gratitude for 2019 + week(s) reflection

“Stop walking through the world looking for confirmation that you don’t belong. You will always find it because you’ve made that your mission. Stop scouring people’s faces for evidence that you’re not enough. You will always find it because you’ve made that your goal. True belonging and self-worth are not goods; we don’t negotiate their value with the world. The truth about who we are lives in our hearts. Our call to courage is to protect our wild heart against constant evaluation, especially our own. No one belongs here more than you.” ~Brene Brown, Braving the Wilderness

As we near the end of the first month of 2019, I’m grateful for a good start. Work and my attitude toward it have improved over the past week or so. I’m being more intentional with my time, carving out a lot of time for reading (four books read so far!), connecting with friends and moving more. We also booked our big trip for the year (Alaska, here we come!), which satisfies my desire to always having something to look forward to.

I’ve also given myself permission to ease into the year, particularly as it relates to goal setting and intentions, which is definitely not how I typically operate. And, while there have certainly been some events over the past few weeks that haven’t been all positive (government shutdown, passing of Mary Oliver, a few tough work days), I’m taking the time to appreciate and acknowledge the good it has brought so far.

week(s) in review
read: Braving the Wilderness + Ready Player One + Harvard Business Review
reading: Note to Self
Peleton bike delivery
date night + Bronx Tale
DEN > DAL (work)
many rides + yoga + meditation
therapy
celebrated nephew’s birthday from afar
unexpected garage fix
turned our extra room into a home gym + meditation area
supported hubby during his eye procedure
brunch + shopping with hubby
enjoyed a very productive day off (MLK)
dinner + catching up with one of my besties
booked Alaskan cruise for summer 2019
read — a lot
finished 2019 planning + goals
kicked off JA bowling fundraising
Stem Ciders member night
wrote + posted reading my way in 2019 + week reflection
wrote + posted a year in 30 days
wrote + posted a simpler reading year
wrote + posted living with less: daily essentials

weekend happenings + intentions
brunch + catching up with friends
two cycle workouts
house tasks
write + post recipes
finish writing my word-of-the-year post
read

open tabs (aka, read + process of reading + newly-discovered resources)
Is Zero Waste More Expensive?
The Pros and Cons of Perfectionism, According to Research
Writer Chats: Andi Cumbo-Floyd
Mary Oliver: Listening to the World