On Community

As I wrap up this two week series on Palm Springs and Camp Mighty I am left with a thought from Jon Acuff, "Fear hates community." That, I think, is the lasting takeaway from the weekend. That community is everywhere, sometimes you just need to take a step out of your comfort zone to find it. Not only is it wonderful to cultivate a community of your own, but it's even more amazing to be a part of someone else's. To cheer them on, to be a sounding board, to realize that you do have something to offer.

Goals change. People change. Your community is going to grow and shift. You are going to grow and shift. I say that to remind myself that inevitable change is not a reason to isolate or to stagnate. Change is the fuel, not the enemy. If I come away from Camp Mighty with nothing else, I want to never stop reaching out. Or reaching out to others. That's the reason we do this blogging thing, isn't it? Community is necessary, we aren't islands as much as we sometimes pretend to be (or wish we were).

Camp Takeaways

Camp Mighty was hands down an amazing experience. I've had a few weeks to contemplate and unpack everything that went down and I have come to the conclusion that there will be new conclusions to be drawn for the foreseeable future. Along those lines, these were my some of my favorite takeaways from the weekend:

• "Fearlessness is the mother of reinvention." - A. Huffington
• Know your phase. Don't punish yourself for being in transition.
• Get to work on your strengths.
• "The nicest thing in the world you can do for anybody is to let them help you." - John Steinbeck
• "Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work." - Chuck Close
• Leave yourself open for opportunities that you never would have thought of on your own.
• "Be nice. Be genuine. Be generous." - Jihan Zencirli
• Make stuff for other people just to delight them.
• Think hard about the "why" of what you do. What motivates you? Would you still be doing what you're doing if you removed the negative motivations.
• Passion is just the start.
• If what you're selling isn't desirable without the story, don't bother.
• Take your fist out of the air and put it to work.

I feel inspired, but more than that I"m ready to get to work. I've been busy behind the scenes working on some new adventures that will be unfolding soon. More than anything though I'm excited to truly be alive again. The accident robbed me of that for a while, but that spark is back and I couldn't be more grateful.

Pushing the Reset Button

California is my reset button. I grew up within walking distance of the beach in Santa Barbara and even though we moved away when I was young going home to visit was always a top priority. Twenty years later and this still rings true. Whenever I'm felling confused and stressed out all it takes is a day at the beach to clear my head. And that is something I've been very much in need of lately.

I've been essentially radio silent for a few months now. The silence here has been a stark contrast to the chaos of my mind. Thankfully with a vacation earlier this month, a day at the beach last week, and a whole lot of prayer I'm feeling centered again. Ready to get back to the things I love. Ready to feel that spark of passion again. Ready to find my voice. It's time. There's just something about that salty air and warm sand that reminds me of who I am.

Do you have a reset button? Somewhere that you go to clear your mind and be reminded of what's really important? I think we all need a place like that. It's far to easy to get swept up in life and look back and wonder where the year has gone.

Investing in Ideas

The clouds have gathered overhead and all is quiet aside from the steady thrum of the dryer. It's the perfect moment to be captivated by new ideas. I have the bad habit of allowing ideas to swirl around in my mind without ever putting pen to paper. They end up drowned out in the sea of day-to-day life and the seemingly urgent things that clamor for my more immediate attention. A frustrating cycle that can be broken with the simplicity of intention.

I recently pre-ordered Jon Acuff's new book Start. With the pre-order comes a host of extras including the e-book The Three Stages of Every Awesome Idea. Step one? Imagine. Jon talks about the importance of making small investments in big ideas. That got me thinking, what sparks my imagination? What are the activities and where are the spaces that generate the most ideas in my life? For me one of those things is reading a magazine. I have a list of my go-tos, but I've been letting them gather dust. Not today! Instead I have a stack of recently purchased volumes and a notebook.

It really shouldn't be amazing to me how inspiration has already started flowing, and yet I'm surprised that such a simple task can make such an immediate impact. An article about sea side bed and breakfasts in Wales led to a new storage idea for my bedroom. I have a stack of ideas that need a little more research and even a few new additions for my life list. If one thing has been made clear in this exercise it's that I need to invest more of my time into "thinking time" and being intentional about taking quiet moments to rekindle my imagination.

What sparks your imagination? Do you have a favorite space or activity set aside for investing in new ideas?

A Year of Wonder

I’m sitting at the kitchen table in my pajamas having been woken up suddenly by some unknown force before the sun rose this morning. Every year I vow to watch the sun rise on New Year’s Day, and every year I fail to get up in time so this intrusion to my comfortable slumber was a welcome one.

The start to 2013 has been a slow one, a morning to be savored. My back is to the open window and the natural light is a soothing companion to the rather large cup of chocolate chai tea swirled with last night’s caramel sauce. A little indulgence to greet the new year. The potatoes are ready to go into the oven and the eggs are waiting to be scrambled. And in this moment of in-between it is the perfect chance to ponder and pray over what I want 2013 to be.

This is not going to be a year of resolutions. I have an awful habit of breaking them and then feeling depressed about my lack of follow-through. I already have lists of goals and lists of intentions. Lists of fun things I want to try and lists of potential blog topics. I am nothing if not an obsessive list maker. And while I do intend for this to be a year of crossing off those lists, I want more out of 2013. I want a year of wonder.

As I take an honest evaluation of myself, I have become hardened. I don’t know that I would go as far as cynical, but I have misplaced my sparkle. I used to watch the sunrise every morning and marvel. I used to take long walks with the simple purpose of enjoying the beauty around me. I used to take more photos. This year, I want to find that again. I want to make a point to shift my focus back to joy and wonder. To celebrate the beauty of the everyday. To marvel at this beautiful world that God has created.

So, I raise my tea cup to 2013. Cheers to a new year and a renewed focus on finding joy in the simple and savoring the ordinary.

What is it that you want to find in 2013?

Drawing to a Close

How do you wrap up a year in a single post? It’s something I’ve been mulling over for the past several hours. I’ve created several photo collages and put together a mental list of highlights, but nothing feels quite right. I’m going to honor that feeling. 2012 has been a game changer in many ways, both good and bad. This is the year I started a job that gets me excited to get out of bed in the morning. This is the year I learned to barista. This is the year that I started to feel comfortable in my own skin. This is the year I learned what it is to truly trust God through hardship. This is the year my patience was both tested and strengthened. This is the year that I learned that my limits are far beyond what I would have thought they were.

As this year comes to a close the word that comes to mind is thankful. I am thankful for the victories and the trials. Moments of strength and moments of weakness. This year has changed me for the better and finally, at 25, I feel like I am starting to grasp this whole life thing. Despite all of that, I’m also thankful that the year is coming to a close. I’m ready for a fresh new year. To quote a song, “The best is yet to come, and babe won’t it be fine.”

How are you ringing in the new year? Or, how did you for my friends in a different time zone? This year will be a quiet one for me. After work I’ve prepped a spread of appetizers to enjoy and I’ve got an arm chair to occupy. I’m housesitting for a sweet puppy who is very much not fond of fireworks so I am looking forward to a quiet evening of puppy cuddles and Doctor Who on Netflix.

May the new year bring
The warmth of home and hearth to you.
The cheer and goodwill of friends to you,
The hope of a childlike heart to you.
The joy of a thousand angels to you,
The love of the Son and God's peace to you.