Weekend Review : The Importance of Slowing Down

I had so many big plans for this blog post. Me and my husband had plans to visit our friends in Memphis. They just purchased their first house (Yay for homeownership!!) and since we aren't able to make it to their housewarming next month, we wanted to spend the weekend with them. Not only are they family, they are a great couple where both the wives and husbands are bff's (can I still use that word at 32?). When I planned this weekend blog post, I knew I would have all these recommendations on places to visit and restaurants to eat in Memphis but of course life doesn't work out the way you planned. They informed us last week they had to travel home (family emergency) and we would have to move our weekend trip for another time.

Husband came up with the idea of going to his family home in Mississippi to see his mother since we had already planned to be out of town this weekend. Of course I said yes (we recently lost my father in law and can tell it's affecting my mother in law in more ways than she wants to say) but I realized I would have to find another blog post for this week. Who would want a blog post revolving around sitting in the Mississippi countryside watching the sunset and looking thru old pictures? It wasn't until I was here that I realized just how important it is to have balance.

For reference, I have a full time job in corporate Finance, an Instagram page that gets bigger every week, a YouTube channel where I post weekly, this blog where I post weekly, a jewelry company where I hand make 150+ bracelets & necklaces every month, a book club where I plan, create, and execute a book club meeting monthly .... oh and in all that, I still have to be a great wife, sister, aunt, and friend. You can see where my life might be a little busy - just a tad. I'm so comfortable being busy that when we decided to come here my first thought was "how am I going blog this? There's nothing to do". It wasn't until I got here, with little to no reception, that I began to relax and catch up on so many things I normally wouldn't have time for:

I started reading on of my favorite books (the book app on the Iphone is clutch)

Spent some time writing in my gratitude journal. At 32, I can honestly say I didn't think I would be where I am today and I haven't told myself how proud I am of myself. It's important to give yourself powerful words of encouragement. IT MATTERS!!

Read some articles I had marked on my laptop and never got around to it. The Everygirl and Refinery 29 are some of the fave places to go for lifestyle articles and Kiplinger is my one stop shop for everything personal finance.

Me and husband went to the town over to pickup some great burgers and I found the cutest coffee shop.

And because I had no reception, my phone became solely a camera and I was able to capture some great images.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy being busy. I live to create on all these platforms and starting my jewelry company has been a once in a lifetime opportunity but I have also come to realize the power of balance. I needed this weekend in more ways than one. I needed a rest and break from all my titles and I needed to sit back and enjoy how far I've come in life, where I am now, and the peace that comes from where I'm headed.

Take time - a few minutes, an hour, a day, a weekend - to allow your body to relax and recharge. You may not realize it but your body is craving for a break.

Fearless Challenge: go 24 hours without some form of device - tv, cellphone, game system, whatever it may be. When you get urge to pickup that device, pickup a pen and write, go on a walk, read a book, whatever you need to feed your body instead of your urge. Let me know how it goes.