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Thursday, January 12

let your heart be light

Can I still say Happy New Year to you all? I wrote 2017 on a bunch of bills today and it felt really strange, but I'm sure it will become automatic soon enough. I had my 26th birthday last week, so as usual, I have the fresh start of a new year mixed with the adjustment of being one year older, and all the hopes and dreams and nostalgia that goes with those days is combined. 

I have several other posts in my drafts that separate different aspects of things I want to start and goals I have for this year, etc, but ever since Christmas I've been I've been keeping a list on my phone of things to give up in 2017. I was chopping carrots in my dirty apron, the snow was falling softly outside the window, and a sweet rendition of 'Have yourself a merry little Christmas' started to play. Tears started coming as I heard the words '...let your heart be light, from now on our troubles will be out of sight.' I thought about how heavy my own heart has felt so often for so long, and how that feeling always accompanies grief and pain and heartache. I thought about the girl I was two years ago, and how light-hearted and happy she was. I know of course that I can never be that girl again, without all these cracks and broken pieces, but I also know that happiness is achieved when we stop waiting for the storm to pass and instead learn to dance in the rain.


So, here is a little list of things to try and give up this year so that we can be happier, to help shed the weight on our hearts, and to have more peace going forward.
  1. Give up our need to impress others.
  2. Give up complaining.
  3. Give up our need for control.
  4. Give up our limiting beliefs. 
  5. Give up our need to always be right.
  6. Give up our self-defeating talk.
  7. Give up blaming others.
  8. Give up our excuses.
  9. Give up the luxury of criticism.
  10. Give up our past.
  11. Give up negative attachments. 
  12. Give up our resistance to change.
  13. Give up labels.
  14. Give up on our fears.
  15. Give up living our lives to other's expectations.
I hope this can be a year for light hearts. I hope you take the time to watch the sun set and the sun rise, and that you let the wind dance in your hair. I hope you see that every minute with those you love is a precious, precious thing. I hope you hold on during those times when life hurts so badly, and you don't know if you'll make it another day. I hope you smile more often, and laugh.. hard enough that you snort or spit out your drink or lose your breath. Laugh until your pain fades-if even for a moment, and your heart feels light and free. 

Here's to the good times ahead :)  *clink*

Oh, and Happy New Year,

45 comments:

  1. That list was exactly what I needed to hear today. Thank you! :)

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  2. I absolutely love this! About learning to dance in the rain, and your heart feeling free! My mom passed away in August. She had been sick for a long time. I remember reading all your posts here and on instgram and cried about every post, because I felt the pain you were feeling. I remember how it felt to feel so light hearted and care free! I was so excited to start a new year, a fresh year. This post was beautiful! Was exactly what I have been feeling! Thank you! This made my day!

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  3. I absolutely love this! About learning to dance in the rain, and your heart feeling free! My mom passed away in August. She had been sick for a long time. I remember reading all your posts here and on instgram and cried about every post, because I felt the pain you were feeling. I remember how it felt to feel so light hearted and care free! I was so excited to start a new year, a fresh year. This post was beautiful! Was exactly what I have been feeling! Thank you! This made my day!

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  4. You are so beautiful - inside and out!! Thank you for the list of things to give up (or give-up goals), I think it will really help! I have a feeling that this year will be a good one, no matter what it tries to throw at us. Thank you for sharing, I've followed you for about three years, and you've inspired me to keep trying and shining through my own cracks!! Love, warm wishes, and prayers :)

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  5. I read somewhere that this year is going to be the year of the number 1 which neans a fresh start. I truly hope that will be the case for all of us as humans. I wish you all of the very best possible <3

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  6. thank you for the sweet inspiration💓 blessings to your cute family.

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  7. Be blessed my darling. May God protect you little angels and gives you and your partner strength and wisdom to raise them ����

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  8. I'll save that list and try to be a better me this year!
    Thanks, Emily! :)

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  9. Beautifully written and very inspiring!I will write that down to look at once in a while when anxiety and life gets a little out of control :) Thank you ~ Marit

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  10. What a refreshing and motivating read. Thank you xoxo

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  11. This list is everything I need. Learning to dance in the rain. I don't know how, but I want to learn. <3

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  12. You are SO inspiring! I have not gone through anywhere near as hard of trials as you, but have felt like I miss the old light hearted happy version of myself. And I LOVE how you said to stop waiting for the storm to pass and dance in the rain.

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  13. Thank you for this post. I hope you don't mind but I copied and saved your list. I really needed to see those lately. Blessings to you and your beautiful family.

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  14. Love this! Your dress is beautiful!

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  15. Thank you for sharing this list...I have so much to give up.

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  16. The pictures are stunning! You rock!!!

    Don`t let others tell you what you should do with your life. Its your Life. Do what you love. You inspire me! Love from Austria to you and your beloved ones!

    www.courageousjen.com

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  17. Love this so much! And the photos are gorgeous! Happy New Year Emily! <3

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  18. Beautiful! I'm gonna make a quote out of the dancing in the rain bit. Something I definitely need to read now and then =) thank you for your inspiring words.

