Liar, Liar. Pants On Fire.

... lies this modern world screams day after day

You can have it all. There is nothing you can't do. All you have to do is push a little harder. You just need to go a little further. After you crush the next goal, you will have everything. Lose ten more pounds, get the next promotion, start that new hobby, get your kids all the latest things, push, push, push.

These are just a few of the lies this modern world screams day after day. I, myself have fallen victim to chasing the lies. Believing the next goal accomplished would get me to that illusive 'having it all'. Believing that being constantly busy means that I am 'living my best life'. But would I know what having it all looked like when I obtained it, or would the line just keep moving like an ever-distant mirage on a hot day?

One of the blessings of age, if you're lucky, is wisdom. Wisdom that can only come from living life and making mistakes. Learning how to listen not only to your body, but to your soul is the best lesson I have learned recently. When I am pushing and pushing constantly chasing the next goal, I get burned out. In fact, I experienced a round of burn out in pretty much the whole month of December.

Making it to December is always a little bittersweet for me. I find myself in a place of reflection and excited about all the magic of the Christmas season. This year, I found myself standing at the beginning of December overwhelmed by all the things that still needed to be done before the end of 2024 and all of the goals that were stacking up for 2025.

I just kept seeing list after list scroll through my mind. Read your bible, volunteer at church, create content, promote your book, generated podcast ideas, get your forty hours in at work, complete more research at work, get your work outs in, read more, spend more time with your kids, enroll your kids in sports, help with science fair, drink all of the water, meal plan, go on date nights with your husband, and on and on and on. This never-ending list began to drain the excitement from me. Everything was becoming a chore I had to check off rather than something that I looked forward to tackling.

After a call with a friend, I followed up with a long conversation with my husband, I was reminded of something I already knew. You can have it all, but the lie is that you have to have it all at the same time. Resting, recharging, and refocusing are not failing. Rather, taking time to rest is setting myself up for future success.

I am not sitting here writing this saying that I have all the answers as to how I plan to juggle everything on my plate. But I am sitting here saying that in 2025 I plan to give myself more grace. More time to rest and be in the moment is in the front of my mind as keep chasing dreams and building a future.