Here's to 2024!

I haven't done this in a while but this year I felt that it was absolutely necessary to take a step back and reflect on this year. Truthfully this year has been the most amazing yet heartbreaking year all at the same time. In this year I lost and found myself all at the same time. It's funny that, I tell others all the time, especially my new teammates, that it's in the season where you are the most uncomfortable that God is growing you the most. This has been one of the most uncomfortable seasons in my life. But as I look back, I realized that in this year I accomplished so many great things. I had to learn to move out of my comfort zone and learn to flourish outside of the norm.

"Your comfort zone will become your dead zone if you don't learn to move outside of your comfort zone."

This season I had to learn how to rest, reset, recharge. Throughout this year I found myself operating in exhaustion trying to hold on to who I used to be but also attempting to move towards who I'm supposed to be. In the exhaustion, I found myself doubting myself, feeling like I wasn't being adequately supported, feeling like I wasn't giving my best, feeling irritable, and even felt like I was lacking in so many different areas in my life. But I had to take a step back to remind myself that you are trying to operate in the midzone, and it is time for a change. It is time for you to embrace this season of transformation and move forward. So, in this time of reflection, I took a moment to take in the lessons that I've learned this year, that I'm taking with me into 2024.

Be TRUE to YOU

In this time of transformation, you have to remember that in order to transform you have to let go of what was. In order to move forward into the person that you are meant to be in this next season, you have to be true to who you are supposed to be and not true to who you used to be. I know that probably doesn't make sense but let me break that down for you. In order to reach the level, the next you as some would like to say, to become who you are meant to be in the next you have to be committed to the person you are not yet instead of being committed to the person that is no longer. So many times, we fail to become our true, authentic selves for the next season, because we are still trying to hold on to who we used to be. In recognizing, and accepting, your not yet, you have to pursue the person you are meant to be. Continuing to hold on, you will find yourself operating in exhaustion because you are still trying to hold on to parts of you that won't serve you in your next. Surrender to who God needs and want you to be.

Rest, Reset, Recharge

I know everyone is all about yelling self-care and what not these days, but it's true. You have to take time to take care of you. Remember, in order to serve, you have to take care of yourself as well. If you don't learn to take the time to rest, reset and recharge, you will find yourself bleeding onto others instead of helping them. People like to say, they will sleep when they are no longer here, or make you think you always have to grind and hustle, but truthfully in order to be successful, in order to accomplish all that you are meant to accomplish, you have to learn how to rest, reset, recharge. Believe me, taking a break isn't going to cause you to reach your goal slower. In actuality it may help you reach your goal sooner. I know you're probably saying, "How Brittney? How can I get there faster if I'm taking breaks?" You can get there sooner by taking the time to rest because if you don't rest, you begin operating in exhaustion and you find yourself making mistakes you normally don't make. You will find yourself not thinking things through rationally. You will find yourself losing sight of the path because you have not giving your mind, body and spirit time to rest, time to reset and time to recharge. Operating in autopilot will lead you down a path that can cause you to detour from what is God has for you. Take the time to rest your mind, and body, reset your way of thinking, and recharge your energy. When you do that, you have a clear mind to be able to truly see what needs to be done to achieve your goals.

Don't Dim Your Light for Anyone

As you move into your next, stop dimming your light to make others feel better about themselves. It's time to stop playing small for the sake of pleasing others. Where you are headed next will cause people to treat you differently, and some may even become jealous, but whatever you do, don't let the negative talk from others, keep you from pursuing what God has for you. It's time to cut ties with those that claim to be in your circle, claim to have your back, but doesn't allow you to be your true self. Remind yourself that no matter what they say, you are worthy, you are deserving, you are amazing. God will place people in your life that will fully support you, so whatever you do, don't dim your light for anyone. The right people won't allow you to dim your light, they will encourage you to shine brighter.

Commit to Your Not Yet

It's sometimes hard to keep pushing when it seems like what you're working towards is never going to happen. In order to move towards what's in store for you, you have to commit to your not yet. It may not seem like you're accomplishing things but it's the small wins that are going to get you to major victory. Sometimes we are moving into our not yet quicker than we think, but we are so focused on what seems to be failures, that we don't realize that successes are taking place that we don't see. Trust and lean on God knowing that what He has for you will happen. So, even when it's hard, even when it seems like nothing is happening, even when you feel like throwing in the towel stay committed to your not yet because soon it will be your right now.

In this new year, God is getting ready to take you places and do things in your life that you never imagined. Take this time to reflect on the lessons that you've learned not just in 2023 but also over the years. Those lessons were preparing you for what's to come. So as you move into 2024 remember that in order to accomplish your goals you have to be your true, self, take time to rest, reset, recharge, and continue to glow wherever you go. This year may have been rough, but you are headed into a new year. You survived. You flourished. You made it. Here's to what's ahead for you, a successful, positive, amazing 2024.