Springing to Action

It's been many months since I have published an update here - not because I haven't been writing, but because I haven't felt like the content was worth sharing.

I do that to myself sometimes, ya know?  Get down on myself, tell myself my opinions don't matter to anyone else, shut up my feelings before I expose myself to the world.  And sometimes that is a good thing (I mean, the Prophet could have been looking through the ages right at me when he said that "there are times to speak and times to be silent")!  But keeping my thoughts on my notepad, away from the public view, is also sometimes self-sabotaging. 

Lately I've been on a mission to change some things and share some things and live out some things that haven't been happening for a few months. 

In order to change, we have to believe that the hopeful time we long for is indeed just around the corner.  That the behind-the-scenes late nights and struggles and fears and "trying agains" are going to be worth it.

Maybe it is the fact that the calendar is saying that tomorrow is the first day of Spring.  The change in seasons always makes me feel reflective and the Winter-to-Spring change especially reminds me of new life and new opportunities. 

Up here in Alaska we are still pulling on our boots and tucking our hands into our mittens and checking the status updates of the remaining Iditarod mushers to cross the finish line at Nome.  On the warm(er) days, we're asking each other if this is Fake Spring or Real Spring (so far those days have fell firmly into the fake category!).  Instead of holding our breath waiting to see green grass and new leaves, we are watching it come from our mouths in little bursts of steam anytime we are outdoors. 

This is a hard time of year because we so desperately long for warmth and sunshine but are still firmly in the grip of Winter, not the tender mercies of Spring.  But every year, the magic happens - the snow melts, the days get longer, the sun starts shining, and, seemingly overnight, the brand new leaves burst out of their buds and our world turns green.  It's the reason many of us stay in Alaska.  And this magical time is just around the corner! 

In order to change, we have to believe that the hopeful time we long for is indeed just around the corner.  That the behind-the-scenes late nights and struggles and fears and "trying agains" are going to be worth it.  That they're creating a momentum that will propel us to the results we're looking for.  

It's hard to make many changes all at once but sometimes it's easier to do that than spread the changes that you know are necessary over a longer period of time.  I've known that changes were necessary for many areas of my life and I've implemented them - not because I want to, not because they're small things that are easy to do, not because I really enjoy them, but because I believe in the results they're creating.  Changes like less sugar and more veggies and earlier bedtimes and more reading and more writing and better focus and stricter schedules and straighter posture and more saving and less spending and so many other things. 

One by one, I've seen the pounds go down on the scale (with many more to go!) and my to-do list get shorter (ha!) and my patience get longer (ever-so-slightly).  I've noticed my back hasn't hurt so bad and I actually *want* to exercise.  I've seen my bank account get a bit bigger (and it's not due to the latest round of stimulus checks!), and my team grow a bit stronger, and my focus get a bit clearer.  None of it has been astronomical.  None of it feels comfortable.  But it is progress and that's what matters. 

In this season of Spring - whether it's at your doorstep or still a good month away - I hope that you will join me in starting with small steps that feel massive, believing for monumental results, looking for the blessings in life, and celebrating the goodness of God! 

Happy Spring to you!  How does this season look different for you than the last?  What changes have you made?  Share your story below and I'll cheer you on!