My Look: | Sweater (45% off right now!) | Jeans | Shoes | Purse
Well, hello 2018! That came on quickly, didn’t it?! I feel like the last two weeks have been the whirlwind of all whirlwinds… If you follow along over on Instagram, you know I spent Christmas in Hawaii with my family! It was one of the most relaxing holidays we have had in the longest time and has been such a great two weeks filled with food, family, and napping on the beach. There was a major difference between this holiday and holidays past and that was the fact that we only exchanged stocking stuffers as gifts, which really took a lot of the “stress” away from the holidays. Also, instead of cooking the massive Christmas Eve & Day meals, we went out in Kauai! It was definitely a different kind of Christmas than usual but was so great for a change.
I got back from Hawaii just a few days ago, on the 28th, and couldn’t believe that 2018 was just around the corner! I feel like I’m still processing 2017 in many ways, but have been doing some major reflecting on the past year. It has been a transformative year, and has also had it’s challenges. I wanted today’s post to basically be a reflection of this past year, looking back at all the ways this blog has grown and dreams have come to life. As I sat down to write and reflect on 2017, I realized that there is one major theme and lesson of the year that I want to share with you guys. This lesson has to do with following and pursuing dreams.
Back in April I started this blog, Love Inside & Out, with the intention of creating a space to inspire love from the inside out. I believe this has to do with the foods we put into our bodies, the beauty products we use, the clothing we wear, our spiritual connection, etc. I am endlessly passionate about this idea of promoting love from the inside out, in taking great care of how we treat ourselves, talk to ourselves, spend our time, and more! In just a few sentences, this is the mission statement of my blog. I hope that whenever you read a post, that you leave my site or social media channels feeling encouraged, beautiful, and loved. I’m going into all this detail because I want to point out that this time last year, none of this existed! I had wanted to start a blog for the longest time, but always had reasons why not. I was afraid I would be judged and that no one would care. However, in April 2017 I decided to say F that and launched Love Inside & Out (mind you I had been designing the blog and growing my social channels for an entire year before this time). When I decide to pursue something I’m passionate about, I almost always go all in. This was absolutely the case with Love Inside & Out.
From the moment I launched, I have never looked back! I saved up my money, resigned from my full-time job in May, and decided to give this huge passion of mine over to God. I felt (and still feel) hugely convicted to give blogging and building a business online a real shot. I’m telling you guys all of this because I realized today that the main takeaway from 2017 for me is that if you have some crazy dream that you feel in your core to be right, it’s something you absolutely NEED to pursue. If you feel the conviction calling your name, throw out all your doubts and fear, and pursue that dream! I’m a huge believer in the notion that what you put your energy and belief into, you will attract and achieve. Basically, what you believe to be true, you will achieve (also paired with tons of hard work). I honestly believe that a HUGE part of achieving a dream is first believing you can do it. I spent so much of my time in 2017 closing my eyes in prayer, visualizing my dreams coming true and believing that it could happen.
Today’s post is not to tell you that I have everything all figured out, because I most certainly do not. So much of 2017 was me, in my office with my head down, figuring out this whole world of blogging. Listening to podcasts, researching, talking to friends, learning what works, what doesn’t work, getting part-time jobs, working late into the night, shooting on the weekends, and much more. Another huge part of it has been completely ignoring anyone who doesn’t have nice things to say about blogging as an industry. I always kindly say, “take that negativity elsewhere, honey!”
Overall, my point is that if you have a dream or idea that you feel deep in your core could be something amazing, don’t let fear or “shoulds” hold you back from making it a reality. Life is too short! I also finally feel like I understand when people say “if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.” It really is true! If anything, I hope this post can inspire you to follow that dream that’s been on your heart. I truly wish I would have done so sooner!
Looking ahead into 2018, I really can’t wait to see what the year will bring. I also want to take the time to genuinely thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a reader or friend over on social media! I seriously appreciate it more than anything and just thank you from the bottom of my heart. Is there a dream that you’ve been wanting to pursue that came up for you during today’s post?? I would love to share some encouragement and hear about it in the comments!
