Unfiltered New Year

As we get ready to bid farewell to this year and step into the embrace of the new… I can’t help but reflect over the past seasons that this past year has brought. And no, I don’t mean winter, spring, summer, or fall, but rather the seasons of life that we all lived through this year. That we all hopefully grew through this year, whether by choice or by forces beyond our control. Some seasons longer than others or longer for others.

Personally, this past year has been the hardest of my life. Without going too much into detail as that will come another time, but I lost two very important people in my life. In addition to that, having had an out of state move midyear which put a few states in between me and my family and friends back in Florida, as well as having faced a couple of different health issues, I was stretched like never before. At the very beginning of this year, I got a word from the Lord telling me to prepare for transition and to prepare to be STRETCHED. I told my husband about that message and in my own mind I told myself “Okay, you got this,”. But as life began lifing, and my world quite literally got turned upside down with grief, there were many moments where I can truly say I felt like “okay, I don’t got this”. I spent majority of the year in a season of being stretched and whew, talk about uncomfortable.

So, if you’ve had a hard year or hard times, and at times or maybe even felt or feel like “okay, I don’t got this” I want you to know that’s okay. We don’t always have to have it; we just need to trust and believe that God does. This year has been a real test of faith, and we know that faith untested isn’t faith at all. Though the stretching at times felt as though I would burst at the seams, God did not allow that to happen. God was doing a thing and building within me the type of perseverance, growth, and strength that only comes from Him.

This year in starting Unfiltered Womanhood, I wanted to connect with and help other women navigate authentically through life by writing about and sharing some of the tools that I’ve used or currently use that have made my life so much better. They’ve made me who I am, a better woman, a better wife, a better mother, a better daughter, a better sister, and a better friend. These things have allowed me to be the same person both in real life and online, those who personally know me will attest to this. Tools that help me to stand bold in my authenticity and present in my reality. I realize in today’s day and age this seems like a rarity, but I promise you, if I can do it, so can you. I look forward to growing, learning, and sharing more as we embark on this New Year. Thank you for being here and a part of this Unfiltered community. I’m thankful for your journey. So, as you strive to continue in your unfiltered journey in this next season and year, I want you to lighten your load and forget the grand proclamations, the pressure to transform on a manufactured timetable. This coming year, we’re making gentle shifts, whispering promises to our hearts and souls, planting seeds, tending to our own gardens and allowing things to grow and bloom in God’s perfect timing. May our silent innerworkings be the loudest through our actions, and may the work do the talking before we ever utter a word. Remember online spaces shouldn’t be a stage for a performance, but a conduit for authentic connection. Life isn’t a contest to be won on the social media battlefield. Life is about finding joy in the ordinary, allowing light to enter through the cracks, discovering beauty in hidden places, and building communities and strength as we rise above life’s challenges. I know the TikTok generation has so many people thinking that life is best lived in “eras” and #hashtags, but life is best lived moment by moment and day by day. The goal isn’t to be perfect; the goal is to be your best self. This happens by trying your best, surrounding yourself with the best, holding yourself accountable, setting standards for your life, and living out your full potential. This means being present and showing up as yourself no matter what room you enter, now that’s worth celebrating all year long! Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and unfiltered New Year!

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