What's Next?
Updated: Aug 4, 2020
New Year. New Me. Am I right? haha...just kidding. New year, same me. Can you imagine how exhausting, not to mention confusing it would be to become a new you every year? No thanks. However, every year we can build on the last, we can become better versions of ourselves. More experienced, more driven, more passionate, more aware of who we are.
Become so confident in who you are, that no one's opinion, rejection or behavior can rock you.
2019 was interesting. I believe that to be true with almost every year. As I typically expect certain things to happen or play out a particular way, and I usually wound up wrong and surprised. It's crazy how much can happen in a year, yet how fast a year can fly by. I am sure you can reflect on your personal ups and downs of the year. The struggles, the laughs, the questions, the feeling of, what's next?
Sometime's not getting what you wanted, is exactly what you needed.
There are so many memories, experiences and learning moments I will take away from the last 365 days.
I started this year in my favorite place, Nashville...duh. With some one of a kind people. I was a little full of wanderlust, maybe too go with the flow at times, very live in the moment. I was in the middle of deep soul searching while preparing for Miss USA. I discovered so many things about myself. I was pushed outside my comfort zone.
I was pushed, spending forty hours a week at work, making 56 appearances adding up to countless hours of volunteering and travel, trying to eat right and workout multiple times a day. At times I felt overwhelmed. At times I felt as though I have never had a closer relationship to my Savior than ever before. Sometimes I felt a million miles removed from my faith. I was tested in relationships, in friendships, in life.
Life is full of ups and downs. Without the downs, we wouldn't recognize the ups.
I had the biggest what's next moment of my life in 2019. By God's grace and favor on my life, this May marked the day I competed in Miss USA, and also the last day I would ever compete in a pageant ever again. As much as I down play this moment in my life, it was rather astonishing. I find myself sometimes not sharing my excitements with others as often as I should, as to not shine my light so bright it may offend someone. I have been learning every day that it's a shame to do such a thing. I am here to remind us all to never be embarrassed with what God has blessed your life with. Hiding our accomplishments is only hurting ourselves and diminishing God's value in our lives. But hey, none of us are perfect.
Tis' the season of new beginnings and I know I will be working on never dimming my light to make others feel comfortable. I also know that I don't always believe in myself 100% of the time, but I have proven many times over that when I set my heart, mind and soul on something, I can achieve it. If you try, I bet you can too. ;)
Miserable people focus on the things they hate about their life. Happy people focus on the things they love about their life.
As the year begins again, what will you choose to focus your time and energy on? We are more well equipped than last year to execute our goals and one year closer to seeing them come true. We live in a world of influences and flashy photos. So remind yourself, to not compare, keep following YOUR journey. No one is living the same life as you are in this moment. I have to remind myself day after day to not measure my successes or goals based on worldly measurements, but on unworldly measurements. God's goals for our life may be too big for us to accomplish on our own. They may not look shiny, or come in the form of 100k followers. They may not be exactly what we pictured, but I can promise you the product will be greater than anything we could have imagined. I constantly get caught up in this cyber world around us. When I do, I feel so far away from true, genuine human connection. That's when I have to remind myself of what matters. We shouldn't weigh value in our likes and mentions, but rather in our hearts, in who we are, in how we treat others, in how people see God because of our actions. I want to live every day with purpose and intent. I want to leave a footprint in real life, not just online. What do you want to do this year?
Take the pressure off the new year by focusing on what you can control vs. what you can't.
8 things you can control
Your Beliefs
Your Thoughts
Your Reactions
Your Own Efforts
What Books You Read
How Often You Exercise
How Kind You Are To Others
How You Take Calculated Risks
Your Girl Next Door and So Much More,
Danika Tramburg