As I sit here in the oh so basic, Starbucks, I am reflecting on why I had the idea, drive, and desire to kick-start the blog/brand of “Inspirationally Brewed”. This seems to be a major aspect in the adventure to find myself and focus on me much more in 2017! After a tough year, full of highs, lows, and some more lows and difficult challenges, I felt that this was my time to focus on things in my life that make me happy, that bring me closer to my goals, and that can be an important part of the healing process for me. To sum that up, its something that I have always had the desire to do, but now that I have a ton of free time on my hands, I felt that this is probably the best time to start. If you’re going through a life change, contemplating your purpose, goals, or desires, I challenge you to think about something you may always say “I would love to have that life” or “I would love to do that” and GO FOR IT!
Over the past year or so, quotes have become a major part of what has gotten me through. When I am down, I had the tendency to hop right onto Pinterest, search for “inspirational quotes” and take some time to read through them. I always felt less alone and that others in this world, even though I had no clue who they were or what they may be facing, were feeling similarly to me. I took my love for quotes and my love for Adobe Photoshop and graphic design and created an Etsy shop called “Simply Quotables.” Customers can purchase an array of things- printable (cheap) quote/artwork that they can frame and hang, some acrylic paintings I have made, or framed custom quotes! The Etsy shop took up a good amount of time when I was home “bored.” It helped me reframe the concept of boredom. I was becoming consumed by being bored and that I constantly needed to be doing something. That little business endeavor that I took on kicked off my realization that I don’t need to be bored when I am home and I don’t always need to be out doing something…I can embrace the time I am “bored” to work on something I love that will bring me closer to reaching the desired goal.
From there, I began to really embrace my alone time. It definitely took some time, but I can finally say as I sit here, headphones in, books around me, and a coffee in hand (of course) that I am finally in love with ME time! After my little Etsy shop, I also started cleaning out closets and my drawers and selling some of my old clothes and accessories on Poshmark! That’s been such a fun little venture- making a few extra bucks with stuff I would have otherwise given away anyway! And last but not least, Inspirationally Brewed is a new adventure I am very excited to embark on. Blogging was one of those things I would always say I wish I could do. Well, here it is…in this stage of my life, the time where I am focusing on ME, bettering myself, and bringing me closer to my dreams… I have worked to create INSPIRATIONALLY BREWED and am writing my first post, which by the way feels so great and liberating. And there you go…that succinctly sums up the journey to this very Starbucks, writing this very entry.
On another note, I started using a Passion Planner in 2017, not only to help me organize and prioritize my life but as an exercise to recommit to my goals and make strides toward meeting them. For those who are not familiar, the Passion Planner is a planner created to help you figure out what your short term and long term goals are, reflect, and plan on how to actually meet them. Each week is designed with personal and work to-do lists, as well as a place to designate “This Week’s Focus,” list the good things that happened that week, as well as create individual daily focuses to stay on track! If you’re interested in learning more about Passion Planner or kicking off 2017 with one of your own, see more info here. My absolute favorite part is the quote and focus of the week! This week’s was very pertinent and ironic especially since I read it as I was beginning to write this…
As I flipped the page to a new week beginning on January 8, I immediately read, “IT’S NOT WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU, BUT HOW YOU REACT TO IT THAT MATTERS.” It is so incredibly true. Although, challenges and difficulty infiltrated my 2016, it could not define me…I reacted to it by looking at it as an opportunity to better myself, reach new goals, and find myself again. The mini ventures I described were my ways of reacting to something that happened to me. Ironically, the focus of the week also directly correlated to what I have been writing. It spoke about how energy and positivity rubs off on those around you (see “This Week’s Focus” to the right). This week Passion Planner challenged me to radiate positive energy to those around me with my thoughts and actions. They may have challenged me, but now I CHALLENGE YOU!
This week it is time to RADIATE POSITIVITY! When I think of that phrase I think of the sun shining bright and radiating onto our skin…Use this week to shine bright and allow that positivity to be absorbed by others!
Signing out on this cold Sunday afternoon in New York!
“A Sunday Well Spent Brings A Week of Content”
XOXO
Kristin
Hi, this is a comment.
To get started with moderating, editing, and deleting comments, please visit the Comments screen in the dashboard.
Commenter avatars come from Gravatar.