It’s hard to believe that it’s New Years Eve. In some ways this year has flown by, but in other ways time moved slowly. But to be completely honest, I think that is just life and how it truly is supposed to feel. Some days are long, and nights can be longer, but time moves so quickly, all in the same. This morning I have been having a rather slow day. A type of morning that is so very rare for this girl. But it has been a day of reflecting and dreaming. A day of planning blog content for the next year and encouraging dreams and ambitions, a day of reflecting on all that 2018 brought and means to me. And through these reflections, I remember so clearly the position of my heart this time last year. I remember battling the feelings of loneliness and depression and lack of community. I remember feeling like there was no real reason for me to feel the way that I did, my life was pretty great. Nothing traumatic happened, no major sickness or tragedy, just a stressed and overwhelmed girl with too much on her plate and carrying her weight in expectation, both physically and emotionally.

I believe that we shouldn’t really label years as good or bad, rather a year where life happens and things can be good in them and of course, there will be bad. Nobody is immune to tragedy. Everyone has their own battles, some choose to make them public, while others struggle deeply internally. Everyone has their days, their moments, but I am a big believer in intentionally choosing our thoughts. Choosing our thoughts to be full of hope, love, and victory. Thoughts full of faith and confidence, despite the weight of fear and the depths of the unknown. And, I want to choose to believe that every year can be seen as a victory. And today, I want to reflect on those.

2018. A Year in Review.

2018. The year of finally feeling like myself again. The old me or the original me. The me before my faith was shaken by a best friend losing her battle to cancer. The me before I began a career and started pouring myself out without putting myself first. The me before I began feeling the feelings of inadequacy and the feelings of being unknown.

But, 2018. 2018 things changed. I decided to put myself first. I decided to make decisions that would impact me, not just physically, but emotionally. Changes were made that really needed to happen. Changes that could only truly happen, by removing the expectation of perfection, letting go the standards, the weight of all the expectations of how things should be, and allowing myself to intentionally live a life lived in grace and freedom.

Transformations & Dream-Fulfilling

2018. A year that began with hanging out with some of the best friends and realizing that the community I had so long desired for was already there. A year that life became full of less toxins with Young Living. And with the less toxins came less headaches and more restful nights and less stressful days of work. You can read more about this transformation here. A year where my dreams of starting a blog became a reality. A step into the unknown that has not only become a blog, but a place of identity and creativity. An outlet for soul revitalizing and heart transformations. A place where dreams continue to grow and chances continue to be taken. A place where the unknown is enticing and thrilling, not scary.

Adventures

2018 was a year adventures and travel. From Napa, to the Pacific Northwest, to our not-so-local favorites of Portland & Boston. We family vacay-ed in Hilton Head, Asheville, and 30A. And then took a trip of a year to the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park.

Community

2018 was a year of a feeling of overwhelming love from my community. A community including co-workers who support you and love you. A community of family who will do just about anything for you. A community of friends who are just the best. A community of a Young Living team that is way more like a family. And a community of boss babes who are the most encouraging and supportive.

HealthFUL

2018 saw healthy changes. From FINALLY losing some weight that had been hanging around for FAR too long. Finally getting my mileage up and completing some workouts with our runners that I hadn’t been able to do in years, AND experiencing a whole new strength and confidence that I had never known before at Pure Barre. This year, I physically felt like me and I hadn’t felt like that in years. This has meant everything.

2018 represented completion of year 5 of teaching. And my passion for teaching, heart for my students and school has only grown. New classes and courses have been taught, more students have walked through those classroom doors and hopefully more souls have been encouraged, valued, and believed in.

Love.

2018 also meant that J and I celebrated a sweet five years of marriage. Five years, a friendship, relationship, and marriage that I value so, SO much. J is the MOST supportive. I can be quite challenging, and stubborn, yet he loves so well and is truly the best friend and supportive and lover of all my dreams, and is just simply the best. So thanks babe for being so constant and loving. I love you more than you even know!

While, I am so incredibly grateful and thankful for all that 2018 has meant to me, I am absolutely in no way trying to take away from the pain and hardships of others. Because for a lot of others, including people I know and love so well, 2018 has been oh so challenging. From a dear, dear friend watching her baby girl battle cancer, to other friends struggling with infertility and diseases of their new born baby. Grandmothers who have continuously and tiredly fought ovarian cancer repeatedly. And friends who have dealt with life and the stress of it all gravely so.

Looking Ahead:

I simply just want you to know, that as the year 2018 comes to a close and as 2019 begins so soon, all I want is for your heart to be happy, your mind to be full of rest and peace and for you to experience the comfort that where you are is a great place to be and if it’s not, that you have the strength and the courage to take the chance and the risk to find that place of comfort and that place of peace. Triumph can happen, the victory can be yours, and for those who are feeling like that is not true, then I pray for the courage and strength for you to begin a new, starting tomorrow. This will be YOUR YEAR.

With lots of love,

Haley

gracefulandfree