Living a Life of Purpose

This is the most meaningful post I have ever written.

It has been a few weeks since last posting, not for lack of content but what seemed like a lack of clear direction in life in general. There was an internally strong pull to take a step back from all that was going on and since that couldn’t mean stepping away from projects, work + home, this website and blog was one thing I had to take a pause from. However, it proved to be the perfect time to open my heart to God and let Him speak to me the purpose He has set. Though I am certain I have not fully realized what it is, I did hear very clearly that my first step was to “SIMPLIFY”.  Over the past several years life has been in constant motion + mostly chaotic but in everything I have ever done there has always been a need to break through the noise, clutter + distractions. When things are overwhelming I have an almost manic urge to clear it all out until order is restored but it usually just falls back into disarray. So in trying to figure out how I can use my purpose to continue to encourage myself and others to simplify + minimize the noise, I realized my website and blog are where and how I can hopefully achieve this.

Having worked in the busy corporate(ish) world with high demands in which I sacrificed taking proper care of myself + family, to now being home with the ones I love, has been a huge eye opener. For the first few years of being a “stay-at-home mom” I fought the notion with every fiber of my body. I was insistent that I needed to be working outside the home to be considered important, or worthy, or a contributor even though loved ones were saying otherwise. What I am grateful for is not only were they right but that they also let me go along this journey for the past 2 years at my own pace. It has only been recently that I stopped fighting it; stopped trying to control it all + stopped trying to have it all.

My purpose of cutting out the noise + ignoring the burden of feeling like we always have to be “on” is now taking shape in our family. We are beginning to pare down the amount of things we own + buy (I’m reeealllly struggling with this one) and we are investing more in the upkeep of our home + our relationships with each other. We are cherishing what God has blessed us with as nothing in our lives has been acquired without His grace. The pressure to be, have + do “all the things” is bogus. Instead of leaning in, I’m pulling back. Instead of buying to compete, I’m buying for necessity or joy. Instead of saying yes to every function or outing due to FOMO, I’m saying “maybe next time”. And if there isn’t a next time, it’s OK. But it’s not OK if there isn’t a next time with the ones I truly love. It is apparent that in today’s world there is little time to keep up with the daily grind, let alone actually have time to sit, unwind + enjoy the ones you love.

Wherever you are – at work, home, on a date, or on the playground with your kids – strive to be as wholly present + engaged as possible. This is incredibly hard to do considering how we have been conditioned as a society but I believe it can be done to some extent. I still stink at it. There are many times I find myself looking at my phone instead of my kids but when I mentally check-in with I usually stop and get back to real life.

Let me be very clear that creating a life of intention, being present and being mindful is NOT about having it all + being able to do everything well. On the contrary it is about having less + doing less. Being thoughtful in your purchases, or use of time, or placement of things. It’s about tuning in to yourself and others to really be able to satisfy needs.

As far as my intention goes with my lifestyle blog, I initially began this with the purpose of sharing my design + fashion inspiration but I never fine-tuned the focus or direction of what I wanted to convey in these posts. After taking some time to see what the common theme was with all (or most) of my posts, I realized that the purpose was there all along, just not clearly expressed in my mind. So moving forward, my lifestyle posts will be centered around living in style with intention + purpose. Not with having it all or doing it all, but having and doing what makes you happy. It is meant to inspire!

The constant push of retail companies to buy more + buy often is one that I aim to avoid. While I won’t deny consumerism is a factor in this, I will always try to promote mindful pieces. My hope is to continue to inspire a life of simplicity + purpose for others, to give ideas on how to cancel out the noise + how to love the home, family, + things we all have been blessed with!

This was an extremely vulnerable post to publish but I feel the time is right to move forward more purposefully, simply + intentionally. I hope you find inspiration here to do so, too!

How have you simplified your life? What inspires you to be a better person? I’d love to hear tips, tricks + advice!