Next week is my birthday (yay!) and so that means today is my last Friday being 27.
Dang.
I almost made it. I almost made it to 28.
Year 28 is bound to be one of those years where I look back and think how young I really was, but how old I felt at the time. I say that because just about every year has done that for me. But being this close to 30 sobers you up a bit.
This year embarks having been out of high school for TEN. YEARS.
It also means my husband and I have known each other for 9, been together for 6 and shared the same last name for 3.
So what have I learned?
A few years ago I did 26 thoughts on turning 26. This go-around I want to document the things year 27 has taught me.
-Pay attention. Pay attention to what you are paying attention to. You can learn a lot about yourself by what you’re distracted by, what you spend your time on, and where your mind goes when you actually do turn down the radio during your morning commute.
-Walking in true freedom can hurt and takes discipline not to turn back. It can hurt before you get to the finish line. There’s guilt to conquer on the journey, there’s expectations to kill, there’s losses to mourn. However, despite all of that and more, the journey is worth it. Keep going. It’s worth every dang bit of all of it.
-You are probably the issue. It’s not your husband who is frustrating you, it’s not the person at Taco Bell staring at the menu like their menu has changed (while wasting your time), it’s not even your boss denying your request for a raise. Sure, all of these circumstances can and do suck, but you, you are probably the issue. Your response. Your attitude. You can’t change their response or the circumstance, but you can change you.
-Your mind is so powerful. I went on a 28 day, doctor prescribed cleanse (no sugar, no soy, no corn, no what) and it was by far the hardest thing I have ever done. Here’s an excerpt from my Facebook status:
Today is my celebration of day 17 out of 28 without sugar, natural (think cow’s milk, fruit) or human manufactured (think everything else). I have read over 1000 food labels and am officially the girl who asks “Can I please see your ingredients list for your salad dressings?” at restaurants. (By the way, eating out is the worst when you’re trying to be healthy and can’t eat any salad dressing but olive oil.)
I’m learning about pace. I‘m learning that I don’t really practice what I preach unless I’m forced to do it. I’m learning my body can do anything, the battle is in my mind. My mind is what I need to renew everyday. I’m also learning what an incredible support community I have. Seriously, the best.
I’m not posting this so you pat me on the back but to encourage you, the one who is reading this. You really can do anything you set your mind to. Set your mind on things higher than the fear that is choking you this morning or the heart that breaking in tiny pieces due to unmet expectations or loneliness. You’re going to have to fight for and walk past the strawberries and ice cream that is on sale or turn off social media when the lies of comparison creep in your heart. Or do what ever it is that starts your path to freedom. Take the first step. It’s the worst. (Carb and sugar withdrawal in week one I learned is not a joke.) But it does get better. It does, it does, it does. And I know you can do it because I’m doing it with you.
I’m fighting with you and I’m cheering for you. Let’s go!
-I am not stuck. This summer I allowed a few lies to creep in and snuff out the truth in one single breath. The walls I had that once fornicated my heart and mind, bent their knees and allowed the thoughts to become truth. That I was stuck. Stuck in the current chapter in my story, rereading and living the same line over and over again. Stuck without the ability to make waves.
I felt so powerless when I saw the hurt and sorrow around me. I felt like they were too big for me to help change. Too loud to hear my tiny voice. Too dark for my little light to shine. But I’m not. Which leads me to my last lesson.
-I’m constantly learning not to listen to the loudest voice in the room, but the truest one.
27, thanks for being a solid year. 28, you got big shoes to fill.
