Finding a New Purpose

2018 ended in a terrible way for me. 

This brought me into a new year in a major funk. I am a gal who always has clear intentions going into a new year. I know what my next steps are going to be, where I want to go, how to get there. 

2019 did not start that way. I felt lost. I was floundering for ideas, purpose, I was down, feeling like I was just existing.

Yesterday I started to write stuff down to help me start a direction. Anything. While I don't have any major goals yet, I have a few plans to keep me positive and moving forward.

2019 Goals

1. Learn Italian. 

After our trip to Europe last spring, it is certain that Italy is my favorite country to visit. We stayed in Airbnbs and tried to do as the locals do, but also enjoying a tour or two. I fell in love with the food, the language, the culture, the architecture, the history, and did I mention the wine? Definitely the wine.

Learning Italian will empower me to visit the country again and feel braver when conversing with Italian locals. That was a big pain point for me on our last visit, while luckily, most people speak English; I am certain I would feel much more comfortable knowing more of the language, rather than just the general greetings. 

I am starting with the Duolingo app, but will be looking into actual lessons or courses soon. Do you have any recommendations? Do you speak multiple languages?

2. Grow more/eat more plants.

Plants ground me. Whether I am growing them in my garden, in a pot indoors, or a cactus on the mountain, plants connect me to something bigger than me. I am a vegetarian, working harder on eating less and less animal products. By eating more plants, I will have more energy, be healthier, and reduce my carbon footprint. This will also continue to create good habits for my boys and their health.

My sister, who just finished her last round of chemotherapy (YAY!), and I will be working together on creating some plant-based meal plans. This is a form of cooking together, but across the country... and may play into my next goal, too.

3. Act creatively.

This is to ensure I am doing something outside of being a mom, wife, friend. While all of those things are of dire importance to me, it's easy to be lost in those roles. This ensures I look inside to find me, my voice, my visions for things. This can be painting more, writing more, blogging more, picking up my real camera again... 

How did the beginning of 2019 find you? I hope you have some clarity in the path you are venturing down this year. I hope it is a year of growth and positivity for all of us. 

A Simple Connection: A Big Difference

A few months ago I was going through the Dairy Queen drive through, very much looking forward to my cool treat. I was wondering if my blizzard would indeed be upside down thick when the gal at the drive through window complimented my hair. While I didn't think it looked any different than normal, it really lit me up inside and made me smile.

That's when it occurred to me, if she said one nice thing about every person who went through her drive-thru that day, she could make each person smile. What an opportunity to make a difference to so many people. Then I thought, how can I implement this positive action in my own life?

I don't encounter many strangers in my normal work day. I see the same people day in and day out, but why not say something nice about them? I spend most my life with these people. "I love your shoes!" or "That band you told me to listen to was awesome!" How easy it is to say those things, yet, the monotony of our schedules can prevent us from saying, or noticing, these things. I also put this flyer up in our break room from The Compliment Project. Got a few takers.

Another opportunity I have taken advantage of is saying, "Good morning!" when I am walking to my office from the parking lot. There are landscapers, delivery drivers, security officers, and the like all around me. A simple greeting can easily change the day, if not for them, certainly for me.

Try it out! Instead of avoiding eye contact with a stranger, give them a smile, a compliment, or a greeting. Hopefully it will make someone (including you) a little happier today. You can also visit The Compliment Project to download and print your own flyers!

Death and Beginning

I haven’t experienced many deaths in my 31 years. My grandmother when I was 8, my family dog when I was 17, and my husband’s grandfather before we were married. As an adult, we've lost my Aunt Joan, the kindest woman I’ve ever known, my step-mother’s father, a WWII veteran, passed away just before Christmas, and most recently, my husband’s uncle. The older I am getting, the more I am witnessing these losses.

My relationship with these losses feels so heavy and emotional, but also like they are not mine. I see the sadness and suffering of people I love very much, but does it also belong to me? I feel like an fraud when I weep for the losses. I weep for the absence of life, I weep for my hurting family, and I weep for the realization that maybe they didn’t get to do all that they set out to do. I, then, start to look inward.

Why is it that it takes a loss to help us to see what is important? A death that makes us shift our priorities? The end of something to help us begin again with purpose?

2017 has not started out as I would have liked. Things are hard at work. Things are hard at home. Schedules don’t allow for much self-care (2017 cliche?). That all changes now. 

Things I am doing for me:

• Personal Training – Getting fit and taking control of my health
• Food Consumption – Significantly reduce the amount of animal products I consume
• Education – Seriously consider going to school for Holistic Nutrition
• Mindfulness – Meditation and mindfulness solo and with my family
• Relationships – Monthly date nights with my husband, one-on-one time with each son, reach out to family and friends more regularly outside of social media
• Minimalism – Reduce the crap and clutter in my home and office that doesn’t have meaning or create joy in my life

Mercury is retrograde; is there any better time to discover what is working and what isn’t? 

About The Simple Choice

Hi, I am Emily. I am a wife, mother, daughter, and friend. I am on the prowl for a simple way of being. I am certain simplicity is the key to life. This space represents that journey. In addition to that journey, this is a space for inspiration, motivation, and positivity.

I have found myself surrounded by people who inspire me in so many ways: entrepreneurs, squares, artists, moms, dads, children, grandparents, chefs, vegans, professionals, job seekers, and adventurers (some holding several of those titles)! I take lessons from each of them because they are all powerful and amazing teachers, whether or not they know it. They inspire me to be my best self. I think they have stories to tell, lessons to teach, and gifts to give the world. This is where I would like to do that, to capture their motivation and inspiration.

The Simple Choice is about gathering thought leaders with different stories and backgrounds to inspire others as they have inspired me. Just regular people who say, think, and do amazing things.

Stay tuned.