In the last blog post of this series I introduced you to the book, ‘Making Things Happen’, and to the author Lara Casey. I also dove into just a few of my struggles, and challenges of 2014. Now it’s to name what did go right last year in the midst of all that chaos, and what fires me, and you up.

Let’s take that leap, yet again, and focus on what did go right.

What Went Right in 2014:

— I made a new community of friends within my workplace. Working with people who share the same struggles as you do, make for great friends. We spent nights around a bonfire, played sports together (well, I didn’t join in on that part), and did other things together. It’s very rare to work somewhere where, and even though you do have differences of opinions, you still love each other like family. For me, that makes my heart leap. I love having community, and creating new community with people. It’s one of things that fires me up, as well.

— I got to experience Kari Jobe’s, ‘Majestic Tour’ with my little brother, and my great friend Micaela. We drove to Kingsport, TN, and had just an incredible night of worship. It was one of the best nights I had. I listened to words spoken over me, and I started crying when we all started singing, “You never left me // You never ran out // You never gave up”. By the time we had went to the concert I was so worn, and feeling a little on the empty side. I felt like God was saying, I will never leave you nor forsake you, as it says in His word. It just felt so personal.

— Saying no. I finally said no to being busy at the end of this year. It was the most freeing decision I made all year long. Everything that I was doing, or trying to accomplish just weighed heavily on me. Now I feel light as a feather, and feel like I’m being replenished daily. There are times I want to do what everyone else is doing, but the truth is I am not made like everyone else. What’s good for someone else, could be my downfall. It’s just one of those lessons in life that I have to learn, and learn to discern what really is good for me.

What went right for you in 2014? List them down in the comments below, I would love to hear the good that happened to you.

What Fires You Up?

That is a really good question, because I have a lot that gets me fired up. Are you ready for the extensive Here goes nothing:

— My Bible Time with God, and Jesus. This is my favorite, and one that I need to slow down, and take in every precious moment of that I can. It replenishes me daily, and gives me new strength for the day ahead.

— Reading Books. I love diving into a good fiction book (i.e. The Hunger Games, The Divergent Series plus Four spin-off books, etc.). I love diving into these types of books after a hard day at work, or just when I want to be inspired. I love reading business books, and soaking up all kinds of knowledge from top leading professionals. And I love books like the, ‘Make It Happen Book’. It’s not a self-help book, but an inspiration book. I just love reading, and I love what Dave Ramsey says about books, “Where you are in 5 years will depend on the people you meet, and the books you read”.

— Taking photographs. Of course this is the business I want to be involved in, but I love taking photographs that are just for me to look at. I love capturing precious moments that you will never get back again. Photographs are a testament of ones life, and priceless.

— Watching uplifting, and faith based programs such as The 700 Club. It builds my faith every time I watch it, and I love getting my news reports from them. It’s always a fresh perspective.

— Creating community, and long lasting relationships (as stated above).

— The ocean. I wish I didn’t live so far away from the beach, because it’s my favorite place to be. There is just something so soothing about the waves crashing down, and sitting on the beach in that warm summer air. It makes me forget about the rest of the world, and just rest.

So, what fires you up? I would love to know! Respond by posting a photo to Instagram and tagging me(@lighthopephoto), or comment down below.

I am, in addition to this post, creating a Pinterest board called, ‘Making Things Happen 2015’. I’m not going to be spending mind-numbing hours on Pinterest, I’m simply pinning what creates purpose, and what fires me up to get it all done! Again, send me a message, or leave your Pinterest link below so we can find each other, and inspire each other.

On the next post in this series, we’ll dive into what we’re going to say, ‘No’ to this year. In addition to that, I will be posting what I am going to say ‘Yes’ to this year. I want to say Yes to things that matter, and No to things that just keep me busy.

Love,

Hope*