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The Journey to Joy

While I was working at a summer camp in college, there was a rule that if the counselors wanted to “play on the lake” they could only go out to do that at the crack of dawn before the campers woke up.  So we’d often meet at the dock in our swimsuits and quietly back the boat out of the slip.  We’d slowly make our way out of the camp cove and into the middle of the lake.  Then we’d ski, tube, and generally laugh and cut up. 

It was the best way to get in the mood to start a full day of work with kiddos.  

I’ll never forget one specific day, I went out with a group of female counselors.  After we’d been skiing, we decided to pull off into a cove to hook up the tube.  While we were there someone (it was probably me, but I honestly …

by Crystal Gornto Inspiration Love In Action Loving Yourself Our Story Priorities Roadblocks in Life The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
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It’s NOT selfish

Why should you choose a “Word of the Year”?

I sat down with Me Ra Koh earlier this week to chat about that.

During our chat, Me Ra’s heart about choosing a word of the year blew the doors right off mine.  She’s been doing it for 20 years!  I consider that pro-level!

Here’s what she said that resonated so dearly to me:

“I can be very goal-driven, type A.  I don’t feel like goals give to me.  I feel like I expend myself on goals.  In contrast, choosing a word for my year is something that’s going to nurture me.  Something that feels sacred.  It gets to be my companion for the year.  To walk with me through the different things I’m going to face.  It seems silly like it’s just a single word, yet it has given me so much over the years.”

In a world where everything is vying for our attention, …

by Crystal Gornto Community Girl's Night Out Inspirational Women Inspirational Words Love In Action Loving Yourself Priorities The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
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Hey 2020, you’re right on time

One night, I was washing my face in silence, in my dark bathroom, like I often do.  The iPhone light was the only light.  It was shining in the sink, so the overhead light didn’t wake Scott up.  Per usual, I was the last one up after getting the kids to bed, talking, laughing, and praying with them.  Then dragging my tired body downstairs to begin my “bedtime routine”.

At that point, it’s just about getting the job done so I can get to bed.

Get the face clean.  Apply all the anti-aging, anti-acne, anti-everything creams. Teeth brushed, brace retainers in, pills taken.  Just doing all the things so I can get to bed and try not to wake up looking as old and haggard as I sometimes feel.

But ever since the December Girls Night Out, I’ve been doing a little bit of my own work …

by Crystal Gornto Girl's Night Out Inspiration Inspirational Women Love in Friendship Loving Others Loving Yourself Our Story Roadblocks in Life The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
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It’s not over yet

It’s the last day of the year, but I’m not giving up on 2019.  

My word for the year in 2019 was “rest”.  After building the house and moving our 15 years of “collections”, I came crashing into the end of 2018 exhausted.  I was happy and everything was good.  But I was so TIRED.  I needed rest.  I had no idea what rest could possibly look like in the middle of full-steam momentum with HeartStories, but there was no doubt that I needed it.

So I let that word {REST} guide me all year. 

I “slept in” when I felt like my body as asking for it.  I “stayed in” even when my brain wanted to go be at the party.  I made conscious decisions to step back when I would ordinarily be the first one to raise my hand. Instead of constantly being the one to initiate in my relationships, I …

by Crystal Gornto Girl's Night Out Inspiration Inspirational Women Love In Action Loving Yourself Our Story Priorities The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
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Low Power Mode

Wouldn’t it be great if our bodies came with the option for automatic “Low Power Mode” just like our iPhones?

This is the definition on Apple’s website:

“Use Low Power Mode to save battery life on your iPhone. Low Power Mode reduces the amount of power that your iPhone uses when the battery gets low.  When Low Power Mode is on, your iPhone will last longer before you need to charge it, but some features might take longer to update or complete.  Also, some tasks might not work until you turn off Low Power Mode, or until you charge your iPhone to 80% or higher.  When Low Power Mode is on, the battery in the status bar will be yellow.   After you charge your iPhone to 80% or higher, Low Power Mode automatically turns off. ”

How great would it be if our bodies had a setting for that?

Like before they forced us to …

by Crystal Gornto Girl's Night Out Inspirational Leaders Inspirational Women Love In Action Loving Others Loving Yourself Motherhood Priorities Leave a comment chat
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What’s your love language?

I’m quite possibly the world’s worst gift-giver.

“They say” that you show love in the way you feel loved.  The fact that I do not feel loved when you buy me a gift, is abundantly clear in my nearly non-existent gift-giving prowess.  I’m a Quality Time girl, which is why I will be chasing you down for your most valuable asset (your time) until the day I die.  It’s why creating the HeartStories Girls Night Out is all about being face-to-face.  It’s the secret sauce of all of life, at least to me.   But it’s also why it’s incredibly important for me to surround myself with a team of people who are passionate about all the other ways people feel loved, including giving beautiful, thoughtful, meaningful gifts.

We do that at GNO too! 

Have you ever heard of the 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman? He says they are:

l. Words of …

by Crystal Gornto Community Girl's Night Out Inspirational Leaders Inspirational Women Love In Action Love in Friendship The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
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