flashback friday: the season of no

It’s been a year since I quit my job to pursue my family.  It’s been a year since I took a full month away from the blog.  It’s been a year since I took the words and made them into action.

The year of many changes.

There are no words (actually there are more words than I have time to write)…but rather a sense of fulfillment.  The calm of knowing that I’m right where I’m supposed to be.  And though each day brings it’s own headaches, I can’t imagine going back to that place of RACING through each day.

Here’s the post that announced my last break.  I’m planning to take another in August – not a full month, but maybe a couple of weeks.  Blogging isn’t as stressful these days.  Because life overall isn’t as stressful.

Maybe YOU need a season of NO.

———-

First, thank you for the AMAZING comments in regards to this post. If you haven’t read it, go back and do so – today’s post will make much more sense.

As my title alluded to, I am entering in to a season of NO*. Let me tell you – this has been a YEAR in the making. A year for the stress of all the activities and duties that I’ve taken on to come crashing down around me (multiple times). I’m finally to the point where I need to step away from a few things. I need a season of no.

I need to take ACTION against what I struggle with.

Because busyness does NOT equate to productivity.

Because God is literally MAKING me lie down in green pastures.

Because my family and I deserve more.

What does that mean? What does that look like?

In this season, I’m saying NO! to….

• Working at the gym for the month of July (training and subbing). <-this led to me stepping away completely
• Blogging for the month of July (writing and, sadly, reading).
• Theater shows for the Fall.
• Anything else that takes me away from my first two callings – wife and mother.

I think everything on that list is pretty self-explanatory, but for today, I’ll address the blogging aspect as it kinda-sorta impacts my readers.

I need a break from the blog.

When I started this blog nearly two years ago, my life looked very different. I had the convenience of TWO NAPPING CHILDREN who gave me two full hours of alone time a day (I miss those days!). I wasn’t doing shows. I had just started teaching at the gym and had no clients. Basically, I had more time. And my focus was more home-centered.

Flash-forward to now. Henry no longer naps. Clara’s naps are shorter and some days she doesn’t sleep at all. I’m at the gym for at least two hours a day, training clients – usually three. I’m at the theater two hours at night. I have no time to sit down and write. And honestly, when I get time to myself, I don’t WANT to sit down and write. I want to read a book or my Bible or work on a house project.

Blogging (the act of writing) is something I LOVE! But everything that comes with it (reading other blogs, social media, self-promotion) …..I just don’t love that aspect anymore. Some days it feels like my phone is super-glued to my right hand. It’s simply not fair for the people around me to be “absent” while I’m “present” online.

For the month of July, I suppose I could blog sporadically or line up guest posts, but I don’t even want to give myself that option. If I did, I would just devote thoughts to blogging and right now, I simply do not want to think about it.

This isn’t goodbye necessarily (notice the month of July thing above), but I suppose it could be the start of goodbye. Who knows??

I’m taking a month to find out.

Catch you on the flip side**!

QUESTION: What do you need to say NO to in your life right now??

splendid…lindsay