Skip to main content

New Year, Different Me...

Over the past year I have learned so much about myself. I used to think I was strong. I used to think I had it all together. Married to the love of my life. Mom to two girls. College graduate. Great career. I started two companies as a way to do more in my community. Family go to person. You need help with something? Call Dana and she'll fix it. But I stopped. Stopped cold. You see I experienced a series of huge life changes all in a short amount of time. Became a published author and bought a house all in February 2017. Such an exciting time in my life. A new income stream in addition to small time city fame. Interviews, radio, tv, appearances all over. It was a lot all in a short amount of time. On the family front we started doing small work on our house, but that stalled quickly. My career was in an upward swing while personally my family was drowning. The new home became a nightmare that we are still reeling from. Bad contractors, borrowing from the bank to finish repairs, more problems discovered each time we start work. More money needed, no end in sight. And on top of that it was hard to find people to rely on. In this  wide network I had built there wasn't much consistent support. So I stopped. I stopped doing all the "extra" that had become so customary. Stopped the businesses. Stopped showing up to events. Stopped buying. Stopped expending energy. Stopped giving of myself. I put all of my focus into my family and our house. You know what? I started to feel a hell of alot better. More focused. I tend to be all over the place everyday. Focusing on a bunch of goals all at the same time, but when I stopped catering to everyone else I truly hoaned in on my purpose. My goals in this New Year are all family centered. Less outside time and more us time. More house fixing and marriage building and being a present mom and less everything else. I think there was a lesson in my crowded 2017 and that lesson was to focus on what I don't want to lose.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Getting Away From Myself

Just letting it flow. I haven't written in while because I have been getting away from myself. Missing appointments and not making time to write in my planner, not  blogging. I have become consumed with doing for others once again and not taking care of my own basic needs. I drive everywhere, take the kids everywhere, house planning and construction, prom planning, kid activities while trying to stay a relevant business woman and a decent wife. Tired as always, but as I sit here out on the porch during this rain storm with my 3 girls I realize that I am blessed more than stressed. So that's what I'll end with
Post a Comment
Read more

Feel

I get mad sometimes and that's ok. It took me a long time to be ok with my feelings. The way I used to process feelings was extreme. Either I was REALLY happy, EXTREMELY worried, WAY OVER THE TOP angry or totally underwhelmed. Yeah I know it sounds manic but everything resonated with me. I'm still pretty emotional but I have found a few ways to cope (writing being my fave). 1. I talk about how I feel. It took me a long time to realize that talking about things helps me to process them. When I'm angry, frustrated or confused being able to talk about a situation helps me to see it clearer and move forward. 2. I sit with my feelings. Every emotion doesn't need a reaction or even a name. Sometimes I get an overwhelming urge to smile out of nowhere and that's fine. I revel in those moments. Other times I get a negative feeling that I can't place so I sit still. Not worrying or trying to figure it out. I just notice the feeling and then let it go. The reason for the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Jada

People put so much emphasis on perfection when thinking about Jada Pinkett-Smith and celebrities/politicians in general. I think about all of the naysayers saying that she can't be an expert on interpersonal relationships or give advice through channels like the Red Table Talk series because of her recent admission of supposed infidelity in her marriage. But she is a human being. That is one thing that has frightened me in all of my professional journeys. People believe that if you fail in one aspect of your life then you don't have the right to give advice to anyone in another area or even in that area of life. It is a perceived notion that you must be perfect all around, have a perfect image everywhere so that you can advise. People are trying to cancel her saying that she can't give anyone advice on anything anymore because of this new revelation. This revelation that is new to us. But who are we really? My question comes in how can people grow if the mistakes they make ...
Post a Comment
Read more