I hope everyone has been having a beautiful week!

I am happy to share Day Three of the Grow With Love: Letters project today!  In Day One we set our compasses for the year and in Day Two we made a deliberate effort to focus on the positive foundations of ourselves.  Today’s post ventures into sharing encouragement and gaining big picture perspective.  Let’s take a peek:

Right from the off I could see how this may be a heavy page for myself.  There is a page I’ve been wanting needing to scrap for almost two years now.  But it’s one of those emotional, cathartic types and frankly I’ve been avoiding it.  Not entirely intentionally, but it was easy to scrap the other lighter things.  And so I have been.  In fact, I actually tried to think of something else to scrap for this prompt.  But this page kept tugging at me and it turns out this prompt was a perfect and timely opportunity to finally dive in.  Because this page that has been brewing is a perfect example of a “hindsight is 20-20” moment for me.

So for me, it was a bit challenging.  But then, also amazingly empowering and encouraging.  The whole process of scrapping this prompt became a reminder for me of the big picture.  And my big picture is framed by my beliefs and experiences, but it tells me that even in those moments when I feel so out of control, there is a plan (and a better one than my own).  My lesson was, to a degree, at its core: “when you are grateful fear disappears and abundance appears”.  It can be so reassuring and reaffirming to look back in hindsight and be able to discern the reasons for the tougher moments.  And to learn from them so when faced with challenges in the future I can rely on what I know is true instead of being guided solely by the moments in the present.

So, all that said.  My page looks a little dark and scary (and if anyone is familiar with my scrapping, I don’t do dark and scary).  BUT really the message for me, the process for me, and the hindsight I am communicating is…light and beautiful and amazing.  I think I may do a second accompaniment page for this prompt.  To kind of echo the beauty of hindsight.  Because two years later, things are not this dark.

So how does this prompt speak to you?  Do you have a moment, like me, that is clear to you now, but that seemed muddy once upon a time?  Or is your hindsight moment one full of humour?  Is it a “note to self”?  Think about some of the lessons you feel you’ve learned in life and trace it back to the beginning…how did you learn it?  Where does your wisdom in life come from?  What experiences got you to where you are?  Consider all of that as you think of writing this letter.

Can’t wait to see!  Happy Growing and Happy Scrapping!

Crystal will be presenting the fourth prompt for Letters next Wednesday.

Happy Sunday!

I am posting today’s prompt for Grow With Love: Letters on behalf of our dear Crystal as her home and family continue to be beseiged with the flu.  🙁  My heart aches for her knowing how horrible that can be and so wanted to lighten her load in any way I could.  So… I’m happy to bring you Day Two of the project!  You can find Day One {here} and as always are welcome to join in at any time!

Yesterday we reflected on setting our course for the year as we wrote our thoughts and hopes and wishes and goals to ourselves.  Let’s take a look at today’s prompt which will have us shifting our perspective just a wee bit more:

As Crystal and I thought about and discussed resolutions and goals and words of years past, we realized that sometimes our own journeys of seeking change and evolution and betterment fell flat.  Sometimes we would feel preoccupied with the uglier parts of ourselves we were seeking to change.  Sometimes that process even had us feeling disappointed in ourselves if we didn’t meet the goals or stick with a program or if we put too much on our plates.  So we wanted to frame these prompts in a tone of realistic expectations and in the framework of building upon the good that is already there.  In ourselves.  And our lives. And our relationships.  And so today’s prompt kind of evolved from that hope for ourselves and this project: we want to accentuate the positives not just work to better the negatives.

To me, this prompt is not meant to naive or be all “rainbows and bunny rabbits” so to speak…I approached it as a way to direct my steps in a positive line and avoid bullying myself or letting my insecurities take a hold in my thinking.  As one who has sometimes been too hard on myself and who has had difficulty seeing what others see in me, I have come to believe that edifying ourselves can be as important as edifying others.  And so it was in that spirit that I approached this prompt.  Here’s what I came up with for Day Two:

I was inspired by my own recent reflections and studies and by songs that have inspired me and by listing…so I listed 32 things for my 32 years and I incorporated some inspiring musings from lyrics I love into my own “talking to myself” journaling.  Your approach to affirming yourself or shining the light on the positives you hope to build upon this year may come in a different way..let your letter writing flow however you are inspired.

We can’t wait to see your pages too!

I do want to say again, as we get into this project more and as it is so journaling heavy… as with all our Grow With Love projects, we know these pages can be very personal and something you may not feel comfortable sharing in a gallery OR you may want to share, but do not feel comfortable sharing the words…that’s ok completely!  I usually do share my words, but some pages I like to hold the journaling closer.  We would love to see your pages and encourage you but ultimately, this is a scrapping journey for YOU.  So share as you are comforable.

Hope you have a beautiful day! Happy Scrapping!