Fresh Flowers

Fresh flowers on the kitchen table. A new goal of mine through the spring and summer months. Fresh flowers on the table as a constant reminder to:

"Stay true to yourself".

This is the phrase that my spin teacher shouted into her microphone today during our class. And this is the phrase that is still on my mind as I am sitting here organizing my thoughts for tonight's blip. "Stay true to yourself"......can be interpreted in many different ways. "Stay true to yourself", was her way of telling us to push ourselves harder on our bikes. To fight the urge to quit with determination and hard work.

"Stay true to yourself".

Words that I MUST live by in all aspects of my life. An expression that symbolizes truth, honesty, passion, and self-worth. Words to always keep in mind when living out my life. Is my life balanced? Am I reaching my goals? Am I happy? Am I staying true to myself.........right now I can answer yes to all.

As a little girl, my parents taught me to live my life striving towards the things that gave me a sense of purpose and pride. To find things that I was passionate about. To devote myself to practice and hard work. Throughout my youth, I turned to sports and art. Two different avenues that helped build a foundation of a positive self-esteem. Two different means of expression that I was and still am completely passionate about. "Stay true to yourself" means, stay true to what it is that you are passionate about. What is it that makes you want to work harder? What brings you joy? What is it that makes your life feel full and content.....

My children. My husband. My family. My friends. The 'people' who contribute to my feelings of happiness and joy. But what is that 'thing' that I do just for me, that contributes to my overall quality of life? It is my art. It is my active lifestyle. Without these things, I would not be able to say that I am living a balanced life. It is easy to put the 'things' that you are passionate about on the back burner. Your life changes as you get older and soon you are faced with larger responsibilities such as succeeding in a job, owning a home, raising a family. And this is when my art and my active lifestyle started to edge towards the back burner. I just felt like I didn't have time for those things anymore. My life was to constantly serve others and I didn't make it a priority to also serve myself.

Within the last year, I have lifted my passions and interests from the back burner. I could still tell you that I don't have the time, but now I make the time. I am again fully involved in my art and the avenue that I have chosen is my photography. And I am again fully involved in my sport and I contribute that to my spinning classes. These two things bring me a tremendous amount of joy. They are things that I do only for myself. I am also becoming very passionate about writing. I make the time for it. My day is full of one hundred things to do, just like every else in this world, but I have finally realized how important it is to make the time. If I give up my own passions, how can I ever really say that I am living my life to the fullest?

I am going to be a more balanced and engaged mommy, a better wife, a closer friend......if I always continue to remember these simple words, "Stay true to yourself".

The flowers in this photo are the fresh flowers that are sitting on my kitchen table right now. Fresh flowers in my home. Something that I am doing for myself. Because the sight of them brings me joy, and a smile, and reminds me to always stay true to myself.