It’s July 1st and officially half way through 2014! Seems crazy, but looking back I can’t believe how much has happened this year. On the other hand, there are a few of my 2014 goals that need a little spark! A little fire lit under them if you know what I mean 😉 In this post I’ll be sharing exactly where that little fire has come from… which is exciting and terrifying all at the same time!

A friend of mine gave me the book The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin (gretchenrubin.com) because she knew it would speak directly to my heart. Sure enough it has acted as a catalyst for the next phase of growth in my life. As growth usually happens, everything in the universe has perfectly aligned to get the message across– it’s time to grow, change and step out of your comfort zone Jahneva! And while this isn’t the first time this has happened, it seems that with each “growth spurt” I get even more in tune with myself, more aligned with God’s plan for my life and more confident that I’m living the life I’m meant to.

If you don’t know me, it’s worth mentioning that I’m the type of person who is constantly trying to improve my home, my career, my marriage, etc. It’s also worth mentioning that none of these areas of my life are inadequate. In fact, they’re all pretty amazing. I’m just one of those people. I’m extremely grateful for the things that are going great in my life yet I feel like I’ve been blessed with the talents to make life even better for myself and the people I impact.

This most recent “need to grow” realization happened over a series of months, one message after another from work, friends, family, church, and of course the age-old internet. I happened to read an email I wouldn’t usually read, I tried out a new church on vacation, I read a book I’d been putting off, I caught back up to my Bible reading plan… and everything, everything, kept yelling the same things at me. It’s time. It’s time to push yourself and see what you’re really capable of. Let’s. Get. Serious.

What I realized this last week is that I am actually terrified of this. I’ve been taking small steps over the past few years to make big changes in the way I live. But this, this is scary for me. Why? I did a little digging…

Turns out that I stink at commitments. Not big hairy commitments, like becoming a teacher with no experience with Teach For America, or getting married, or buying a house when I was 21. But commitments that require you to push yourself every single day to be better from the inside out… the ones you have to achieve with nothing but self motivation and willpower… the ones that force you to be vulnerable. Those terrify me.

In fact, small daily actions are exactly what my personality was designed to struggle with according to Myers-Briggs. But again, I’m ready to put myself out there and prove that I can be the person I’m meant to. It’s time to be bold and step into life.

With that, I will talk to you tomorrow… this blog being my accountability. If I don’t post on here 6 days a week then you and the rest of the world will know that I’m failing. Feel free to hold me accountable 🙂

What have you done recently that terrified you? Did you finally go skydiving, travel somewhere or quit that job you hated? I want to hear about it! Let’s learn from each other!

Love and gratitude,
❤ jahneva