Written by Jesica & Colleen | Our reflections on the month of March... like dang, that went by quickly and more. We're happy the sun is out and plants are sprouting. We're ready to do some growing of our own this Spring.
March Madness is more real than it ever has been. And I'm not talking about sports. I have never been more than ready to see time "spring forward". Now that our days seem a little longer, it feels like there is finally time for things to begin to settle down into a routine. Between family emergencies, working part-time, and continuing to chase my dreams, our blog has been put on the back burner. We realize that our last post was over a month ago, not because we had nothing to say. Not because this blog was a phase we went through. Not because we forgot or because it isn't important. But because life happens in seasons. Some seasons are meant to be spent planting seeds, some meant to be spent gathering fruit, and others meant for reflecting on the experiences in-between. Colleen and I have both been in seasons of planting and gathering it seems. But without reflection we would never fully understand or experience everything we go through. So we write when we are dreaming. We write to keep record of our accomplishments and our setbacks. We write, trying to make sense of it all. Now, back to the statement I made about March Madness –– life is chaotic. And catching your dreams is even crazier. There is no manual, no formula, and no schedule. Cliché, I know. But true. Dreaming is fun, but catching your dreams is taxing. While I struggled with feeling a little cramped in Small Town USA rather than the Atlanta ice madness, just like Colleen, I had to keep myself busy. Over the past few weeks I have been chasing after multiple dreams. Taking on unpaid projects and internships to gain experience, becoming a part of a dance performance in a local production, attaching myself to a community, slowly beginning to finalize my own company, networking with individuals in media industries, and continuing to search for the job opening that best fits my desires. Sometimes dreamers remain uninspired, and exhausted in their efforts to catch their dreams. But that is why we have each other. Colleen helps encourage and inspire me when I can't find that in myself. If you find yourself uninspired to continue chasing one dream, don't give up on it. Let it rest while you reflect. And in the meantime chase another dream. As I come out of the state of exhaustion and feeling of being uninspired I begin to encourage myself. I created a vision board with room to add dreams that I wish to catch and dreams that I have caught. I post bible verses and famous quotes around my room. And since I am always on the go, I placed a dream catcher on the rear view mirror of my car. Like Colleen I began carrying a notebook to document any moment of significance. And I snap pictures to add to my vision board. Now I am surrounded by inspiration and encouragement. The season may be a slow one, maybe even a dry one. But the season change is just around the corner. Dream On. -J | Hello, Spring. I'm glad to see you. I'm ready to replace my hot lattes with iced coffees. I'm retiring my coats and worn boots for the season, and instead sporting a fresh pedicure with my sandals, in a pink shade that matches the cherry blossoms blooming outside. I may be a little over-eager, since the warm weather isn't officially here to stay, but this weekend's sixty-something degree temperature was plenty high enough to raise my spirits and my hemline. I spent an evening organizing my closet, packing up the winter clothes and hanging the spring ones. I gathered a bag for Goodwill. I always find it hard to let go of my clothes, especially ones that vividly bring back good memories. But I figured it's time as a post-grad to make room for fresh clothing and new memories. I even bought a new hanging door rack for organization on sale at Target, easy assembly required. Only requiring a screwdriver for six little screws, it truly was simple enough for me to fit the pieces together. I found peace in this. My room - and life - had become quite messy in the last weeks. February was furiously fast. After enduring a second bout of cabin fever with the Atlanta ice madness, I did whatever I could to stay busy and out of the house. I applied to journalism jobs all over the country, (although prayed extra hard for the climates that didn't involve snow). I volunteered for extra writing assignments, filling up my weekends. I was stretching myself in a few different directions, desperate to find a good fit. Suddenly, in March I had more on my plate than I had time to finish. I missed this feeling of a challenge. After speaking to Jesica on the phone recently, she pointed out the length of time that had passed since we blogged - now closer to two full months. I knew it had been a while, but hearing her say it made the reality of passing time sink in. Unfortunately, in the last weeks our blog had fallen lower on my priority list. Instead of "Dream of the Week" this post should be categorized as "Dream of the Month". This is not to be confused with a lack of pursuing my dreams or a lack of writing. Ironically, it's the opposite. I actually wrote this post weeks ago but let it sit in the drafts. Sometimes dreaming doesn't feel fruitful; do it anyways. When I was babysitting one Saturday night, after the kids were asleep, I filled up the last pages of the pocket-sized notebook I've been carrying at all times in my purse, as one of my 23 Dreams for 2014. Recently I've had a lot to reflect on. If I'm not blogging, it's usually because I'm out busy living the experiences first. My desire to write comes most strongly after my brain gets clogged with all the activity, people, places and things. That is when I'm most hungry for a quiet place and time to get it all down in words, to make sense of it. Just like organizing my closet, filling the lines of the notebook gives me a sense of calming order to chaos. It is important to take these times to check-in on your dream progress. Although I wished I made blogging a higher priority, I have kept in mind my goal to focus on blogging better, not necessarily more. Take for example, the drafts I've written by haven't published. These were healthy to write, but also healthy to realize they can be just for me to read. Maybe I'll come back to them later, with refining hindsight wisdom. Also to keep focus on my dreams, I bought a gold-painted pendant with the word imprinted on it (pictured above). I also found it at Target on sale, and couldn't help but indulge. I'm wearing it daily. Literally, the season is changing. But more than just turning the page of the calendar, I feel the season changing for my career, in a big way... So it's time to start a new notebook. I wanted a bright one to mirror my mood this Spring (okay, fine, I admit I already bought one at Target. I have no self-control when it comes to shopping). Things are starting to look sunnier already. Now, dream bigger. -C |