Last night, I began my first official week alone in my new townhouse. First thought: panic! Second thought: I can do whatever I want! Third thought: Wait, what do I want?
Of course, I had to mention it on my favorite social media site, Facebook. I got quite a few supportive comments, but my friend Alice summed it up best: “You will always be mom, but this week you are YOU….now it’s time to find you.”
That got me thinking. Who am I really?
My mother’s comment was along the same lines: “Decide who you want to be and start aiming in that direction.” Ok, but who do I want to be?
A whole list of what and who I don’t want to be sprang to mind immediately, but as I started writing in my journal, a list to aim for appeared.
I want to be ~
- strong
- confident
- independent
- dependent on God
- peaceful
- happy
- friendly
- healthy
- purposeful
The last one on the list was the hard one, though, because I’m not really sure what my purpose should be yet.
As I was talking to a friend today, I realized one thing that’s not on that list is rich or anything that has to do with money. And that’s ok! Other things in life are much more important.
So, what do y’all think? What am I missing? Am I headed in the right direction?
Bethany LaShell 
You definitely have some good thoughts here, good goals 🙂
Maybe your next “goal” needs to figure out how to reach these…..easier said than done!
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Thanks, Mum. Indeed, that is the question: how do I get from here to there!
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First of all, cute picture!! I miss that smile. I think the list is perfect. I think many of them already apply though. 🙂 Praying that our loving Father will guide and direct you. 🙂
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Thank you, Kristen!! I miss your smile, too, and appreciate your prayers so much. 🙂
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You’re definitely heading in the right direction. Sometimes, with marriage and motherhood, we lose ourselves and our sense of purpose when one, or both of those things scatter to the winds of change. But you’ll find out WHO you want to be, and you’ll be amazing at it, and OH so much happier in the long run. I wish you luck, love, and good health…but above all, peace in your heart & mind.
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Thanks for the encouragement!
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I like your list. The purpose question is one that comes up at various times in life. Whenever there is a large life change–and sometimes when we see ourselves in a rut–we do well to ask that question. The big purpose answer is easy–To seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness; To glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Our sub-purpose, however, may change. The good news is that if you listen attentively to our Father, and do heartily whatever He puts in front of you, you will end up in the right place. I love you. Daddy
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Thanks, Daddy. I did mean to put the Catechism into this post, but forgot. It’s hard to see what’s in front of me right now; maybe that’s the problem?
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I truly believe that if you become “dependent on God”, the rest will follow. I love your list and I pray you become all that and more. 🙂
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Thank you for the encouragement, Tina, and for stopping by!
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Love your list and I think it’s a great place to start. Remained focused on Christ and the other things will fall into place. Be alone can be a really good thing to help us be purposeful and reenergize. Thanks for linking up!
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I think being purposeful is your clue. If whatever you do, you do it with intention, it will bring to your mind other intentions and they will begin to lead you to one you recognize as being truly yours. Interestingly, doing with intention incorporates all those qualities you listed before purposeful.
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I think you starting the list is part of being more purposeful. You are getting there, trust in God and let Him lead you. Follow what He puts on your heart. Thank you for sharing!
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