Acceptance.

Jambo (That's hello in Swahili. If you know, you know).

This picture has nothing to do with this post, but I am learning to accept winter for what it is because these views are not bad at all (more on that below)! Utah mountains are beautiful and I love photographing them.

It's 2020! What?! Didn't you think we would all be wearing bright silver jumpsuits and everyone would be driving flying cars (well, flying cars exist, but, I digress).

I know it's super trendy to have a word for the year, but I'm a follower (Ha! Oh, yea, that's me...), so I had to come up with a word for this year. It helps me stay focused and organized.

Acceptance. 

Oh, this word, you guys. This word. There is so much that encompasses this, for me.

For me, Acceptance means:

Accepting my body for the way it currently is. Accepting doesn't mean that I give up. It doesn't mean that I stop working out, eat like crap, and not take care of it. It means accepting the fact that my body is different post-baby. It does not make me less than or affect my worth because my body has changed. It means accepting the PCOS and depression and the gift of childbirth that accompanies it and dealing with it. It means owning the changes and continuing to stay active and moving in ways that make me happy.

Accepting my new role as a stay at home mother. I love tutoring and I enjoy the having a positive impact on these individual students, but I am not going to lie, I miss the classroom! I change my mind what I want to do every single day. One day I never want to go back to the classroom, the next day I want to go back part time, and the next day, I want to go back full time. I devoted seven years of my life to teaching in a classroom and my new normal is so different. It is wonderful, but it is different. I just keep telling myself once I have children I won't have time to think about missing the classroom. ;)  I know this sounds like I don't enjoy being a mother. That is not the case at all. I love it. I love setting my own schedule. In fact, I am surprised how busy I keep myself (it must be the teacher in me!). It's just different! My child and future child(ren) (no, not pregnant) need me at home right now. Teaching will always be there.

Accepting winter for what it is. Ugh, winter. It's so hard, ya know? I am so grateful that I live in a state that has the sun come out, though! I try to not let the winter stop me from doing too much, but I definitely feel myself hibernate a little in the winter (as, I have noticed, a lot of people do! Ha). I am learning to embrace winter, though. I am allowing myself to slow down, enjoy winter things and let our home slow down! Plus, the snowy mountains with a clear blue skies are unreal.

Accepting that I can't do all the traveling and things I want to at this stage of my life. The FOMO is real with this one (me, if you didn't get that). I am getting better as I get older and have children, but I want to do ALL THE THINGS. I am an introvert, but I love to have fun and socialize. I want to go to every concert, every movie, every activity, and most prevalent, I want to travel everywhere!!!! I am accepting that I can't do it all. I am so grateful for what I am able to do and what we are given. I am learning to be happy with where my family is at: my cute little family, my cute little home, and our simple life is simply...well, wonderful. There are seasons for everything and I'm learning to love all Seasons (figuratively and literally).

Accepting my abilities. I made some goals for the New Year. But, to be fair, they aren't really new goals. Many of them are things that I already do and I wanted to continue them! Some days I don't do everything. Some weeks I don't get to it at all. AND THAT'S OKAY!!! Accepting the good things about myself is the most important part. We need to try to progress, but accepting ourselves is the first key to progress. :)



What are you working on accepting in your life?

My Word for 2017.

Honestly, 2016 was pretty good for me, personally, even though the rest of the world seems to think that it fell apart. Ha. I loved looking back on 2016--some of the best moments and posts that it encompassed (post HERE). As I look to the upcoming year, I want to pick a word to work towards and focus on. I am not huge on New Years Resolutions. I love making personal goals, but I feel like on NYE, people overdo it. So, I am going to choose a word to focus on this upcoming year and try to incorporate it into every facet of my life. I, also, like last year, want to talk about some REAL, NOT-SO-GREAT Resolutions (look for that post on Friday!). Because, let's be honest, by January 4th, I am over most of NYE goals ;).

Let's do this! My word of the year....

That's right. You read that correctly. My word and goal that I want to focus on for 2017 is patience. Those of you who know me very well are probably laughing out loud. Patience is not something that comes easily to me. I want to work on my patience in every aspect of my life. 

I want to become more patient with my husband. T Money is not perfect and I tend to have extremely high expectations from him. I want that patience to be worked into our marriage. 

I want to be more patient with my students and in my career. Being a sixth grade teacher comes with many challenges. I feel like I am more of a therapist than a teacher to these students: emotionally, socially, and academically. I want to work on my patience as a teacher. I am starting to feel a little "burnt out" and I need to remember why I became a teacher in the first place and be patient with my students and myself in my career. 

I want to be more patient with my Savior. I tend to get impatient when He doesn't respond to my prayers or questions, or responds in a way that I don't necessarily want. I want to be more patient with my fellow church-goers, neighbors, ward members, and other members of my church. I know that the LDS church is looked at really negatively right now and I don't think that my negativity helps. 

Along with that, I want to be more patient with people that I deal with on a daily basis. Whether that be strangers, coworkers, friends, my own family members,  etc. I want to work on being more patient and not automatically assuming the worst of others.

Mostly, I want to be more patient with myself. I need to use that patience in times of doubt or frustration with myself. I tend to be my hardest critic. I want my body to be where it used to be. I want my life to be at a certain point. I want T to be done with school and I want to think about starting a family. But what I want isn't necessarily what is best. I want to use that patience towards my physical health. It will not come automatically. All I can do is the best I can. I want to use patience towards my spiritual well-being. I am not going to be perfect, but I can try. I want to practice patience in my intellectual and work life. I want to use patience in my mental and emotional health. I get frustrated with myself when I get emotional or when dealing with my Depression. I want to remind myself about PATIENCE during those times. 

Being patient with others even when I am tired and stressed is something that I definitely need to work on. I honestly believe that most people are just doing the best that they can and I need to remember that, even during times of frustrations. 

I encourage you all to pick a word to focus on for the New Year.
What is your word? I would love your thoughts.

Happy 2017, friends!

I Am Enough.

via Pinterest

The past few weeks, I overviewed my blog year in review. I talked about how I didn't really make any new resolutions, but am rather just continuing some pretty huge emotional, physical, and mental goals that I made back at the beginning of October. As I was driving up the canyon the other day, I realized that I hadn't chosen my "Word of the Year." Even though my New Years Resolutions are not exactly cookie-cutter, I have made some internal goals that I really am trying to work on. I am constantly trying to improve my self in all facets of life and I hope that others know that I am trying. I am not perfect, but I am trying to be the best person I can be. That's all we can really hope for, right? So, on this drive, I thought about some words that I need to work on: homemaker, peace, patience, etc. But none of those really fit. Then, finally, I realized that I wanted a phrase that encompasses all of the things that I strive to be and want to improve.

I Am Enough.

I am choosing a mantra instead of a word to help me in 2016 year.

I am enough, even though my body has changed and it is not perfect.
I am enough, even though I struggle to be confident in my teaching ability at times.
I am enough when it comes to my relationship with the Savior, even when I screw up and questions my religion and try to defy everything! Haha.
I am enough and have value, even if others don't see it sometimes.
I am enough, no matter what mistakes I make.

I am a confident person naturally, already. However, I want that confidence to be turned into true belief that I am enough. I am enough and I want to my confidence to help me spiritually, emotionally, mentally, socially, and physically.


I have loved reading all of your phrases and words for the year. They have been inspiring! 
What are your words/mantras/phrases for this year?