Last year I made a noble attempt at a 31 Days blog challenge. I made it 7 days.
Which honestly, I'm proud of. Pouring oneself on a blog can be incredibly exhausting, but more than that, creating the time each day to sit down & write seems virtually impossible.
But I'm up for the challenge once again.
And I'm super excited about it.
Last year I contemplated my 31 Days challenge for several days ahead of time. I went through a multitude of topics in my head & finally committed to one.
This year's decision was so different. First, I went back & forth about even participating. I didn't want to feel like a failure if I didn't make it to 31 days & I didn't want to set unrealistic goals for myself. I've been over-committed lately & I didn't want this to be one more thing to stress me out. Second, I didn't really think of what to write about that much. I flirted with the idea of 31 days of simplicity, but that seemed kinda boring.
Luckily, the topic just came to me. As I watching Law & Order: SVU of all things. In the episode, Olivia Benson was speaking to a victim of kidnapping & encouraging her as she transitioned back to "normal" life. Olivia talked about her history as an SVU detective & how in her experience, victims of certain types of crimes not only go on to survive, they go on to thrive.
That hit home for me. Not only because of my past & the things I've been blessed to overcome, but because October has always been a month that I've tried to survive. I approach October & have the attitude of "If I can just make it through."
Not this year.
This year, I don't want to survive it. I want to thrive.
I want to meet each day of October with an expectant heart, with a faith that moves mountains and with the knowledge that God is walking beside me.
I want to enjoy the Fall festivities without an attitude of fear or bitterness.
And I want to have a smile on my face instead of tears in my eyes.
I want to set healthy boundaries, enjoy radical self-care, and just be happy that I'm alive.
So bring on the Salted Caramel Mochas (which are infinitely better than Pumpkin Spice Lattes if I do say so myself), the cooler weather, the Jack-O-Lanterns, and the candy corn. October is here & I'm excited!
