Another year, another chance

🎉🎂This is 29. 🥳My birthday is a chance to remember that God has blessed me with another year and recognize that I DO NOT look like what I’ve been through. (Thx to retinols & Holy Spirit🧴). When I think about all that God did in my life at 28 and all of the things that I accomplished (and didn’t accomplish 😂), I am so grateful that I made it this far.

Here’s 10 things I learned at 28 (read carefully for some brutal honesty cause sis we had some brutal moments this year ❤️)

1. Don’t try to impress anyone. Not on social media and not in real life. Pursue integrity and the respect of others will follow suit. Impress yourself with how much you work on your character and how you stuck to your morals in that super tough situation. That tastes better than any compliment someone can give you.

2. Save your money. This is not official financial advice…but…you don’t need that thing in your cart. Spend WISELY. Money comes and GOES, honey. Your girl lovesss to shop🛍, scroll, and just standing in a mall makes me happy… But… when you want/need to buy something, make a wishlist on your phone and leave it for 14-30 days. Check back then and see if you still feel the same. I do this regularly.

3. Life is short. Be yourself. Apologize when you’re wrong. Bite your tongue when you’re right. Choose confrontation over passive aggression. End toxic behavior. Draw boundaries. Tomorrow isn’t promised to any of us.

4. Stop Gossipping🤭. Make it a rule and enforce it. It weakens your discernment. It weakens your ability to easily love other people. It breeds division. It’s not innocent and it’s NOT venting, sis. You know the difference between needing to vent and the urge to gossip, and they are not similar. I am so much happier saying “can we change the subject?” ✌️

5. Do the thing. “Life is not a checklist”, a good friend said this to me the other day. You are your best investment. Fail and fail again. Then look at all the knowledge you gained “doing the thing”! Look at you! 🏆

6. Interrogate your fears. I have cute lil fears and then I have know-it-all, worst-case-scenario fears. I have intrusive thoughts, and they were especially challenging in the last 60 days. Interrogate alllllllll of that. Stop putting your name on negative, unhealthy thoughts and fears. Let them come, pass, and go along their way. See a counselor or a psychiatrist. Reach out to your pastors and church elders. Ask for prayer and let them champion you.

7. On that same note - let people pray for you. In the last 60 days or so, I have gone through some particularly dark moments. Things got so painful that for a few weeks I was mute (in a literal sense and could not speak🤐). I did not wake up and feel better one day. No one came and rescued me. My new psychiatrist was super helpful, but he did not “fix” me. It was a slow, gradual peace that fell over me. One day I asked God if he could show me how he wanted to heal me, and He showed me how the prayers of family and friends were moving and working on my behalf. Ask for prayer when you need it.

8. Wear sunscreen. Outside AND inside. If you need an spf/skincare accountability partner, I got you. In fact, in the last 3 years I have radically changed my skincare game and several people recently have been SHOCKED when I told them my 29th bday is around the corner. Again… all glory to my skincare and the HS. 🕊

9. Rest. That’s it, that’s the tweet. I have found new ways to rest and they don’t include napping. I rest my thoughts, my heart, my frown lines, etc. Read these to find immediate rest: Click here

10. “When in war, create” - Bill Johnson. Write, sing, play, draw, design... just create when you’re overwhelmed. Some of my favorite songs and books come from an artist’s darkest moment. We know heartbreak well. I have repurposed recent pain and hurt in new ways, and I’m so proud of how I’m coming along. And I’ll be releasing some of that creativity for all to see pretty soon 🥳

How about you? What’s something you’ve learned in the last year or some really good advice we all need to hear? What’s something you overcame?

Thanks for reading✨

xx Danielle