2019.
That’s a wrap. What a year it has been.
If you were to ask me to choose one word to define the year I’d say “GROWTH”. We grew our family with the birth of Maverick, I grew personally, and I grew as a woman in business with my blog and the start of my Etsy shop.
If you were to ask me 10 years ago where I saw myself, I didn’t necessarily see children in the picture. Now, I can’t imagine my life without them and I feel like I am who I was meant to be (not to sound cliche). This past year, becoming a mom for the second time, I’ve learned to embrace the chaos, the messy and imperfect. A far cry from the punctual, perfectionist I was before. I’ve learned to balance life with two kids, a career, being a wife, sister, friend. At times I feel like I’m being pulled into a million different directions but at the end of the day, my priority is mom and the little people I’ve created.
Whenever you face a setback, there comes growth. One of the challenges I experienced this year was being diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy towards the end of my pregnancy. At a time that is supposed to be happy and full of smiles and pictures, I instead wanted to hide. However, in hindsight, I can now say I grew from it. I learned to face things head on and talk about it. As a Type 9 (where’s all my enneagram peeps), I hate talking about difficult things. I’d rather bury my head in the sand, ignore it and move on. But this wasn’t something I could just ignore. So I plastered my picture on social media for all to see as a way to get ahead of it. Often in life, we will face little blips in the road. At the time they may seem big or scary, but you will get through them.
2019 also saw the growth of my business. Back in 2017 when I started blogging, I had no intention of monetizing and having it become a little side hustle. This year brought many opportunities and I am so fortunate and thankful for where it has taken me. Not only is it a side income, but it’s become a place where I can express myself and explore my passions. In September, I launched my Etsy shop with my custom stamped books and farmhouse decor. I’m looking forward to continuing to foster the connections I’ve built and keep creating.
2020
Going into 2020, my word is FLOURISH. By definition, Flourish means “to grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly favorable environment.” When I think of the word flourish, I think of a beautiful flower blossoming when given the right soil, enough sunlight and water. I am carrying that concept into the New Year. I have planted all of the seeds, laid out a favorable environment and now this year will blossom in my family, relationships, career and homelife. I’m going to take the time to nurture my body, really spend quality time with those that I love and continue to create a flourishing home and work environment that brings me purpose.
What is your word for 2020?