What I Learned | Winter 2020
Winter has been a bit of a dud around these parts. What is usually a very snowy and cold season has instead been mild and rainy. Flower bulbs are already beginning to break ground, signaling the start of spring. The birds have returned to their favorite perches and squirrels fat from their pre-winter gorge are scampering about, trying to work off the extra ounces and find their mate.
Even though I'm a winter girl through and through, I found myself growing restless this season. I am ready to press open my windows and purge the heaviness of the last few months. I am ready for the growth that comes with spring, but before all that, it's time to reflect. Once again, I join Emily Freeman in sharing some of the things I learned this season.
Here's what I learned this winter.
You just won't click with some authors.
I've done a bunch of reading over the last few months and have read multiple books by a few authors. One of those authors has an average of a 4.5-star rating on Goodreads and rave reviews. The thing is, I don't like his books. In fact, I can't stand them. I kept trying to get into the stories and telling myself that I was only a few pages away from whatever was in there that would make me fall in love with those words. It never happened. I've had to learn that there are some authors I just won't click with. Even if every other reader seems to love them. And that's okay.
It's always best to be true to yourself.
This winter, I made the decision to return to private social media accounts. I changed my handles, removed the links in my bios, unfollowed the people with whom I had no real relationship, and started posting content about topics that matter to me. I had grown so weary of making sure my Instagram account had the right aesthetic and only featured posts that were curated for select followers. I discovered that I enjoy following people whose feeds aren’t perfect and posts are real and raw with emotion. Making these changes has been good for my soul.
Even people who look like they have it all together are crumbling on the inside.
I remember walking through this beautiful luxury model home once. I wasn't in the market to purchase, but I'd had my eye on this house for ages and was dying to get a peek inside. It was gorgeous, but being the daughter of a carpenter, my eye naturally gravitated to the imperfections. The stress cracks along the ceilings and the chips in the marble kitchen counter. The lopsided cabinet doors and the mismatched hardware in the bathroom. It looked perfect on the outside but wasn't what I expected once I stepped inside.
I was reminded of this house as I listened to a blogger friend share on her Youtube channel about her recent decision to leave her husband. Until this moment, I thought her life was perfect - a loving husband, adorable children, a beautiful home, the ability to do what she loved every day. Picture perfect. But I realized that even the people who seem to have it all together on the outside are crumbling on the inside. We never really know what is going on in someone's personal life until we walk a mile in their shoes and we certainly cannot judge what we cannot see.
When I have an anxious mind, I can try a new form of meditation.
Meditation is great at combating anxiety, but there are some days when I can't sit still, let alone focus on clearing my mind. This season, I was blessed to stumble on an article (I couldn't find it to link here) that detailed a meditation exercise to try. It's called "5, 4, 3, 2, 1." While sitting in a quiet space, I slowly tick off five things I can see, four things I can feel, three things I can hear, two things I can smell, and one thing I can taste. This gently nudges my mind away from whatever has me worried and instead focuses it on feelings, things that are tangible, and I would recommend it to anyone who struggles with a traditional meditation practice.
Harris Teeter has the best selection and prices on Twinings tea.
If you've been reading here for any length of time, you know I'm a big tea drinker. From Oolong to Earl Grey, peppermint green to Russian black, I love everything in the tea spectrum. While doing my weekly shopping at the Teet, I happened to notice that Twining's boxes of tea bags were priced ridiculously lower than any other store I frequent. Plus, they had such a great selection. Obviously, I stocked up, which came in handy when flu season rolled around. I thank the tea gods every time I wake up with a scratchy throat or feel a chill and promptly brew myself a big mug full.
