I am so excited to share a new guest blogger with you all-- Anna Cheri Simler. Anna Cheri is a genuinely beautiful and wise human, a wife and mama to two sweet babes, and an Executive Virtual Assistant. The perspective and insight she brings is unique and always leaves you something to ponder. She's one of those people who, once you know her, your life is just a little …
Disappointment Strikes Again
Imagine turning all of the needed forms in to your tax guy, thinking that maybe you’ll get a small bit back, and finding out you owe upwards of $5,000 to the government. I wish this was a hypothetical situation… but it was not. It was our reality this year and to say we were disappointed would be understating it. Add this to the tornado that is Covid, and the weight of the disappointments grow. Disappointments come in all shapes and sizes: big prominent ones, or small ones that stack up; …
The Waiting Room
Waiting is hard. The seconds seem like hours, the days feel like years and the answers seem like they’ll never come. My timeline of how things should unfold is always waiting on the actual timeline to arrive. I’m impatient and can be quick to jump to a decision of what I think is best. Waiting doesn’t bring out the best in me but it does bring out the best for me. Most of life’s events involve some kind of waiting room. As a kid I remember my nose pressed up against the window waiting for my …
Progress
Progress is a learning opportunity. Progress has low points and high points. High and low points in progress both play an important role in all things we do. Low points on a progress chart show challenges or places you learned from the mistakes you made. You see this shows there is no success without error. I have had many times when I have had errors but I learned the most where I failed. I might have a test and even if I only get one wrong that’s the one I´ll remember the most. I grew …
In the Land of Unknown
It happens so quickly. The streets look less and less familiar. The houses suddenly seem foreign. The people are all strangers. Your phone is out of range and there is no map to be found. There are no grounding points or landmarks to find your way back. Puzzled, you try to make sense of where you are but all you seem to find is more confusion and less certainty. You grip the steering wheel tighter, take a deep breath and give yourself a pep talk. “This isn’t so bad, right? People get …
Prove It
I’ve always been someone that likes to push the limits. From lifting heavier weights and holding a plank a few seconds longer to natural childbirth and single parenting to public speaking and starting my own business. My dad has even nicknamed me ‘bull dog’ and I love it. Building some gritty mental strength to keep things just a liiiiittle uncomfortable is so important to me. I can be an over-thinker at times and pushing outside my comfort zone is one way I’ve found to combat paralysis …
There You Are
“Have you ever felt alone in a crowded room? Well I’m here with you.” These lyrics from a Jack’s Mannequin song rang so true in my life for a long time. Have you ever felt this way? Ever been to a Moms Group and were convinced you were invisible? You walked in a room, hoping to make a connection, but everyone else seemed to already know each other? What about at the gym? You tried out a new body pump class and felt like you were back in high school where the “popular girls” clique was …
When Darkness Falls
Grey skies, bitter cold and fading sunshine. It felt like winter was never going to end. The darkness robbing minute by minute of the daylight as I felt my energy depleting. It happens so slowly but also seemingly more drastic each year. It’s actually painful. I thought I could avoid it this year but it sunk its teeth in with a vengeance. I can talk myself out of or into almost any kind of mood. It’s relatively easy for me to see the glass half full but my ‘rally cap’ attitude was …
Connect the Dots
I’ve always viewed the world through connection points, never believing in ‘chance’, but firmly in fate and divine appointments. People coming, going or staying in our life for specific reasons and lessons. Some people we are meant to know for only a few short moments, others for a lifetime. Life is constantly flowing and washing moments of connections up to the shoreline. Are all dots meant to connect? I believe so, or prefer to live a life that roots purpose into all things. I love the …
Misfit Toy
For years I felt it… In high school, I had a solid group of five friends. We had our drama, our ups and downs, but we were tight. I was so lucky to have this group- my people, my crew. Senior year was amazing, because we were together. We knew we would all be leaving for various colleges come fall, so we soaked up every minute of our last school year together. Then the summer came. I started noticing that three of the five were hanging out more. I was one of the two left out. It started slow. …