My oldest son turned 17 last week which means, time has officially reminded me that it has sped up without any apologies. Next year my son will be a senior in High School and then out of the house; a time filled with excitement, anxiety and the desire to be able to rewind time! An impossible request I know, but a clear picture of how I feel. Admittedly, I go through this with all my children through every milestone.

Looking back can be a gift.

I thought through his 16th year and all of the experiences he had for the first time.  They all seemed so transformative and monumental!  Then I realized that he’s been experiencing “firsts” every year of his life since he took his first breath and in their own way, they are transformative and monumental every time!

As my first child, he’s given me the gift of experiencing many “firsts” through this parental journey.  “We’ve never been a parent to a 17 yr old before!” These words will come out of my husband and I’s mouth at least 100 times this year; just like every year.

Life is a teacher that continues to keep us on our toes.

My point is this.  Most of the time when we begin a journey it’s the very first time that we’ve embarked in that particular territory.  If you think about it, we have thousands of firsts throughout our life. Like, taking our first breath, our first steps, first bite of pizza, first day of school, and our first embarrassing moment AT school.  Our first time driving a car, first kiss….sigh, first paycheck, first heartbreak, our first time away from home, our first true love.  Our first child, that first speeding ticket, the first death of a loved one, the first gift of forgiveness.

Did I just take you back to a few places you haven’t been in a while?  Some firsts we get to ponder on, strategize, and even over analyze, but some firsts come at us like a thief in the night.  It’s interesting to see how our lives change and evolve this way. When you look back with courage and embrace the learning that occurred in those “firsts,” both painful and glorious, you will understand that going through those experiences were vital for you to gain your superpowers.

This reminds me of a book I’m reading that I just can’t put down.

It’s called How To Be a Heroine or What I’ve Learned From Reading Too Much, by Samantha Ellis.

Find it HERE

In her book, Ellis revisits the story of Anne of Green Gables.  She writes, and I quote, “…Anne Shirley showed me that imagination could do a lot more. It could even be heroic.” Anne’s imagination aids her in many uncomfortable and sad circumstances. Her imagination was her superpower and it helped her cope through her painful firsts. Orphaned at just three months old, she was raised in an orphanage and various homes where she was forced to live with different types of hateful women.

Finally, when she finds out she’s to be adopted she excitedly waits at the train station to be picked up by her new family.  After waiting and waiting (and using her imagination to relieve some of the anxiety she is feeling) she is told that there was a mistake and she was suppose to be a boy to be adopted by this elderly brother and sister.  Can you imagine the emotional roller coaster? It’s a powerful story and it was only in my adult years that I grew attached to this story.  (The Anne with an “e,” a Netflix series is a MUST WATCH! Just make sure you have a tissue in hand.)

Like you, I would rather have as many happy “firsts” as much as possible because the growth that happens there is more enjoyable and painless. Sometimes doing those “first’s” come right down to doing the next right thing. To live life on purpose.

We can do this by designing a personal rhythm of our life.

I’d like to introduce you to Emily P. Freeman.  She is an author, runs a writers club called Hope Writers, and Hosts a Podcast called The Next Right Thing (after 2.5 million downloads I’m probably the last one to finally learn about her).  I look forward to her Podcast every Monday and Newsletter once a month. I’m hooked!

Emily has written a book, The Next Right Thing and if you pre-order now or before April 1st, she has THREE FREE GIFTS for you. 

• Discern + Decide: (I had my 35 page workbook printed and spiral bound. I LOVE IT!) It’s a self-paced online class to help you make more soulful decisions and design a personal rhythm of life (this has 5 video lessons along with the workbook pdf) Available now as soon as you pre-order.
• Audiobook: Read by Emily, available on April 2nd.
• Behind the Scenes video: Emily answers questions about the book, the podcast, and gives you a peek at her podcast closet.

To Grab your Free Gifts…

FIRST: Pre-Order your book HERE

SECOND: Just enter your order number and claim your bonuses today before April 2 at the link below:

Claim Your Bonuses Here

So the next time your decisions leave you feeling anxious, overwhelmed, excited, exhausted, you name it!  Simply do the next right thing!