Series Introduction: Wonder

When I was a young girl, I wondered about a lot of things. Who I would be when I grew older. What I would do for work. Where I would live. What car I would drive at 16-years-old. My first kiss. My first love. My first heartbreak. In my 8-year-old brain, my future self seemed so out of reach, it didn’t scare me to imagine my life. After all, I still had so much time to figure out who I was meant to be. So, when I’d wonder about my future, it felt like a daydream—like magic. As I have, in fact, grown older, the magic has undoubtedly faded with time.

I Messed Up, Now What?

I’ve been a bad friend, a horrible daughter, and sometimes, a lousy dream chaser. I’ve broken promises, spoken harshly to those I love, and lost sight of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. I don’t always make the right choices and, at times, I let myself down because I’ve made excuses. I can’t stick to a diet to save my life—but that’s a work in progress—and I let my independent spirit push others away. The list goes on and on. I make mistakes. Go figure. But that doesn’t mean I’m not cut out to be the best damn friend you’ve ever had or measure up to the potential my parents see in me. Failure doesn’t mean my dreams won’t take flight and maybe, just maybe, those jeans will eventually fit just right.

3 Keys to Reaching Your Full Potential

When God created you, He deposited within you many gifts and talents. Those gifts could be summarized in one word: potential. God has given you the potential to do great things, to serve Him fully, and to change the world for His glory. God did not give us fully developed gifts. Instead, He deposited seeds within us, and it is our job to care for those seeds, so they grow and mature, reaching their full potential. Many people get discouraged along the way. Their gifts do not develop as quickly as they would like. They do not reach their goals as soon as they had expected to. Often people end up settling for less, instead of continuing to push forward and reaching their full potential.

4 Success Tips for Dream Chasing

I would say I have always been a highly determined gal — except for those lost teen years where all I cared about were boys and how my hair looked. Sure, motivation could very well be an innate trait the good Lord blessed me with, but as far as ambition is concerned, I developed that. After a rough breakup at the beginning of my sophomore year of college, I slowly began the search for myself and my identity — as I had lost it all in him and the joke that was our relationship. It felt as if a forgotten switch was finally turned on, never to be turned off again — not for anyone or anything. Let me tell you, girl... I never felt more alive or more me than the moment I realized I was better on my own.

The Fine Line Between Ambition and Obsession

Ambition is a word that has been tripping me up quite a bit lately. Standing at a complicated crossroads of sorts, I have had a lot of time to think about my own ambitions, the things that are important to me and the kind of woman I am still striving to become. Caught between others’ expectations of me, pressures from my job, and the need to finally strike out on my own, these thoughts have found a home in my brain over the past year. How does ambition shape our lives and how do differing interests and motivations affect the way we go after our dreams?

Current Blog series: Purpose