Author: JJ Starling

What are you passionate about?

by JJ Starling

Hello sweet friends!

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I hope you all are doing well and have had the most wonderful April! I’ve been somewhat MIA this month and for many reasons but I’ll be getting into more of that over the next few weeks :)

One of those reasons though (as you can see!) is my new blog design! Vaida at Don’t Tell Anyone Designs gave me exactly what I asked for and was so easy to work with. My first blog design was a premade template I found on her etsy site. After working with her a little there and seeing all her beautiful custom work on her webpage, I knew I wanted to use her again.

Simple&gentle. A clean slate with the breath of personality. Lighthearted, yet contemplative.

This design embodies everything I am about right now as well as this blog. I want this space to be a place for the heart above all else. Not just my heart though, yours too.

I’ve recently been asked (by myself and others) what it is I am passionate about. I’ve been stumped. That sucks to be (exactly today!) one month away from your 25th birthday and feel like you have no passion in life….but the more I contemplated…the more I realized that I do have passion in life. It’s just not a typical ‘career’ type of mindset.

I’m passionate about kindness. I love being kind to others and seeing others be kind.

I’m passionate about compassion. Towards all living souls. And it makes my heart happy being around others who feel the same way.

I’m passionate about joy&happiness and spreading it. Making someone smile and feel special is the absolute best.

I’m passionate about allowing others to be themselves and discover who that even is, without judgment.

I’m passionate about Love. And that’s what I’m here to share.

So, no, with this new design does not come fewer grammatical errors or run on sentences. Sorry. ha! I can say though that much like the new life Spring breathes into us all, my heart has been renewed over this last month and I am so happy to share it with you. I’ve added a new page up at the top titled “The Journey” that tells a little more about me and the blog, my journey.

There may still be a few kinks to work out so bare with me. I’m always trying to do stuff myself and making a mess of things so forgive me! I’ve also got a few more new additions coming soon but surely over the next couple of days everything will be as it should be.

I hope you feel loved today! If you don’t, if you’re going through some things and want to chat, check out my contact page and please send me an email. I would love to love on you and whereas I might not have any answers for what you’re going through, I can send some good energy for sure and it never hurts to feel like you’ve got some support when winds are rough :)

love to you all.

xx

Confusion, Belief and Grace.

by JJ Starling

Does anyone ever feel like they are awesome at helping other people stay organized but terrible at keeping their own life together? What does that say about me, that I feel that way. I’m always so interested in the science behind our brain and how it works altogether but on an individual level as well. Like- how our brains work partnered with who we are.

I’ve said before that I’m a very go with the flow kind of person and I am, but I believe in balance in all things and I just feel like I’m trying to learn the art of stability at 24 years old. It’s a task that I believe is 1000 times more confusing as an adult than as a child in this culture with all the unimportant bullshit shoved down our throats by all sorts of media outlets on the regular. But I suppose, what isn’t more difficult to learn as an adult than as a child. Come to think of it…be careful what you’re letting your kids watch and listen to because they’re being fed bs too…

but that’s a different blog post.

I don’t know. The way I feel right now, it’s all very confusing. I’m challenging myself in more ways than one in my life right now and I have this overwhelming anxiety that I won’t be able to keep up…with myself? I don’t know.

Perhaps I’m learning a lesson in believing in myself, but also how to give myself grace.

Time will tell right? Or maybe not.

Ugh. Here I go again..

x

Year in Review

by JJ Starling

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I had intentions on completing this questionnaire I found a while back in January. I wanted Andre and I to do it together but words aren’t really his thing so I decided I would do it on my own then just never did. I beat up on myself for a while for it but then I decided, why not still do it? The first 40 questions are to review 2014 but by this point, I’ve let that year go…but there are still 10 questions left. 10 questions that prompt you to look to the future. I know it’s already March and there have been some bumps in the road so far but I still have time left in this year to make it count.

I said I wanted to use this space as accountability for my own self. As an encouragement but also as an aid. To remind myself of what I’ve committed to so that I might become the best version of myself possible. A woman my husband is proud to call his wife and that my future children would be proud to call mother. Some things are farther in the future than others but every journey in life is one step at a time and you’ve got to start somewhere.

 

  • What do you want the overarching theme for your 2015 to be?

I mentioned this in a past post but my “word” or “theme” for this year is growth. I want to see a growth in my character, self esteem, my faith…just all around.

 

  • What do you want to see, discover, explore?

