I’ve been thinking over the past couple weeks …. what are my wins for 2019?
I want to focus on my wins - not to be braggy, but to focus on the good and positive in my life.
Are there decisions and behaviors that I’m not proud of? Sure. But when I get stuck in the rut of the comparison game, it’s important for me to focus on my wins. It’s easy to get bogged down in the dark stuff. I want to stand in the light.
So, here they are, in no particular order - my wins of 2019:
I explored the Northern California coast on my own.
Every semester for the past 5 semesters, I’ve taken a trip to Monterey, California for a weeklong residency for my PhD program. Typically, my residency week is packed with classes and workshops and I never leave campus - but this most recent trip, I had some time to myself. I ventured out to Cannery Row and Fisherman’s Wharf. I struck up a conversation with an Australian. I sat at a bar by myself while reading a book. I had a visit with the walruses, and got in plenty of mindful walking and by-the-water writing (highlight reel for this trip is on my Instagram Stories). It may seem like a small thing, but I am an introvert (surprise!), so taking a solo excursion like this was way outside of my comfort zone. I’m so glad I pushed myself. The payoff was huge.
I finished my book proposal and signed with a book agent.
This may be my FAVORITE win of 2019. I’ve wanted to be a writer since I first wrote a thoroughbred themed teen fiction novel (and I use the word ‘novel’ loosely) in the 5th grade. This year, I was contacted by a literary agent who has been so encouraging to me and my vision for normalizing the discussion of mental health in church culture, which is what I will be writing about.
I taught from the main stage at my church about addiction.
I have one word for this. Terrified - (hello performance anxiety!) But, I persevered and spoke from my heart on this tough topic. You can see highlights from this message on my website, or the full sermon HERE.
I traveled to 16 different cities this year.
I saw my brother get married in Tennessee, met my new niece in Green Bay, and we celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary in Mexico! I also visited Washington DC and New York City for the first time in my life.
I created an online course about Faith and Anxiety.
This has been on my heart for some time, friends. With the help of my super-hero husband, I took the Faith and Anxiety Workshop that I teach live one step further and created an online resource for anyone who is wondering if anxiety is a sin, wondering if it’s ok for a Christian to take meds for anxiety, dealing with shame and guilt, or accusations that your faith in Christ should be enough to heal you, looking for actionable skills to help combat your anxiety with faith, or if you have a loved one who struggles with anxiety and you want to learn more about it in order to be able to support them. You can enroll in the course below.
I knocked it out of the park on preventive healthcare.
Because of how young my mom was when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, I am at high risk. So, this year, I started seeing a breast surgeon specialist, along with getting a mammogram, breast mri, and genetic testing. Everything came back clear! I do not, for a single second, take for granted my good health. So, I’m doing everything I can to take care of myself.
I have changed my Social media game.
Meaning, I unfollowed accounts that make me feel bad, and I follow accounts that focus on positivity, like HONY, Love what Matters, and Upworthy. TOTAL game-changers.
I started using one of my favorite coping skills of all time.
When I am feeling anxious, overwhelmed, less than, judgy or judged, I tell myself: “I don’t have all the information here.” When I start to get anxious, jaded or judgy, I just recall - “I don’t have all the information right now.” This statement provokes fact-finding and conversations with people who I may be misunderstanding, or someone I don’t agree with. Like Brene Brown says, it’s hard to hate people up close. Move in.
You can learn more about this way of thinking below:
I went caffeine-free and started using CBD oil.
Caffeine-free living has totally improved my sleep game, and topical CBD oil has really improved my back pain (more secrets to how I manage my back pain in a future post!)
I read 118 books this year.
Ok, don’t be too impressed by this number. My approach to reading a book is: if I’m not in love by the end of the first chapter, I ditch the book and move on. There are too many good books in the world to waste time on a mediocre one! Follow me on Goodreads for more details and stay tuned for a post soon on my FAVORITE reads of 2019!
So, that’s it friends.My biggest wins of 2019.
I don’t expect you to be impressed. I’d love if you were inspired in some way, but mainly, I wrote this list for myself. I have much to be grateful for this year and I never, ever want to forget it. Bring on 2020!
