Thankful Thursday #223!

"Be thankful in all circumstances,
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
~1 Thessalonians 5:18

Today, I am grateful for:

1.  Having friends who know me well enough to challenge me and hold me accountable and help me reframe things and get a healthier perspective... even if I feel like this at first. lol

*Rach had a spot on Michael-Scott-being-quietly-annoyed facial expression at K's volleyball scrimmage the other day, which is why I found this gif. lol

2.  Taking better care of myself... mind, body, soul, and spirit!  I'm grateful for my counselor, Emily's influence in helping me move toward a more balanced, holistic, truly caring for myself approach to health!  And I'm grateful for Mel Robbins' strong advice to make our goals visible, hence the new chart on my fridge that's helping me stay focused right now!  (For those who care, I'm doing a 21-Day Self-Care Reset, taking my birthday off, then starting my own version of "75 Soft" that will take me through the marathon to my Graduation date in May!  A couple weeks after that will be the anniversary of the initial convo with Chet and Karli last May, and my hope is to reach my goal weight range and be in maintenance mode at that point!)

3.  This book (about the author's experience in a religious cult and how she got out of it) and the way it made me rethink some of my past experiences and think critically about some of my present trusted sources.  More on that in a book-themed post soon.

4.  Our family dinners and convos and game nights - it always brings me joy!  We've played Clue the last couple times.  Jace being confused and annoyed by the rules and Kyndal paying close attention and winning it all feels about right! lol

5.  Getting to know and work with Abby over the last 6 months... we had our final required meeting on Monday, but I'm going to make an effort to stay in touch and be a source of support and encouragement for her!  (PS I'm grateful that she views me as 10 or 15 years older rather than 23! lol)

6.  This meme and the quote on my last blog post... seeing my fellow CCU classmates setting up their own counseling businesses and getting through the background check part faster can make me feel anxious and behind, but many of them are married and have a second source of income, and they are choosing the best path forward for themselves, while I need to work with God and focus on my own journey and finding what is right for me in this season!!  Without feeling rushed or impatient or less than.  Trust the slow work of God, allow myself to feel in suspense and incomplete, don't compare my race to others.  #workingonit

7.  MEL ROBBINS.  And the Launch course.  And the 9 months of group support and encouragement.  I signed up for that in April of 2023, and it went from May through October.  My access to the course closes tomorrow, so Mel posted one final video last night explaining that she won't be doing the Launch course again since she has the book tour coming up.  I feel proud and grateful that I was a part of what was likely the final Launch course... what a perspective-shifting gift it was to me in a transformative season that included my surgery, finishing my Master's degree, and applying for the doctoral program (submitted all of that early this week!!).  I am grateful for Mel's influence in my life and inspired by her impact on the world!

Happy Thursday, friends and fam!  In Mel's honor, and in case no one else says it today, let me remind you that I love you and believe in you, and I believe in your ability to create a life you love!!

❤ ❤ ❤