I have slowed down a bit. In the midst of all the chaos of life, it is a struggle to always be up if your personality is so introspective. Those of you who are artists, writers, poets, musicians, or who live with a big heart know what I mean. We take things deeper-higher-bigger, and it is hard to keep a healthy perspective sometimes. When things change, or life is difficult, I want to encourage you to keep moving toward the life you want, to make the choices that fuel your soul.

I can’t take credit for this life affirming-life altering advice. It was given to me by a friend.

Confessional: I am both sides of the coin, an extroverted-Introvert, a writer-loner, occasional people person who loves to conquer something outside my comfort zone, but who retreats to fight another day. I will support you when you take the hill, but I am a thinker and planner. It took me years to find myself and recognize my strengths, so I make this assertion with confidence.

I need a PLAN or at the very least, a direction, no matter the situation. Seriously. Change is a big kink in the plan, so I adjust, but I still work best from a plan.

Spontaneous people are fun, and I need them in my life, but “spontaneous” is something I do for other people as part of a plan to encourage or help someone feel better. I am laughing, but it is the truth.

The problem is that life can’t always be planned, especially when it involves other people. They may not care for your plan.

Several years ago God sent the perfect person to talk to me and help talk me off the proverbial and figurative bridge after I found myself confused and struggling to survive another life changing event. It was not a life changing event that I planned. It was a blindside, a gut wrenching trauma. My friend Jeanna told me something she knows I know, but trusted that I needed to hear it loud and clear and without judgment.

She said “Don’t give up on the life you want. Make the choices that fuel your soul, but don’t give in to go back to a life that is comfortable, just because the life you choose is hard.”

I wanted to crawl in a hole and cry, but I got back up.

“Don’t give up on the life you want. Make the choices that fuel your soul.”

So that is what I am thinking about this morning.

Don’t give up. When you have thought about all that you want and all that you were designed for, keep moving in that direction and don’t give up.

Don’t settle. Don’t let someone or something stop you from doing what you were made to do.

You can do it.

The second part is the most important. “Don’t give in and go back to a life that is comfortable, just because the life you choose is hard.”

Move forward, don’t go back. Don’t give in.

Come on, you are getting closer every day. You only have one life, so live it well.

Barefoot and back to writing,

Kim