on former President Trump. Regardless of our differences of opinion regarding Mr. Trump’s political affiliation, I believe we can agree that it is an awakening moment for our nation. The event reveals our human vulnerability. It reminds us of what a short life on this earth we all have. It is an awakening to the preciousness of life itself. For me, it is a nudge to take stock of my life. What do I need to do to live my best life? The framework in my first book, OUT OF THE GATE: What inspires us drives us forward., serves a solid foundation for this exercise.
Faith
When I turned sixty years old last year, I made a personal commitment to work on my relationship with God. Strengthening your spirituality does take work. Ironically, this was reinforced in my church’s sermon this week. The first step in the process of getting closer to our Creator is to Turn to God. We must make the effort to choose God. He has already chosen us.
Family
Again, the tragic loss of life this weekend punctuates the blessings of family. I am going to be more deliberate about making sure my family knows how much they mean to me and expressing my love for them more overtly. I tend to lean into family based on what I think they need from me. I am hyper focused on being a good daughter, wife, sibling, mother, etc. I need to be more focused on recognizing what my family does every day to fill me up and express my gratitude more often. Flipping that script is going to bring all of us more joy.
Friends
For the most part, my friend group is going through the season of life which is an emotional rollercoaster. We’re celebrating our adult children finding their life paths and welcoming grandchildren into the fold. However, we’re also balancing the challenges of aging parents, health issues that come with getting older ourselves and struggles managing our finances in this difficult economy. So, how can we be more supportive of each other? I believe it’s all about acknowledging that this a season, a period that we need to navigate thoughtfully…… and its OK to ask for help. I plan to reach out with more hugs and words of encouragement. I also plan to reach out for advice and some empathy. We will be a stronger friend group if we behave this way.
I’ll end with an excerpt from my message to OUT OF THE GATE book readers:
Life is a series of twists and turns. Good days and bad ones. Emotions are constantly shifting dependent upon the season of life we are experiencing. I find myself in a season of transition.
So, while my horse is out of the gate, so to speak, I needed to push pause and take stock of my life for the first time in my adulthood. I felt compelled to look in the rear-view mirror to see how far I’ve really come. Now, I get to make new choices and direct where I’m heading next. It’s been a time for reflection and lots of soul searching. Realistically, I am mapping out my next chapter. I encourage you to do the same.
