Dare to Take One Step at a Time

HI AGAIN FRIENDS!! It has been a WHILE for sure, but to be honest, your girl has been STRUGGLING. This semester was a rough one for sure, and we're lucky I landed on the other side of finals in one piece! Throughout these last four months, I have been pushed to my absolute limit. Right when we got back in January, we were bombarded with projects and due dates and syllabi. The week after Spring Break, we had to take 10 tests in a span of 8 school days (two weeks total), and then finals were about a month later, but they were a struggle because I have honestly never felt so burnt out in my life. BUT, while this semester has been a season of trials and tribulations (and a lot of questions of why I decided to put myself through this in the first place), it was also a season of great lessons and joy.

Over the course of this semester:

• My classmates truly because my family away from my family. I wouldn't have made it throgh this semester without all 36 of those amazing people.

• I learned and absorbed more than I could have ever thought possible, and I realized that my only limit is truly only the ones that I set on myself.

• I learned the 80-20 rule (you aim to retain/give 80%, because if your constantly expecting and giving or studying for 100%, then you're only setting yourself up for burnout... Essentially, it's saying stop and smell the roses) which has truly been a life-saver in every way! (Creds to Dr. Armstrong)

• I had the BEST birthday of my life, not because we did something super special or unique, but because I was surrounded by amazing people and I have never felt more loved.

• I won an intramural volleyball championship with my classmates (what can I say, we're just the greatest there's ever been)

• We got to play in the pool while learning about aquatic therapy.

• We had our very own HSU DPT adult Easter egg hunt

• We had multiple Jay's BBQ runs

AND

• We played cornhole inside the PT bulding after we finished all of our finals and just had the best time together.

All of this goes to say that even during one of the most trying times of my life, there were a lot of patches of sunshine mixed into the storm. Sometimes, we get so caught up in trying to survive the storm that we forget to look up to see if it's still raining. We're so busy wishing and hoping for the next season of life that we forget to enjoy the season that we are living in now - the same season that we were praying for not too long ago.

For example, this time last year, I was so excited about moving to Abilene in a few months and starting this new phase of life that I had worked and prayed so hard for. I was getting textbooks, supplies, and new things for my apartment, and all I kept thinking was, " I can't wait until I get to PT school. When I get there, that's when my life really begins." I was like Repunzel, straight out of "Tangled" (feel free to cue the music).

Then, when I got to Hardin-Simmons and the stress of assignments and tests really set in, all I kept saying was, "I can't wait to be done with this. Once I get outta here and get my license, then that's when life will really start." Yet, what I've come to realize is that doing this effectively takes me out of the moment I'm currently living in and puts my in a place that I don't even know is going to happen yet! By focusing on a future that isn't here, I end up missing out on the things that are right in front of my face... so the biggest thing that God has taught me in this season where it is so easy to wish for the end is to enjoy EVERY SINGLE MOMENT OF IT. He has taught me that BEING PRESENT is the best thing I can be, because I only get to be in this season of life with these people for a certain of time... and no amount of worrying or planning now is going to change the plans for the future He has for me. No matter what you're going through, it is a BLESSING that we are currently living and breathing, and it's a blessing that we tend to take for granted. So today, I DARE YOU TO TAKE ONE STEP AT A TIME. I dare you to quit worrying about tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. I dare you to change the mindet set of:

• "When I have that promotion"

• "When I get out of school"

• "When I get that money"

• "When I meet my person"

• "When I get that house"

When you are currently living in the blessings that you prayed for in the past. Take life one step at a time and remember that life is a marathon and not a sprint, and that the blessings are often found in the small moments that tend to be overlooked. I love y'all so very much and remember that my email and DMs are always open for prayer requests. Have a great week and DARE TO TAKE THINGS ONE STEP AT A TIME!