Be You

"Therefore encourage one another and help one another, just as you are doing now. Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:11, 16-18

How many of you are finally glad to see the snow melting? How many of you are excited for lake season? How many of you are excited for bonfires and endless s'mores? How many of you are excited for warm days with the sand between your toes and warm summer nights with the moonlight shining? Raise those hands! Me, I want all of this. It has been a long winter and I am excited for warmer weather, lake days, and hanging out with friends. I am finally starting to feel more and more like I am finding me again. It has been a long and trying time in my life. I have learned so much and so many positive changes have occurred. I found this quote the other day and it hit home. "Be confused, it's where you begin to learn new things. Be broken, it's where you begin to heal. Be frustrated, it's where you start to make more authentic decisions. Be sad, because if we are brave enough, we can hear our heart's wisdom through it. Be whatever you are right now. No more hiding. You are worthy, always."

Do you ever feel like you are hiding from who you truly are? Do you feel like you are hiding from who you are truly meant to be? What is holding you back? Sit back and examine yourself and your life for a moment. Some people are held back simply by their inability to get out of their own way and take action. Some people get so overwhelmed by the thought of changing jobs or changing themselves for a better route that they stare at the mountain of decisions that need to be made and choose to do NOTHING. Quit hiding from the true you. You deserve to be the best version of yourself. If something or someone is holding you back, ask yourself what or who it is. Then ask yourself if you need it or them actively in your life. Sometimes we need to distance ourselves from what or who has been holding us back. Distancing ourselves from what we know and what we are comfortable with can be hard; but it can also be necessary. Sometimes we need to make a change in order to better ourselves.

This past year has been full of changes for the Finch household. Mark and I each had to re-examine our lives and decide what was important and what we needed to change to make “us” work. Mark decided to get professional help for his alcoholism. I made a choice to quit drinking alcohol along with Mark, as it no longer served a purpose in our lives. Together, we made a commitment to change ourselves and reaffirm our faith in God and reaffirm our love for each other. In the process, not everyone has understood our changes. But guess what? It doesn’t matter what others think. It only matters that we chose to do this together and we chose to give it 100%. Our goal has never been to be better than anyone else, but rather to be better than we used to be. In the process, we continue to share our journey, our story with others. We want you to know that if you need a change in your life, it is possible, it is doable, and it is so worth it. Does this speak to you? Do you need to make some changes in your life for you and/or your family? You can do it. You can be the person that you deserve and need to be. If you don't know where to start, pray about it or reach out to someone. You can reach out to me, or Mark and we will try and give you guidance if you need it. We are not experts, but we have been at our lowest point in our life and come back better than we could have ever imagined.

First you must identify what you want to change in yourself and/or in your life. You also need to focus on the positives in your life and rid yourself of negativity. This may involve letting go of friends that no longer serve your changes. In the process, be kind and spread this kindness to others. Kindness is contagious, as is positivity. Remember, change does not happen overnight. As much as we want things to occur right now and at the snap of our fingers, it just isn't possible. Change can take time and it can take a lot of trial and error. It is important to have support from someone such as a good friend, spouse, child, or parent. Although, support is not essential, it sure makes it easier to commit to change. It's kind of like being on a diet. If you are the only one in your household dieting and you are trying your best to eat healthy, yet your significant other is eating a big slice of chocolate cake with a scoop of ice cream. How are you supposed to feel supported? Making changes is much the same way, those living with you must support you or you may find it difficult to do the work if they aren't with you 100%.

Nothing is worse than feeling stuck where you don't belong. So, I ask you again; are you hiding from the true you? Are you hiding from who you are truly meant to be? Don’t let anyone or anything keep you from becoming the best version of yourself. Listen to your intuition, that inner voice. Sometimes it can be your best guide. Sometimes your intuition makes no logical sense, but believe me, listen to it. Let it be your guide. Don't allow yourself to be stuck in a life you know is not right for you. Don't allow other's influence your decisions whether they are good or bad. You, and only you are responsible for your decisions and the choices you make. So why now choose to be the best version of yourself. Choose happiness. Choose kindness. Choose gratitude. Choose to be you.