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?