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rest

Be a tea bag, not a pressure cooker

This picture by Vanessa Corral is laughable for many reasons, not the least of which, is that we’re not even a coffee-drinking family.  I honestly don’t even remember the reasoning behind taking this shot except maybe to be funny?  There are a couple of others in this series that are cute, of all of us standing around laughing, casually holding our (empty) mugs.  But this one is my favorite.

Because, what in the world are we even doing??

There’s nothing in this photo that even resembles the truth about who we are.  We’re all dressed somewhat nicely, gathered around the kitchen island, just chilling out with our coffee mugs.  If we’re just hanging out in the kitchen we’re usually in jammies or very casual clothes.  One of us (not naming any names) is usually climbing on the island.  Someone is probably cleaning up a spill or vacuuming the relentless dog hair. Someone …

by Crystal Gornto Girl's Night Out Inspirational Words Love In Action Loving Others Loving Yourself Roadblocks in Life The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
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Sometimes leaving can help you appreciate coming home

We just returned from a family vacation that was a much-needed break from the pressure and pace of our everyday lives.  I know, I know, you’re supposed to create a life you don’t need a vacation from, but we haven’t mastered that craft just yet.  We needed a vacation.

We needed to unplug.

You may have noticed that I unplugged completely.  I didn’t even blog, and for once, I didn’t feel guilty about it.  I slept in until 8, or 9 o’clock almost every morning.  I read an encouraging and inspiring book, just for fun.  I truly allowed myself to rest.

Why am I telling you this?

I know that kind of unplugging to rest is pure luxury.  It may not be something you’re able to do in this season of your life.  I’ve been there.  I remember hearing others talk about unplugging and wishing there was some way, somehow I could do that …

by Crystal Gornto Inspirational Words Love In Action Love in Family Loving Others Loving Yourself Motherhood Priorities The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
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Time away

Until I broke the silence yesterday, I was in the longest “blogless” stretch since I started blogging consistently in 2015.  That January, I joined a 7-day, daily blogging challenge with Seth Godin’s team and I liked it so much, that sort of like Forest Gump, I simply decided to keep going.  Since then, I’ve written more than 1000 posts.  It hasn’t been easy, of course.  It’s been a huge commitment, one that I’ve held myself to pretty intensely.  I would blog 5 days a week, no matter what.  until this year when I decided to intentionally choose to allow rest into my life as needed.

The last 10 days of silence were glaring evidence of that effort to allow myself to rest.

After our last GNO, we left early Friday morning to head out of town for my niece’s beautiful wedding in Florida.  As preparing for travel often is, by the time …

by Crystal Gornto Girl's Night Out Inspiration Love In Action Loving Yourself Motherhood Priorities Roadblocks in Life The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
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Learning to rest, not quit

This is me in 2014, at our very first-ever HeartStories event.  In some ways, it feels like an entire lifetime ago and in many ways, that’s true.  Especially for me, and the person I’ve become on this journey.  I’ve worked harder, longer hours than I ever dreamed possible.  I have sacrificed more than I ever thought I would.  It certainly feels I’ve learned more in the last six years since I began HeartStories, than I had my entire life, up until that point.  In fact, “learning” was something I would have put in a bucket of “have to do’s” instead of the bucket of “get to do’s”, like I do now.  Now, I crave more time to invest in learning and personal development.

In fact, so much so, that yesterday, it showed up in a perfect collision of several different inputs into my life.  

You may remember that at one of the …

by Crystal Gornto Female Social Entrepreneurs Girl's Night Out Inspiration Inspirational Leaders Inspirational Women Inspirational Words Loving Yourself Our Story Roadblocks in Life The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
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Don’t quit, rest

Maybe I’m a glutton for punishment, but one of my all-time favorite pastimes is trying to bodysurf the waves on the beach in Mexico.  I can’t simply “lay out” like a grown up and just enjoy the sun and the sound of the rolling waves.  I have to get in there! It started when I was about nine years old, my parents bought a week at a timeshare on the beach and that became our summer vacation every year.   We would get out there, right where the waves would crest and tread water.  We’d laugh and scream for hours, excitedly awaiting the arrival of “The Big Kahuna” so we could catch it and ride it in.  Sometimes we would catch in with the great pride of accomplishment, but most times, we’d just get washed up on the shore, with only half our swimsuits, hair tangled all over our faces and …

by Crystal Gornto Girl's Night Out Inspiration Love In Action Roadblocks in Life The Journey Through Life 1 comment chat
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What does rest look like?

 

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!”  I’ve always loved this quote by Hunter Thomspon.

And oh, how I still do. 

But this year, after rounding the curve of forty, while building a business and a house, while both kids are entering the puberty years, it sort of feels like the “thoroughly used up and worn out” part came earlier than the skidding in broadside in a cloud of smoke with a joy ride proclamation!

My friend Wendi gathers this lovely group of women once a quarter, with the sole purpose of supporting, connecting and inspiring one another.  It’s the AC3 group and if you’ve been around here long, you’ve met them before. We met last Thursday …

by Crystal Gornto Female Social Entrepreneurs Girl's Night Out Inspirational Women Loving Others Loving Yourself Priorities The Journey Through Life 1 comment chat
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