Four years ago today I debuted my blog Xoxo, Sarah Jo with a post “Cheers to Better Choices.”
I chronicled my messy story of stumbling into adulthood or the “real world” as I called it. It was full of failure and trying and trying again. It was the story of finding out who I was without the help of anyone (or so I thought.)
I wrote:
“Dear 2014,
I choose to let go of the things that do not empower me. I choose to let go of feeling guilty about things I don't truly love. I choose to stop fearing the unknown and take life as it comes. I choose to try to not worry about the things I have no control over. I choose forgiveness because I have the choice to change things. I choose to let the past stay in its rightful place. I choose to stop giving up on my dream. I choose to let my own journey unfold instead of thinking everyone else is happier. I choose to stop thinking there is a right way and a wrong way to view the world. I choose to let go of my anger towards ex lovers, friends, and family. I choose to believe in my own uniqueness. I choose to not try and change the things I have no control over. I choose to believe I am right where I should be. Last, but not least, I choose me.
I challenge anyone who reads this to choose all of those things. That is the beauty of life. We can make the choices in our lives because God gave us the ability to. Those are not even my resolutions. I want to encourage myself to break a bad habit, learn a new skill, do a good deed, visit a new place, read a difficult book that challenges me to think, try a new food (I am such a picky eater), do something for someone who cannot thank me, and take an important risk.
What is life without challenges? I don't want an easy or mediocre life, there is no room to grow or learn.
Cheers to a happier, healthier, more vibrant you. Today is the first page of a 365 page chapter of your life, why not write a good one? So this is not a "new" me, but a choosing to be a better me. Hold tightly to the things that make you feel alive and let go of things that do not. With that being said, Happy New Year and may your journey be blessed.”
I can’t find better words than the words I have already written. 2017 taught me more than I ever thought imaginable. Here’s some things from the year I am proud of:
•I am officially paying all my own bills
•I celebrated my 4 year work anniversary
•I learned that if you give people power to hurt you, they will
•I learned that you really do have to let go, and let God
•I learned to be still and pray and be thankful I am alive, healthy, and surviving
•I have family and friends who I would do anything for
•I have a wonderful relationship
Now look at your Year and decide what baggage you’ll leave at baggage claim and what you will decide to take with you to 2018.
I want to leave you with a story I think is important:
*You are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and shoves you or shakes your arm, making you spill your coffee everywhere. Why did you spill the coffee?*
"Well because someone bumped into me, of course!"
Wrong answer.
You spilled the coffee because coffee was in the cup.
If tea had been in it, you would have spilled tea.
Whatever is inside the cup is what will come out.
Therefore, when life comes along and shakes you (which will happen), whatever is inside of you will come out. It's easy to fake it until you get rattled.
So we have to ask ourselves....what's in my cup?
When life gets tough, what spills over? Joy, gratefulness, peace and humility? Or anger, bitterness, harsh words and actions?
*You choose!*
Today let's work towards filling our cups with gratitude, forgiveness, joy, words of affirmation to yourself and others, kindness, gentleness and love.
Xoxo,
Sarah Jo