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  19. I've never commented before on your blog, but I have been following you for a while, and I wanted to thank you for all the inspiration that you continue to give even through your losses. You are such an encouragement and a beautiful person on the inside and it radiates outwardly.Never stop writing your lovely entries. Much love <3

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  20. Such beautiful words :)

    Rachael xx.
    theteacozykitchen.blogspot.co.uk

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  21. This is lovely, and I admire your words and strength so much. I'm sure you've seen this, but have you heard about the Japanese method for fixing pottery? They fix the cracks with gold. And I think that is such a lovely idea. Broken things can be made whole again, and more beautiful for the brokenness. Here's a link: http://www.amusingplanet.com/2014/05/kintsugi-japanese-art-of-fixing-broken.html It's a lovely idea for people too. :) Hugs and good luck with your New year goals. :) XO - Alexandra

    Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things

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  22. I really loved your list and I'm trying to give up the same things this year. Happy belated birthday to you and I hope it is a lighthearted year for you!

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  23. You are beautiful. These words are what I needed to be reminded of today. I have different circumstances than you and lately have often felt like I'm drowning, and need to remember to appreciate the little things along the way.
    And it is ok to allow the pain, allow yourself to grieve, allow others to reach in and hold you. Allow yourself to feel and be mindful of what you are going through. Bless you for sharing so much of yourself. You are amazing no matter what you feel you can give to others or not. Thank you for sharing if/when you can. But no pressure! I've appreciated following you the last couple of years.

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  24. I truly appreciate your post and thoughts today (of all days). My own heart has been weighed down with worries and concerns about many things, and I appreciated the reminder to let go of the inconsequential.

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  25. I love this list. It reminds me of one of my favorite songs by Audrey Assad. It's called "I Shall Not Want". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8WgHGOak1c There is the link for it. I have had to give up the need to be understood. It is so hard and it's a daily struggle for so long now but I'm slowly learning. On the flip side, I've had to learn to give myself a break. :) Love you and thanks for sharing.

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  26. "The luxury of criticism." I have never thought of it that way and it puts it in a completely different light!

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  27. wow!! the things on your list to give up, remind me of my chosen word for 2017 - 'CHANGE'

    the photos are breath-taking!!

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  28. If more and more souls had New Year'r goals such as these, the world would be a much better place.��

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  29. This is really inspiring! Such a great idea to let go of the bad habits and live on to create better ones habits. Thank you for this!

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  30. Love your positive thinking! I need to give up a lot of things this year in order to gain! Best of luck to you, my dear. You have a fantastic year ahead and can't wait to see good things, xo

    McKenzie | maybemckenzie.com

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  31. Lovely wise words Emily. I will start with one at a time (oh hold on is that me trying to being controlling again ��) Well at least I get to laugh about it

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  32. Great post! I hope you have the best year yet!

    Cat // https://fromgirlc.wordpress.com

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  33. Happy Birthday Emily and Happy New Year! I have been loving your Snapchat / Instastories, your littles are so cute and your hubby is so kind!

    xx Kelly
    Sparkles and Shoes

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  34. Beautiful. Beautiful words.... beautiful photos.

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  35. Love this! We all have our struggles, and we all have stuff we need to LET GO! I'm going to try to let go of some of that stuff too!

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  36. Happy birthday! I love the idea of shedding the things that are weighing us down. I particularly like the suggestion to give up blaming others. I find that one always gets in my way. It feels good to blame in a moment of frustration, but it doesn't ever solve the situation. Letting go of the blame and focusing on the solution seems like a much healthier and lighter alternative. Thanks for your insight.

    alyse
    MindfulClicks.com

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  37. This is a beautiful post (and a beautiful dress!). Such a good reminder. You are a constant source of inspiration...not only for how strong you are, but how vulnerable you can be, too.

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  38. This is a beautiful post (and a beautiful dress!). Such a good reminder. You are a constant source of inspiration...not only for how strong you are, but how vulnerable you can be, too.

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  39. I went through a devastating divorce last year -- the kind I wouldn't wish upon my greatest enemy. During the thick of things -- when prayer crippled my throat, and I couldn't bare to ask for certain pains to be removed, I stumbled across your story late one night. When things were new, and the man you love had just left the world. Through black and white photos I caught a glimpse of your grief -- and journeyed back to the beginning of things. And i began to pray for you. It was the greatest sense of peace that I found during that time. I prayed for you often. I prayed for your babies. I prayed for your heart. I prayed for a miracle for you. Whatever that miracle might be. And i still follow your world, and see all the light and good things that have come into your life to help fill the impossible parts, and I'm so grateful. But mostly I am so grateful that I had you -- this stranger on the internet to pray for, and provide me with peace that I had lost. My concerns for you were an element of grace that I cannot thank you enough for providing me with. My world became so small, in the best way. You gave me an immense amount of courage, and even now, as I brave the world of love again, knowing how things and people can be lost, i still cling to you and your example. I have nothing but a great deal of love for you and your family. I'll be always be thankful.

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