I Didn’t Just Survive… I Grew!

Today is a great day!

I am at home, finally enjoying some rest and relaxation after an insanely busy week. Yesterday’s event was a huge success, and I feel like breathing a giant sigh of relief—relief that it went well, relief that it was well attended (by nearly 400 people), and relief that it is over! It was fun and totally worth it, but I’m ready for things to slow down a little bit… well, at least for a couple of weeks before I head out on my next adventure to Africa!

But I don’t want to get ahead of myself here. With Spring FX just freshly behind me, I feel like now is a really great time for a bit of self-reflection. As I look back on this week, I can see some genuine, measurable growth that has taken place in my life. Here are a few examples:

• I prioritized rest. When I have hosted these events previously, I have often worked late into the night, practically around the clock, to get everything done. This week, I chose to let go of a few things that didn’t matter as much so that I could focus on my top priorities. I think I was in bed between 10:00 and 11:00 every night leading up to the event, which is unheard of for me! To me, this shows that I am not only learning to prioritize rest, but I am also learning to prioritize my mental health. And that’s pretty cool.
• This week I had a few very hard-to-replace volunteers cancel on their commitments because of unfortunate circumstances that were well beyond their control. These were not just any volunteers, but people I would consider among some of my most trusted allies. They wouldn’t take cancelling lightly, and so naturally I completely understood that these were extenuating circumstances. Nonetheless, in the past, having to figure out how to adjust to these massive changes in the middle of such a hectic week would have put me over the edge anxiety-wise. But since I had written a few times this week about choosing to navigate “curveballs” well, I felt I had to stick to my word. Instead of letting anxiety take over, I chose to trust that God would provide and it would all work out in the end. And guess what… it did!
• Last night, after the event, I was genuinely so pleased with the outcome. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I tend to be very critical of myself and fixate on the one thing that went wrong, even if the event was 99% perfect. But last night, as we drove home, Ryan asked me what I liked and didn’t like about the event. I actually found it genuinely difficult to think of things I didn’t like! Everything went so smoothly, and I wasn’t beating myself up over the little things that weren’t “100% perfect”. To me, this is another great success and an example of how I am growing to love and appreciate myself more and more.

I’m so thankful. It is such a gift to be able to reflect on this week and witness the growth I have experienced in my life. But I’m not about to take the credit. I don’t think any of this growth would have been possible without God giving me the strength and courage to face my mental health struggles head on and pursue genuine life change. So above all, I am thankful to Him for giving me what I need not only to survive, but to blossom into a new creation who is braver than before.

PS – Here are some photos of the event, as promised!