10 Things I Learned This Year

This past year has amounted to an extreme amount of growth. Almost a year ago, I made the decision to go back to one-on-one counseling to sort out some stuff that was surfacing emotionally in my life. It was so hard, but I finally feel like I’m on the upswing and things are more manageable. It’s easy to make excuses in our lives for behaviors we did when we were not at our best. It’s also really easy to blame others for the things that went wrong. Ultimately, accepting full responsibility for my life has given me freedom and inner power I did not know a few years ago. I’m going to share with you today 10 Things I Learned this Year in hopes of inspiring you to rise above your current state of being into a higher version of yourself.

Shine on You Crazy Diamond

I woke up this morning and stepped out on my back patio to feel the rush of the cool crisp air meet my face. Texas doesn’t get a true fall until about November but we do love our gentle mornings. I quickly made a cup of coffee and walked over to start journaling as I usually do. I felt so grateful in that moment. To be here, in my new house (for years I’ve lived in an apartment) sipping on coffee in sweat pants. It was surreal. Over this past year I’ve experienced a tremendous amount of growth. If I were to sit here and tell you all of the ways you would be astonished, but I am living proof that dreams can come true.

Anxiety and Mental Health, Style, Petite Style, FashionCrystal LowySeptember 10, 2021Fall Style, jeans, pink, Sunglasses, Anxiety, Style 31, Tunic, Life Lessons, Life Purpose, Boots, Tory BurchComment

One Year of Being Single

As I approach the one year mark of being single I realize how important this past year has been in regards to my personal growth. I am pretty sure this was the most significant jump in my entire life. After a huge breakup this time last year I decided before I spent any amount of time seeking a new relationship or even dating much for that matter, I would take time to unpeel the layers of my life and figure out why and how I got to where I was. My last relationship was pretty rough especially towards the end. We were going in significantly different directions and shared minimal life values. It was hard to break up but I knew at the time there was no other choice if I wanted to grow in my own life. I shared in a previous blog post - how to handle a major break up and more about my outlook in the post title how to be single over the holidays. Fast forward to this month where it officially ended a year ago. Here are my own reflections about how life improved, what changed in my perspective and some tips for growth in your own life.

Shedding Baggage and Layering Confidence

Last week I attended a virtual yoga class and something incredible was said to me as we prepared to begin the session, Fall is a time for shedding things that no longer serve you. A time to discard baggage so you can bloom in the Spring. I realized in that moment I’ve been carrying a few emotional things for far too long and it was time to let them go. I believe the change of the seasons is a chance for us to develop and grow into higher versions of ourselves. Fall is when leaves drop and turn into warm golden tones. Fall is when the days shift to cooler and shorter. It’s a time to start moving indoors and harvest for the Winter. As I look to nature to draw inspiration I am reminded that Fall is also the time to evaluate what I need to clear out of my life to make room for growth in the future.

Turning Setbacks into Comebacks

Ever been knocked down hard and you didn’t even see it coming? Well, I have! Actually it happened at the beginning of this year and I’m not even referring to COVID-19. This year didn’t really start off the way I imagined, not that anything ever really turns out how we expect it to. For the past two years I’ve worked on building a life full of purpose. It’s been the wildest ride of my life. When you want to create a mission based life, it requires digging down pretty deep. The more I stepped into the person I wanted to be — the further away from a relationship I stepped. I started drawing boundaries and those boundaries were discarded by someone extremely close to me. It was hard. I never thought that would be the case, but there it was. I had to make a choice be true to the person God created me to be or conform to what someone else wanted me to be.

Cultivating Life Like a Garden

Last Spring I started gardening again. I attempted gardening a few years back on my patio and the result was a graveyard of 18 massacred plants including french lavender, aloe (two aloes) and many forms of cactus. I thought I sucked at gardening and vowed to not attempt again. Right after COVID-19 hit I ended up in a very transitional place. I stayed at a friend’s home and took care of their garden for a few months while they were out of state. COVID-19 changed my life plans just as I know it did for many of you. My friend’s home gave me the space to take my time and figure it out. After years of subscribing to Martha Stewart Living and pouring over articles about roses, gardens and how to tend to soil I started putting into practice what I learned. When I left there in July I had successfully made two climbing roses bloom that hadn’t in two years and another five bushes bloom. I grew morning glories and ivy from seeds, cultivated gladiolus, lilies and hibiscus. For someone who just a few years prior killed even aloe, this was a massive success. Then, it hit me… if I can make a garden bloom with consistent watering and consistent attention… I could make my life bloom, too.

Life Purpose, Style, Petite Style, Lifestyle, Inspiration, fashionCrystal LowyAugust 30, 2020Life Purpose, Life Lessons, Summer Style, Style 26, Yellow, Loafers, Tan, Leather, BowsComment