I didn't purchase this book for me; it was never intended to be one of my reads for 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
I bought it to send to someone else. But - before I could put it in the mail - this same girl commented on a FB post how - on page 39 of the book she was currently reading - the words seemed to leap from the page and let her know it was time to take a leap of faith and go for what she wanted instead of trying to spend more valuable time trying to live up to what she felt others "expected" of her.
I immediately recognized the quote and realized she was already reading what had been laid on my heart for her. Confirmation.
So I added it to my bedside table stack, not really sure if I would ever pick it up. I think in my mind I pictured it to be more for the younger set. For whatever reason, I picked it up at one point and began to skim through.
Y'all.
It was SO good that I had to go back and start from Page 1. I have followed the author, Rachel Hollis, on Insta for a while, so I already knew her "voice" and was well aware of the wisdom of many of her tenants. This book, however, breaks it down into bite-size chunks that are truly life changing - if you are ready to change.
On the very first page of the Introduction, she pretty much sums up the book in one sentence. I could have stopped here and walked away with enough inspiration and excitement to go after the big dreams.
"You, and only you, are ultimately responsible for who you become and how happy you are."
With chapter titles such as: The Lie: Something Else Will Make Me Happy, The Lie: I Need to Make Myself Smaller, and The Lie: I'm a Terrible Writer - this book has challenged me in so many levels. In this year, where my "word" is PRESENT, and my decision to take a few new leaps of faith - stepping out and trusting that I will either fly or He will catch me, I am now convinced it was me - and not just my friend - that needed many of the words in this gem of a book.
As women, life these days feels a whole lot like a marathon - and it feels a lot like we are out of shape and not at all prepared for the race. Whether time has truly sped up or not is debatable, but it definitely feels like we run faster and faster and accomplish less and less. Time is flying by.
I think about this all the time. Why didn't I take better care of my skin 20 or 30 years ago? Why didn't I lose all that baby weight 30 years ago when I was through having babies? Why didn't I begin my career - my passion career - much sooner, instead of in mid-life? Why couldn't I have had more wisdom, more confidence, more determination as a younger woman?
Truth: All the steps, decisions, mistakes, victories throughout all of my years on this Earth have led me HERE. And I am really liking HERE. Not only does it not do any good to ask all of the what ifs, but it is directly counter-productive of what I am meant to do right now - in the NOW. Right HERE. Each of my scars, each of my heartbreaks, each of my losses have grown me as a woman. Each love I have had, each success - whether big or small - and each of my baby steps have led me to this season of life.
A season that I am very excited about. I am blessed, for sure.
So I'm going to wash my face, put all self-doubt behind me, and wrap my arms around my dreams, and my heart around my faith.
It's time to be what He intends for me to be in Him. His plans are so much larger and greater than my own. He believes in me; no, He KNOWS what I am about to tackle and accomplish. All I have to do is step out and trust, knowing that He has ordered my every step and already gone before me.
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