I guess I would have to say my new area. After  living in a town your whole life where you pretty much know how to get everywhere to totally new surroundings..it feels weird for sure. My dream travel goal right now would be a driving trip from my state (NC) to Alaska but if I was going to choose something more immediate I would say my new town!

 

  • Who do you want to spend more time with in 2015?

I’d like to spend more time with my husband. We see each other everyday and we do spend time together but I would like to make it more intentional. Even if that’s just a walk in the evenings on his nights off. We’ve been caught up in the “work work work!” “gotta do!” I think a little much and I’d like to get back to the organic pleasure we get out of just being around each other rather than focusing on the “business” partnership a marriage can become.

 

  • What skills do you want to learn, improve or master?

I would really like to expand my yoga practice and I would like to see improvement in my sign language. I took a class last year and really felt like I was getting somewhere (I’ve explored this as a career option) but then “work” took over and I didn’t make it a priority to immerse myself in the culture of the deaf community. That is key because just like anything else, if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. Speaking of which, I would also like to get back into music. I used to sing all the time. Then I stopped because of some of the emotional things I went through a while back just really took the spark out of it for me. I felt undeserving (of anything in general really) so I just shut down almost everything. I’m feeling more alive than ever and I want to find that spark again. I can feel it’s still there. I’ve also convinced myself I can teach myself to play the piano. I’ve even borrowed a keyboard and instruction book from my bff Alicia! I guess we’ll see! ha! There was also talk between Andre and I of juggling…may or may not follow through on that one.

 

  • Which personal quality do you want to develop or strengthen?

Confidence. It’s just recently come to my attention that I have little to no confidence. I have always known that I have a love for myself somewhere, but I want to find that oasis and drink up!

 

  • What do you want your everyday life to be like?

I would like to find a routine. Something I do everyday that I can count on. Even if that’s just having a cup of tea (no coffee please!) every morning or something. I’ve never felt like I’ve known stability. Not even as a child (with my parents not being together and whatnot) so I guess I would like everyday life to not necessarily be “routine” but I would like it to feel stable. solid.

 

  • Which habits do you want to change, cultivate or get rid of?

I suppose I have a really bad habit of giving in to defeat. Not really like, trying something and failing though, because most of the time I will give in to the spirit of defeat before I’ve even really began something and I will call it “overwhelmed”. I know getting “overwhelmed” happens but I know that I can differentiate and I would like to start making an effort to do that.

 

  • What do you want to achieve career-wise?

Well this is a tough one for me because…get ready for it…I want to be a stay at home mom when I grow up, but we aren’t “family planning” at the moment. I have never really had anything else I’ve wanted to do. You can say I’m not very ambitious if you want but I really don’t care. Some people have ambitions of making all the money in the world and to me that is absolutely crazy. To make a goal surrounding something that in a day could all be gone. I suppose you could say the same for a child or a family but there is an energy there that can never die. And should you be blessed to have your children outlive you, there is legacy in that. Not all people choose careers based on money, there are people who choose based off passion and they leave a legacy in that which is wonderful. I suppose I’m just most passionate about family. And I’m not at all saying that all people who have money have no love in their life or that people who stay at home can’t make money. I’m just saying I’ve always known I wanted to be a stay at home mom and the motivation money can provide has never changed that. I suppose if I had to choose a career goal it would probably be to make some decisions on something I can do to bring in some income from home. I know blogging can turn into that but I think maybe I would like to write a Children’s book. I’ve had an idea for years now and I just might look into how to get that going. I may have already started ;)

 

  • How do you want to remember the year 2015 when you look back on it 10/20/50 years from now?

Oh wow. Um. I guess as a cornerstone. A moment in time where I shook loose all the chains of my past and took steps towards a new chapter in life. A caged bird truly freed.

 

  • What is your number one goal for 2015?

My number one goal. Geeze. That’s tough. If I had to choose just one (because there are many) it would be to grow in love so much that others can’t help but feel loved even from simply being around me. I think I truly believe in love and it’s power. Love for others. Love for the environment. Love for yourself. So I guess my number one goal for this year is to Grow. But mainly to grow in love. I think that’s the key to watching everything fall into place.

 

I’m really glad to have completed that. It feels good to look forward with hope. Although times will undoubtedly be tough at one point or another, it feels good to look forward with hope.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I’m sending you lots of good energy and love :)

xx

 

***Linking up with Miranda today for Coffee Chat!