Tossed in the surf

I remember when I was a kid, my family and I went on a vacation to Manzanillo, Mexico as we did many times when I was a younger child. My brothers and I loved to boogy board and the ocean was happy to toss us around. We would run and paddle out to the wave, and drift back to the shore, out to the wave and back to the shore, we would do this for what seemed like hours and hours.

One day, we were boogy boarding and the waves were massive, at least for an 10 year old girl, and they were coming in HOT!

I remember catching a wave a little to late, and it broke on my head, pushing me down into the sand, my board was strapped to my ankle, and the more I struggled to right myself the more the board repeated thwacked me, as the surf turned and turned.

FINALLY, my feet were able to find the sandy bottom and I was able to push up and out of the water, just in time for another wave to come and break on my head, the the process repeated itself, push, struggle, thwap,spin,  thwap, struggle, up and breathe. I recall getting pushed down into the surf by at least 3 waves, until it occurred to me to push up and out of the water toward the shore.

2017 Felt like that in a lot of ways. Lots of struggle, a bit of breathing, and a lot of learning. 

There were many blessings intermingled with the struggle and spin and thwapping. Like Paris for my daughters 10th birthday, and Hawaii with my husband for our birth-a-versary (We have the same birthday, and got married on it. It seemed cute at the time. 😂.)

More than anything though 2017 was by far and away the hardest I think I have ever worked in my life. There were lessons learned that I needed to learn and experiences I hated, but knew there was a purpose in them.

The first couple weeks of 2018 have been fast and furious, but for the first time in over a year I feel like I am headed the right direction, and no longer struggling in the surf. I have hired coaches to help me get organized and focused. Who have helped me make aggressive plans, and provide me with the accountability and support that so many of us need. 

This year for me is about doing everything better, about being better.

Thriving, not just surviving.

I, like many, have been stuck in survival mode for too long, maybe you have too- but there is better for you. 

There is better for us.

This is a beautiful year to remember who you are, what matters to you and connect deeply to yourself and your purpose.

Tomorrow I will tell you what I am doing to dig deep into my inner strength, and to thrive no just survive.