I'm DONE WAITING. Life is for LIVING!

Hey! So how has your January been so far? Can you even believe it is already 2014??
So, the inspiration behind this post came from being up late, writing in my journal, and looking back at old entries. I have to admit that there are times when I am awesome at writing......and then there are the other times. But, what I was looking at was how much space I had taken up in my journal in a year. It was definitely wild to think that if I wrote the same amount this year. That page, right there, would hold everything I was up to exactly a year form now. Maybe questions would have answers and there would be even more questions to be answered. And when I started thinking about it in pages--because truly, it is my story--I thought about how life is all just a matter of time. Then I thought about all of the times I told myself, "Just got to make it to the weekend" but the weekend soon comes and goes. Or "only 4 more months and the braces come off, and won't look like I'm ten" (I still look pretty young.....and the braces are long gone. :)  ) Or even "just have to graduate high school." Well that has come and gone.....and you better believe that I was one happy girl when I turned that page, but still, life is crazy as ever, and it feels like high school never even happened!

My point is that I have found that I often tell myself I have to just make it to the next mark. But as I was looking through my journal I couldn't help but think about all of the people who have told me they wish they were back in college, in my shoes. And then I thought, "you know what? I'm done wishing my life away." I don't mean that I've missed out per say, but when you (keep in mind I am a planner by nature) are constantly looking to the future to the point that only your physical body is living in the present, I'm afraid that one day, you will realize--I would realize--that I barely even experienced my own life. I find myself around so many people who are waiting. I don't mean that they're wasting their lives away, but still they're either waiting to get out of school, waiting for that missionary to come home, or waiting to meet they're eternal spouse. I have found myself in that category--waiting for the next mark--far too many times. Points come and go, and I have found that when I am too focused on the end result, (which often just comes and goes, I miss the entire journey.

So! This is my latest and greatest project, and anyone and everyone is welcome to participate. It is a personal project, but I would love to hear all about your version, if you so choose to accept it! ;) 

First let me ask, what can you do in a year? Well, um......you could pull off quite a bit in a year....
MY POINT EXACTLY!! So instead of "getting through" the next year or six months or two weeks--wherever your next benchmark is, for me, I'm using a year--I am going to instead fill it full of incredible things and see how amazing I can make the next year. I'm sure a few of you are thinking, well, isn't this pretty much new years resolutions?? Similar, but not exactly. Often new years resolutions involve sticking with something for a specific amount of time--which potentially brings us back to the waiting game.

Let me give you some examples:
1. I love yoga. I'm not setting a goal to do it every morning for the next year, but rather am going to do it as often as I can just because I love it.
2. I would like to get in shape, and learn to enjoy running. I'm not setting a goal to run a marathon in two years, or even a mile in a certain amount of time. Instead I'm curious as to how much I could accomplish in the next year.
3. I can cook pretty well now, but I have only scratched the surface. Over the next year I want to thoroughly explore my extensive cook book collection, and enjoy time in the kitchen with friends and family.

Does that kind of make sense? No time commitments, no set plans, but the challenge of what you could do within a year.
**Personal Note:
On a more spiritual note, I want to be that much better of a person in a year from now as well. So, I bought a calendar and for the next year (so on each and every day) I am going to try to do something Christ would do(some kind of service, etc.), and write it on that day's square.

It is most definitely a person goal/challenge/experience, but no matter what, I would love for you to just see what you can accomplish--anything and everything--in the next year, please share below in the comments! The more the merrier! :) I think we can all use more doing and less waiting for our chapters to turn.

As always, love ya'

Tayler