Fill up to Spill out

  As 2020 is coming to a close, I can't help but look back on this year with so much gratitude.  This was the year that I decided to courageously pursue a dream of mine as a writer and author, self-publishing my very first book (written in 2019) and deciding to write and self-publish another.  Little did I know that I would be pursuing this author life in a year where we would be challenged, disappointed, and overwhelmed like no other.  Before 2019, I was not a writer or author, nor did I know that I could be one.  What I was and still am is a nurse practitioner and a mom of two girls, a wife and a follower of Jesus, a runner and a dog-lover, and a girl who adores Target, coffee, wine, and creating a home.  But in 2019, I started using writing as a therapeutic process to unpack my past, process my present, and grow into the person I was becoming as I pursued a better version of myself.   My first book, Transformed: My Story as a Farmer's Daughter with Big Dreams & an Even B

  Each year , I enjoy looking back on the year that is coming to an end, scrolling through the hundreds of photos I took on my phone, putting the final touches on a Shutterfly photo album, and looking over my calendar and planner taking note of all the things that filled it while starting my new one.  What I've learned over the years is that we can't look forward without first looking back.  We can't plan the following year without spending a little time reviewing the year that is coming to an end.  We can't make improvements if we fail to learn and grow, edit and change.     2020 was interesting to say the least.  I've heard a lot of people on social media talk about holding loss and disappointment (or pain and grief) in one hand while simultaneously holding joy and hope in the other, and that's exactly how I felt about 2020.  It was filled with frustrating change, tremendous loss and disappointment, unmet expectations, so much sadness, challenge and loads of u

I'm a HUGE book fan and found myself reading A LOT more books in 2020 (as I was writing my own!).  Wanting to watch less news and drama on TV and choosing to grow my mind instead, I turned to books (and podcasts), and maybe you did too.  This year was a tough year, but there were lots of great books, and I'd love to share what I read this year in hopes of helping you find some new books to add to your list for 2021.   Since I discovered audiobooks in the last couple of years, I have been able to read SO many more books.  It's a great way to multi-task as I do chores around the house, drive, walk the dog, or go for a run!  I can only physically read about 1 book a month, unless I am on vacation where I have more time to sit and read, but I can listen to several books a month if I am in the mood!   Allow me to share both the physical books as well as the audiobooks I read this year!  You'll notice that I am a huge non-fiction fan, but hopefully I can add some fiction b

  Introduction H ow do we truly become the very best version of ourselves?   That’s the big question I have been trying to answer over the last several years as everyone in the personal growth space seems to be telling us to “become the best version of yourself” and “live your best life.”  I’m a huge fan of personal growth, and I’m all about living my best life, but what is it that we are trying to achieve?  What does our very best self really look like? What is it that we need to be chasing?  What goal do we need to achieve in order to feel like we are living our best life?  Is it the dream job with a generous six-figure salary?  The beautiful house with the white picket fence?  The perfect marriage with 2.5 kids and a well-trained dog?  The ideal body with six-pack abs and long beautiful lashes?  A successful business?  A New York Times Bestseller?  10,000 followers so we can get the swipe-up?  A life filled with traveling and fun adventures?  All the latest greatest things?  Hustle-