The Visual Shifts that Prompt Gut Deep Realizations
Last summer, I walked into my closet and noticed four pairs of sneakers had taken over the ‘easily accessible’ floor space. A year before, that space was filled with four pairs of heels.
It’s not like I was unaware of the change, I just hadn’t really paused and noticed. Similar to being aware your child is taller than you and then really noticing your shortness next to their tallness.
Similar to being aware you’re forty-five and then really noticing your energy level isn’t what it was at thirty-five.
Similar to being aware you’ve been writing publicly for a decade and then really noticing how much writing you’ve done, how much it’s changed, and where it’s taken you.
I’m sure you have your own examples.
Noticing the shoes on my closet floor was visual proof of a shift in my life – and in me. I stepped into nonprofit work in 2014 – the same time I stepped into writing One More Truth. They existed in tandem for eight years. Then I left nonprofit work. I got certified as a personal trainer. A nonprofit center full of donations, women in need, and more than a tiny bit of chaos was replaced with with a gym full of sweat, weights, and more than a tiny bit of chaos. Business casual was replaced with spandex. Heels were replaced with sneakers. And that visual prompted a gut deep realization that sounded something like: “You are different. Are you ok with that?”
It’s a weird question to ask yourself and it took me a minute to answer, but long story short, I AM different and I AM ok with that.
When I took up writing in 2014, I had four kids at home and none of them were high school graduates. None of them had a job or drivers license. I was driving around a 1998 red Ford Explorer and a 2002 charcoal gray GMC Yukon. I was still ‘new’ to Arizona – just three years in. Every job I’d ever had was chosen based on two things: necessity and a schedule that worked for my family.
Fast forward to 2024. My youngest will graduate high school next month. I have two married children and a grandson. The Explorer and the Yukon are long gone. This June, Arizona will be the state I’ve lived in the longest. I launched a business last year, and as much as I loved nonprofit work, this is the first time my job is something I pursued more than fell into – a job shaped by choice, desire, and God-given passion.
It’s been a journey getting to this place, but my writing is also shaped by choice, desire, and God-given passion. I’m excited to take up more of it, and I’m excited to let every facet of me have a voice in it.
Reader, this part of me hasn’t changed: I needed the anchor of Truth in 2014, and a decade later, I still do. Thanks for being here with me. Thanks for letting me change and grow. Thanks for allowing me to encourage you in trusting Him more – one truth at a time.
