(Part two of three.)
- If you could time travel, what would you tell your teenage self?
God is with you and for you daily, and you are going to be just fine! You're prettier than you believe yourself to be right now, so embrace that, and don't hide or assume that men find you unattractive. Enjoy this season of life with fun friends, but also realize that the future may not play out according to your marriage-and-kids and being a stay-at-home mom plan. Really consider your college and career choices and don't limit yourself to whatever is fast and easy. You are extremely smart and capable, and striving for financial success is not unbiblical or unfeminine - it's just countercultural at CHA. - If you meet a friend you haven’t seen in ten years, how will you tell him/her about your life right now?
If I haven't seen them in ten years, then it's certainly not a close friend or someone who's earned the right to much of my story... so if we meet by chance, if I saw them first, I would do my best to avoid having to talk to them, but if we both clearly saw each other and talked, I would be kind but keep it pretty short and simple, vague and upbeat. But if they reached out and we were both open to meeting deliberately to reconnect (like with Sarah or Holly and co.), then I would share a general life overview and ask a lot of questions about their life, and we'd be very likely to get into a deeper conversation because that's just how I roll! - If you were to tattoo a quote, what would that be?
Unlikely to happen as a tattoo, but it would either be "Feel it all" (a good reminder to not suppress the hard emotions or limit my joy) or "Make yourself strong, never small" (meaning don't minimize myself, but be a strong person physically, mentally, and spiritually). - List all the things that make you happy today, big or small.
That my nails, t-shirt, and boots all match in similar wintery shades of burgundy-red. =) My "Holiday Classics" 20-minute Peloton walk + 10 minute chest and back class this morning. My free trial of the Blinkist app, which gives you 15-minute audio summaries of popular self-help or psychology books (I've gone through five since last night). The heated seats and steering wheel in my new car. Having some downtime to write this morning. My "joy journal" five-year record that reminded me today is Rachael's one-year work anniversary. That's enough for now - I could go on for a really long time on this! - Were you a happy kid?
Generally, yes, I had a happy childhood that was filled with big family get-togethers, summer swims, cookies and rice krispie treats, piano lessons, Christmas fun, school friends, generous gifts, and attentive parents! ...But also, I was a deep thinker even then, and I felt unathletic and misunderstood and out of place sometimes (and thus became better friends with Rachael's classmates than my own, which is still the case to this day). And I went through a rough period in sixth grade that I would probably label as mild depression looking back, just overly worried about what would happen if my parents died while I was young and how I would ever survive that - things most kids probably don't think about much, and I certainly didn't need to expend stress and energy trying to figure all that out. But overall, my childhood memories are 85-90% happy, which is likely above average! lol - What are the qualities you value in a friend?
My top 7 would be kindness, loyalty, humor, depth, authenticity, dependability, and listening skills! Most of my friends check all those boxes! =) - What cheers you up on a bad day?
Familiar lighthearted shows or movies. Cooking. Sugar. Meditation and prayer. Blogging. Medium-intensity cardio or strength exercise. And/or a good conversation with someone I love. ❤ I'm not hard to cheer up. lol - What difference do you want to make in the world?
I want to write at least one book that helps people who are hurting feel God's personal love for them. And I want to be a kind friend who offers encouragement and listens well. And I want to adopt and raise a child and help nurture their character and faith and confidence! - What did you do today to take care of yourself?
So far, 30 minutes of exercise + my 15-minute "Power Thoughts" + listening to 3 gospel chapters from Matthew + the one-minute Pause + writing this blog. =) - What do you want to change about yourself?
Not one freaking thing. ;-) JK. I want to stay open to new ideas and exploring future career paths that might be more enjoyable and lucrative. I want to become a mom, I want to host friends at my home more often, I want to write a book, and I want to keep getting healthier!
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