A journey begins with a single step

Austin 360 Bridge Overlook

This is me, vowing to be a local tourist wherever I am from now on.

It’s already June of 2022. Can you even believe it? I don’t know about you, but the goals I set on January 1st are already either checked off my list as a memory made, scheduled on the calendar, not really that important anymore or still just a wish. Well, time flies doesn’t it? So, what is going to be different moving forward? What memories will I make? What adventures will I take? What about you?

I can’t tell you how many times I have driven by somewhere and said to myself, I want to do that sometime, and then I just don’t. For example, I have been driving by the Austin 360 bridge/overlook since moving to Austin, Texas over 14 years ago and I still have never ventured out of my car to walk up the hill and enjoy the view. I’ve seen pictures, as it is a popular nature trail that overlooks Lake Austin and the distant city skyline. I thought to myself, Shoot, tourists do this kind of stuff all the time. Why can’t I do this too? I don’t even need to hop on a plane or pay for a hotel. This is my town, why are all the tourists having fun here and not me?

Well, this year…I am changing that inner voice of mine and making a shift. On January 1st following my intention of the year to say “Yes,” we as a family said “Yes” to visit the 360 overlook. All we had to do was drive the car, stop the car, park, and get out. It was stupid simple. It only took a couple of hours out of our day and we now have lovely memories. What if we lived like tourists in our own town/city? This is me, vowing to be a local tourist wherever I am from now on.

Our family words of the year.

(My then 3 year old wanted his word to be his name. Why not!)

As the saying goes: “It is never too late to start.” My idea list is longer than my realistic time frame or budget. Can you relate? Dreaming, tracking, and planning are all wonderful, but if I never start, what good is it?

For me, I feel like 2020 and 2021 were two years of saying “No” to things that didn’t fill my soul or align with what is truly important to me. I’ve spent the last two years rediscovering myself. As the famous organizer, Marie Kondo, would ask during her editing sessions, “Does it spark joy?” If not, let it go. My life is in a perpetual state of editing, maintenance, growth, and thriving both physically and mentally. What was important to me prior does not necessarily mean that it is still a priority to me now. However, growth has always been a priority of mine, and transformation is part of growth.

Grow. One of the words of the year for 2022.

This season of my life is what I am calling my midlife transformation. In order to live a life I love, my conscious definition of success will be my determining factor. The life I was living followed my previous success definition, or what I allowed to define me. The 2020 pandemic opened a door to pause whether I liked it or not. Because of this forced pandemic pause, I have been able to spend the past two years consciously saying “No,” to slow down, reprioritize, and edit. I had to ask myself the hard question, What do I need to let go of in order to authentically live a life I love? I had to let go of some things that were important to me but are not my priority anymore. Now, I get to start saying “Yes” a little bit more. Yes to the people I love, yes to the things I love to do, yes to the good, yes to the beautiful, and yes to adventures in my everyday.

Austin 360 Overlook (East side) with my boys!

What if I lived my life with more of an adventurous spirit like I do when I go on vacation? When I vacation, I like having a general plan that allows me to discover the wonder that may present itself. Whether you are a detailed planner, a spontaneous wanderer, or a little bit of both doesn’t make a difference. What matters is saying “Yes” to what we really want to do, to discover the wonder in our everyday life. This blog is me taking a step and working on my “want to” list. I’ve always wanted to write and I love sharing the ideas and things I love with others, so if you are reading this or following my journey, my hope and prayer are that what I share may inspire and encourage you to do more of the things you have been waiting to do “someday” and start saying “No” to what is not really that important and “Yes" to what is. As the saying goes: “A journey begins with a single step” however imperfectly it is.

Cheers to everyday adventures and doing something, just even one thing on that proverbial bucket list of life, because Today is a gift!

Hugs,

Jolie