Quality of Life Move

It is with mixed emotions that my husband, Justin, and I are packing up our home in Cleveland, OH and embarking on our next journey to Charlotte, NC.

Today is somewhat of a person note but my intention is that you might identify with this story in your own life and take some piece of information away that will aid you in your own journey.

Quality of life move, that's what we call it. The weather is unforgiving up here in Cleveland, so it was many years ago during the winter when we started praying for an opportunity to move south.

God had other plans for us before he paved our way south. SO MANY other plans. We embraced each step of the journey and have truly lived our last 4 years in Cleveland to their fullest. We enjoyed being close to family, making new friends, and even settling into an amazing church community.

We spent birthdays, holidays, and family events in the homes of aunts, uncles, and grandparents. We spent summer weekends on the farm or lake with my family and I rekindled my love of waterskiing and doing back tucks on the trampoline. We watched my younger siblings grow up into teenagers.

We reconnected with old college friends and made new friends. We stayed up too late exploring downtown and sipping wine on our rooftop patio. We attended SO MANY Indian's games and even cheered them on in the World Series. We watched as LeBron marched through the streets of Cleveland with the team after their victory in 2016.

Our career trajectories twisted and turned as God continued to provide opportunities for us to use our unique gifts and talents to excel. There was one acquisition, countless promotions, and even a new business venture started (shout out to all of you for being a part of that now!). Oh and the season where we Justin and I saw each other more on our NYC business trips than we did in CLE. There was stress, anxiety, but most of all learning and growth through ALL OF THAT.

We learned how to live our best life while we were in Cleveland. Not because of the city we lived in, the jobs we had, or the family nearby, but because of the choices we made. We learned to be intentional with our choices, thoughts, actions and decisions. We learned that life doesn't happen TO US, it happens for us. We learned that there is an abundance of blessings in the world for us, but we must seek them out and find them. We learned that those blessings come from uncertainty, struggle, pain, but also laughter, joy, and growth.

We learned that laying down roots doesn't have to mean the city you live in, a home you own, or all those things society tells you. Laying down roots means digging deep into your soul, being honest with what you want from your life, and going after it.

So today Justin and I embark on our next adventure with complete appreciation for the journey itself and the refusal to let stress or anxiety taint this moment. We look forward our next chapter which involves a lake, a little uncertainty, so much faith, and a whole lot of sunshine. We are grateful to each and every one of you reading this and the role you've played in our lives.

Those of you that have followed me for a while know that I'm not typically this personal in my emails :) To be honest, I didn't intend to write this to you today. Shocking I know being an intentional living consultant and everything. But here's the thing. I sat down to educate you all about the Diderot effect and this just started flowing. If I've learned anything this past year, you MUST trust the flow.

Is there something your heart is leading you toward?

Do you have this feeling you were designed for greater things?

Do you wonder if you'll ever have the time to expand to the full potential you know exists inside of you?

You're not alone. I wondered those same things a few years ago.

There is SO MUCH I could tell you about the journey, that I would LOVE to help you with, but I'll leave you with this… this life, it's a practice, it's never going to be perfect. You are never going to be perfect. You are enough, right now, how you are. So stop waiting for the perfect moment. Start living today.

One more thing (that flow state though!)… It's not about the money, the things, or the status. You're never going to finally discover the time. You have to create your future. You have to lean into intention. You have to take control and own your life.

Don't miss out. Make your move. Own your future.

Sending you encouragement to live your best life!

P.S. This pic was from a toast to new adventures last night. Always celebrate your journey!