Well, friends I have to say that I am super excited to be submitting my first post to the collective blog {The Blended Blog}. I’m also pumped because I have the privilege to share with you about an area of my life that is undergoing an overhaul. Here’s how it all started:
In August I turned 52, which isn’t the milestone of 40 or 50 or another round decade but that day lit a little fire beneath me was ignited. A few things came into perspective for me and I knew I wanted to take action and really begin to develop a plan to Make It Happen. {more on that in a bit}
On that particular day my husband asked me what I would like to do to celebrate my birthday. I responded, “I want to go to the gym after work and have an intense full body workout. When we get home I want to run to our local Square and have breakfast for dinner and talk as we walk back home.” That little run did lots to reignite my motivation. Not just motivation to exercise but motivation to pursue things I love and dreams that I haven’t had the courage to pursue.
That August birthday was almost like a reset for me. A start over if you will. I realized the “perfect” me would want to wait until January because that’s when people set goals but I knew NOW was the time. A restart doesn’t have be January 1st. A restart can happen when it appears it’s the right timing for you and your circumstances.
Enter Lara Casey’s book Make It Happen.
It’s been on my Kindle for a while so I began to dig into it. I also perused her website and re-investigated Power Sheets. I ordered a six month pack and began working on them. They are intense and really drive you to set goals and pursue dreams, goals and plans.
You see, my problem is not that I don’t have ideas and dreams but rather I lack the follow through. Much of the time I get stopped in my tracks by perfectionism and fear...just like Lara. Her book is her story and I as a relational person {all of us are relational} learn through stories {we all learn through stories}. Again, yes, I have goals but they are not typically specific with a set action plan. I get caught up and fearful of failure because I have struggled with perfectionism much of my life. But hey, guess what I’m not perfect and those failures should spur me on but historically they have not they stopped me in my tracks.
But something changed in me on that day this August.
It's not that I don't have fears or insecurities anymore but I'm beginning to approach them differently and I'm beginning to develop an action plan to accomplish some goals. What am I doing? Well, I’m working through Power Sheets {slowly}. Yes, I should be finished by now but I’m also involved in a really intensive and introspective study {STEPS} through my church {The Village} and it has taken more time than I ever imagined. My goal in this study is to do it well and complete it. So I’m juggling lots of things but I am going to fulfill the goal to work through Power Sheets.
Here's where I can be found some evenings with my binder, coffee and computer. Thinking, dreaming, writing and planning for the future. Trying to set in motion an action plan for some dreams that have been brewing for quite some time. Dreams that I was afraid to pursue before I decided to work through fear and start living on purpose. Something I picked up from Lara in her book was the idea to make a Pinterest board of your dreams or vision. So I did it! I made a board which includes some of the things that I am passionate about in this world. Here it is. Can you guess what I'm passionate about or what I dream about doing in this world?
Go dream, friends! Make a board and make a plan... Be encouraged: "Living on purpose is worth stepping into all the hard stuff."~Lara Casey "I was created for a purpose, and it's time to Make It Happen!"~Lara Casey The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit.~Psalm 34:18
Do you struggle with fear?
Do you ever feel confused and sense you're not living on purpose or for a purpose?
Well, we were all created for a purpose and fear can crush a heart, a spirit and a dream. For me, I'm leaning into the truth of the Lord that He is near while I dream about making it happen with Lara as my guide.
image via laracaseyshop.com
In August I turned 52, which isn’t the milestone of 40 or 50 or another round decade but that day lit a little fire beneath me was ignited. A few things came into perspective for me and I knew I wanted to take action and really begin to develop a plan to Make It Happen. {more on that in a bit}
On that particular day my husband asked me what I would like to do to celebrate my birthday. I responded, “I want to go to the gym after work and have an intense full body workout. When we get home I want to run to our local Square and have breakfast for dinner and talk as we walk back home.” That little run did lots to reignite my motivation. Not just motivation to exercise but motivation to pursue things I love and dreams that I haven’t had the courage to pursue.
That August birthday was almost like a reset for me. A start over if you will. I realized the “perfect” me would want to wait until January because that’s when people set goals but I knew NOW was the time. A restart doesn’t have be January 1st. A restart can happen when it appears it’s the right timing for you and your circumstances.
Enter Lara Casey’s book Make It Happen.
It’s been on my Kindle for a while so I began to dig into it. I also perused her website and re-investigated Power Sheets. I ordered a six month pack and began working on them. They are intense and really drive you to set goals and pursue dreams, goals and plans.
You see, my problem is not that I don’t have ideas and dreams but rather I lack the follow through. Much of the time I get stopped in my tracks by perfectionism and fear...just like Lara. Her book is her story and I as a relational person {all of us are relational} learn through stories {we all learn through stories}. Again, yes, I have goals but they are not typically specific with a set action plan. I get caught up and fearful of failure because I have struggled with perfectionism much of my life. But hey, guess what I’m not perfect and those failures should spur me on but historically they have not they stopped me in my tracks.
But something changed in me on that day this August.
It's not that I don't have fears or insecurities anymore but I'm beginning to approach them differently and I'm beginning to develop an action plan to accomplish some goals. What am I doing? Well, I’m working through Power Sheets {slowly}. Yes, I should be finished by now but I’m also involved in a really intensive and introspective study {STEPS} through my church {The Village} and it has taken more time than I ever imagined. My goal in this study is to do it well and complete it. So I’m juggling lots of things but I am going to fulfill the goal to work through Power Sheets.
Here's where I can be found some evenings with my binder, coffee and computer. Thinking, dreaming, writing and planning for the future. Trying to set in motion an action plan for some dreams that have been brewing for quite some time. Dreams that I was afraid to pursue before I decided to work through fear and start living on purpose. Something I picked up from Lara in her book was the idea to make a Pinterest board of your dreams or vision. So I did it! I made a board which includes some of the things that I am passionate about in this world. Here it is. Can you guess what I'm passionate about or what I dream about doing in this world?
Go dream, friends! Make a board and make a plan... Be encouraged: "Living on purpose is worth stepping into all the hard stuff."~Lara Casey "I was created for a purpose, and it's time to Make It Happen!"~Lara Casey The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit.~Psalm 34:18
Do you struggle with fear?
Do you ever feel confused and sense you're not living on purpose or for a purpose?
Well, we were all created for a purpose and fear can crush a heart, a spirit and a dream. For me, I'm leaning into the truth of the Lord that He is near while I dream about making it happen with Lara as my guide.
image via laracaseyshop.com
Carrie is a regular contributor for The Blended Blog and also maintains her own blog over at A Lovely Little Wardrobe. In her spare time Carrie can be found finding the beauty in the everyday through scripture or in her relationships. She is a soft spoken Texas with a big heart and an even bigger desire to find the good in the world.
