Wow! Five. Whole. Years. I can hardly believe it has been that long! If you have followed me from day one or may be new, I hope you are celebrating this with me because this milestone is about ALL OF US.
Evolution, that’s where I’m starting today. I am so thankful to be an evolving, progressive young woman. When I look back, I see a girl who was on the brink of becoming who she was meant to be. Five short years ago, I was just 24 years old, in grad school and needed to spread my creative wings.
I’ve told this story dozens of times, so I won’t repeat and will let you read for yourself HERE. To look back at that girl who was just starting out and didn’t know what she was doing, I’m awestruck by her bravery and boldness.
Humans are evolving beings, but I know that evolution isn’t always easy. I know how hard it is to question what you were taught and have a thirst to learn from a new perspective. I wish someone would have told me this- “to have a mind of your own and be given the free will to use it is a gift we were all given.”
How on Earth would society be where it is today without change and thinking outside of the way cavemen thought 10,000 years ago? Have you ever stopped to think how far along we have come because humans embraced change?!
How many times have I heard, “You’ve changed. I don’t know you anymore.” My response, “Thank you so much for telling me this. I’m so glad to know you noticed that I have embraced new ways of thinking and acting. You are right. I no longer know that girl I use to be and I’m so excited to embrace who she is now.”
Sometimes, things that others intend to be an insult can be our biggest confirmation that we are doing something right.
Just a couple of months ago, I listened to a podcast about change and nearly every word stuck out to me, I’ll link the episode HERE. Kacia, who I was listening to, was talking about friendships/relationships and how it’s easy to become stagnant. She mentioned that if you have been around the same people and they aren’t evolving or changing, you also aren’t evolving or changing. This is something we can all evaluate in our own lives.
The people you should surround yourself with should push you to be better. They should push you to change and want you to surround yourself with people who also want you to change.
I feel like all of you who have followed me, from either day one or day 1821, have watched me grow up. I feel like this platform is my timeline of growth. To think back to that young, vibrant 24 year old blogging about DIY home projects to a woman who uses her platform to share reality with all of you and advocate for women…I couldn’t be more proud of how far WE have come.
This space is not a place where I tell you how you get it right. It’s a space of walking right beside you, showing how we can embrace the hard TOGETHER, wipe away loneliness and be united celebrating every victory- big or small.
You didn’t cry today? Victory! You started your dream job today? Victory. You quit your job that drains you? Hell yeah! Let’s go grab a drink!
I never dreamed that this space would become THIS, but I am so grateful it did. This space would have NEVER become this if I didn’t change. It wouldn’t have ever become this if I would have listened to the people who told me, “People don’t want to go there.”
Everyone may not want to go “there,” and this space isn’t for everyone. This space is for you who is tired of surface level, “saving face” and being someone you are not. This space is for you who wants MORE and knows the price of other’s opinions is worthless.
This space is for you who is embracing change in all capacities and I just want you to know (I’m crying real tears as I am typing this part) I am SO FREAKING PROUD of you. We have grown together right here in the HG community and to hear from you and cheer for you has been one of the greatest honors of my life and guess what?
We are JUST getting started…
I love all of you more than you can imagine. I love all of you who have shared your life with ME just as I have with you. I love all of you who have shared your opinions and critiques because I am not perfect and don’t want to be. Most of all, I love all of you who have stuck by me through the good, bad, and hardest days of my life and supported me.
All of you in this community gave me a purpose when I was at my lowest and I will never be able to repay you for that. I’m forever indebted to all of you for keeping me here and encouraging me every step of the way.
(Inset tight virtual hug for you here)
