For me, this blog is about inspiring others to go out on a limb and grab hold of their biggest dreams. I want people who read his to feel motivated and encouraged because I truly believe that we are not meant to do life alone. Part of encouraging and inspiring others sometimes means that we have to be transparent with one another and expose our human side, despite how vulnerable we may feel. 
 
Most days I get to feel excited about life. I dream big, I feel hopeful, I am truly GRATEFUL, and this makes me genuinely happy. But there are those other days where doubt sets in, disappointment follows me, pressure pounces, and regardless of how many times I watch a motivational video or listen to an uplifting song, the feelings stay.
 
As mom to a rambunctious 2-year-old boy, I feel I must always be on my A game. And so when those days visit, with no formal invite I may add, the desire to sit on the couch and do absolutely nothing or sleep the day away is not an option. Instead I am forced to get up, cook, change diapers, play with toys, sing, dance, and smile. And many times while I do these things, I feel guilty for not actually wanting to do them. For wanting to lie on the couch and do nothing instead. Sound familiar? (I hope so!)
 
So how do we cope with those days where despite how grateful we feel deep down, and how appreciate we are to be alive, we feel unhappy and defeated? I believe the answer is we let it be. We forgive ourselves and we let it pass. Because the feelings usually do pass. Regardless of whether or not we know it, there are reasons for those feelings. They are responses to real struggles and to deny ourselves a response goes against our human nature. And so I am slowly learning that these days, however difficult the may be, do pass. And rather than question how I could be unhappy when I am blessed beyond words, or put myself down for being unproductive or unsuccessful, I am choosing to be kind to myself, forgive myself, do what I can in those moments, and wait for the feelings to pass.
 
Life plays out in seasons.  Though some winters are longer and colder than others, spring always follows. And with it comes new life. 

​Are you a person who is driven by your heart? 
 
Many people are driven by their mind. Their thoughts. Logic. Critical thinking. Whatever else you want to call it. And then there are those who run on emotion. Those who are driven by their heart and no matter how hard they try to override the heart with critical thinking, they find themselves beginning most sentences with, "I feel..."
 
My heart is at the very center of who I am, whether I like it or not. Many times it helps me to feel at peace when making tough decisions, or going against the stampede of society. However, there are other times when it leaves me feeling unsatisfied. As if wanting to lead me in a new direction against my own will. My heart often tells me, "you belong somewhere else", while my brain often interrupts with the list of hows and whys.
 
Many times I will hear people speak from their brain. They speak of the distant future versus the here and now, of security versus risks, life as it is versus how it should be, the impossibilities versus the endless possibilities, how they live versus how they feel.
 
And it is not to say that one is better than the other. In fact, what I find myself struggling with lately is how much freedom should I allot my heart? Because if I were to give in, I would quit my job tomorrow to pursue my dreams. Though that would likely leave me looking for a new job within a month. So what is the balance? Between our thoughts and feelings? Our brains and our hearts?
 
I wish I had an answer to share but unfortunately I do not. What I can say, however, is that we use what comes natural to us. For those of us who use more of our heart, that is the direction in which we should go. Of course we must be mindful of the balance however skewed it may be. When we find the right balance, that is when I believe we feel most at peace. That place being unique to each one of us. 
 
I will trust my heart more when I feel restless. Because that is the center of who I am. Yet I will always stay mindful of its boundaries, their limits ever changing.