With each change in season comes the ability to take what we have learned and apply it to the next. I’ve been diligently following the Podcast and writings of Emily P. Freeman. I highly recommend you join me. I swear, that girl is in my brain! I was first introduced to her through her book, Grace for the Good Girl. It absolutely rocked my world.
On her blog, she encourages her readers to write down what we’ve learned from season to season. It has been so rewarding.
Winston Churchill said, “Those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it.”
I find this list is an excellent tool as I’m not a big fan of making the same mistakes twice. I’ve enjoyed being able to refer back to what I’ve learned in order to be encouraged by my progress in the midst of my struggles.
I hope to keep this up from season to season and share them with all of you. I’d love for you to begin as well. So here it goes. Fall 2017…
I am capable of learning some pretty cool things
When I started out documenting our minimalist journey, I was simply hoping to hold myself accountable and bring hope to others that may be consumed with the same feelings of suffocation in an ultimately great life. I had no clue what I was getting myself into.
It has required me to learn and apply things I never knew I was capable of. Things like transferring a website from one hosting site to another, writing code into my images, and what the heck SEO is. Web themes, widgets and plugins, oh my! There is still so much to learn, but it’s been a pretty neat process.
Countless times I recall saying, “my brain just doesn’t work like that,” when referencing my knowledge of technology, music and and all things internety (that’s the technical word, I’m sure of it).
But the struggle and the perseverance throughout has lead me to recognize that my brain, in fact, can work like that. Fist bump.
Self-care is non-negotiable
In doing all that learning and persevering, I found myself neglecting some areas I typically hold dear, such as exercise and reading. I longed for it, but would quickly get sucked into what I was working on. Those areas of self care took a back seat. It took a little bit of time, but it eventually showed up. I grew easily frustrated and fatigued.
That little self-care hiatus was a lesson in the effects of neglecting myself. I learned that regardless of the busyness of my schedule, it is absolutely critical that I make my health a priority. It’s the only way to keep going. Exercise, drinking tons of water, preparing a healthy breakfast, time reading the Bible, and soaking up the knowledge of some pretty amazing authors, are all necessary in order to keep moving in the right direction and stay physically, mentally and spiritually healthy.
War is a pretty sweet card game
I recently taught my kids how to play War, and it’s been kind of a blast. I mean, it involves no strategy whatsoever, it helps teach my kids numbers, only requires one stack of cards, and my kids can even play it without my help. Enough said. It’s a new Crawford family favorite.
Stink Bugs and Box Elders are two different kinds of bugs, but they are both the worst!
Our home was taken over by them this fall. Just thinking about them makes me feel like one is crawling on me right now. We found them everywhere and they gross me out.
My daughter thought they were the coolest and tried to save every single one in our house. I never had to kill them, but rather I would call on Raegan to catch them (with her bare hands) and release them outdoors. That girl never ceases to amaze me. Gag.
Meeting new people isn’t as awful as I thought
I’ve always been a “keep my head down and stick to my people” kind of person. I am friendly, (at least I think I am), and loyal, almost to a fault, but I’ve never been one to venture out of my comfort zone very much. I mean, it’s uncomfortable.
Let me tell you, I’ve been missing out. I’ve been making an effort to lift my head and chat it up with new people. It’s been remarkably painless. I’m seeing the face of God in each new person, drawing knowledge and encouragement from their life experiences, and looking for opportunities to meet more needs. So, if you suddenly find me all up in your face, you know why.
I challenge you to start documenting what it is you are learning through each season. I’d love to hear about it if you’re interested in sharing. Feel free to message me or comment below.
Now on to my winter list…
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Declutter Your Life
It’s time to stop managing our families and start leading them!
2 years ago I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I had no capacity to mom on purpose.
Living with less has gifted me time, space and some much needed perspective of what truly matters most. Below is the link to my FREE Beginner’s Declutter Like a Minimalist Guidebook. It takes a deeper look at the 7 Steps to getting started highlighted in my popular post, Declutter Like a Minimalist.
