the journal

usually, i wait to do a wrap-up blog at the end of the year. but this year, i got lots of stuff on my mind and writing helps get things off my mind. and as you might guess this year has been all about hard. it started out as a list of things that may challenge me throughout the year, knowing that it would be tweaked along the way...only God knew what that would look like.  my initial hard list is in a past blog and below is the final list of things that i have accomplished (or am in the process of). while this list, originally was to be more physical...it definitely ended up being more mental/emotional - there were more tears than i care to admit! 5-minute rower workout PUPP plank - 90 seconds 100 lb sled pull friend party will completed/signed read 11 books warrior 1 pose - 60 seconds Biogirls volunteer break up finish 5k landscaped front of the building at work 16.2-mile bike ride around Lake Carlos debt free Hello Fresh meals - 7 weeks terminated from job job searching/interview...

there is no way I could have known how hard this year would be when i chose "hard" as my word for 2023. one of my previous posts included a list of hard things to accomplish by the end of this year. when i created the list, it was more of a goal list or things to accomplish list and to just do hard things. i am the type of a person if i am not able to complete something it really bothers me. My fear is that i failed by not actually completing the list. i vowed to myself that i would be flexible, not knowing what that meant.  as the year went on, boy did that list change. "hard" things i couldn't even imagine happening to me, and yet knowing and trusting each "hard" thing is part of a bigger plan. God's plan. my hardest hard in 2023 was being fired from a job. i can't even really say why. all i know is six months prior things started to change. physically, i was suffering from headaches and knots in my stomach. Stress was at an all-time high, an...

a little surprised by some unexpected feelings tonight. for some reason i was thinking about my 2023 word - hard. life is hard. really hard.  i can really appreciate life being hard as I - 100% - believe that is where the opportunities are to learn and grow. having (and surviving) hard experiences keep us evolving into the person we were meant to become. those hard times will push us out of our comfort zone and in the long run, make us better people. that being said....it is often times after going through those difficult times we can say we are better people. in the moment, it definitely sucks (to say it nicely). the thing about life being hard is our lack of control over it. no matter what we do (or don't do) or who we try to bargain with, we can not control the outcome of our hard experiences. as hard as it is, sometimes we just need to embrace it. so my friends, if you are in a hard season...keep going. one step at a time. embrace the hard.  kim

  already five days into 2023...a good time to claim "the" word for this year.  hard. yep. hard.  2023 will be the year to accomplish hard things. this year i turn 49 and the word hard really appeals to me. back in november, i set some tough goals. one night watching tiktok, i got the idea to do 23 hard things in 2023. they are as follows: 100 rows on a rowing machine sled pull with 100 pounds 4 rounds elbow plank - hold for 90 seconds pupp plank - hold for 90 seconds jump rope 5 minutes consecutively kettlebell swings - 30 pain-free kettlebell snatches - pain-free two yoga poses held for 60 seconds each stance jump to mid-size box completely run a 5k 75 toe pushups bike ride to glenwood, melrose, or sauk centre triathlon or swimming portion handstand hike bean/bear loop trail  paddleboard around lake beauty walk/run half marathon play piano 2-3 times a week with a scheduled recital blog 5 times read 6-8 books volunteer for two community events be proud and capt...

another year has come and is almost gone. my word this year was peace. to find peace in activities i did, to let go of people who were not serving me a healthy purpose, to build new connections with people who make me a better person, and to strengthen relationships with those who have been an integral part of my life for several years.  my goal this year was to be conscious of finding peace while in the moment. i must admit i wasn't very good at being in the moment and recognizing peace. to be honest, i am not sure if it was even possible to know at the moment if i was at peace or not.  looking back over the year, there were many peaceful moments that i am very grateful for. and while there were plenty of ups and downs this year, the harmony i feel tonight is ... well ... full of peace. 

being thankful seems relatively easy on a day like today. there are so many obvious things to be thankful for...family, friends, food, vehicles, jobs, homes, health, etc. there are so many things...where does the list get cut off? today, i want to take giving thanks to another level. a level that many people may not even think of. i am thankful for the trials and tribulations of life. because each one of those trials gave me an appreciation of the joy that follows. in my experience, joy does follow a tribulation. it can take time to appear. it definitely leads us down a path of pain and discomfort. but, if you look hard enough, joy is there.  these hard experiences may bring new people into our lives during our trials and disappear shortly after. or they become our best friends during these difficult times. it may be growing and learning from the situation to be better than you were yesterday.  or, it may even be as simple as waking up the next morning, swinging your legs out ...