Howdy 🙂
Today we are going to talk about how in my life, things never really go as planned. Sounds fun, right? Let’s start off with this morning.
I had big plans of not eating a carrot cake cupcake.
There was a better plan for me to have one and truly enjoy it 🙂
Later I had big plans of eating another cupcake for lunch.
There was a better plan for me to eat the last of my Bob’s Red Mill Veggi Soup with parmesan (which I am sad about by the way…the fact that it’s the last of it that is!)
OK, so those two examples aren’t really all that great, BUT I thought I’d try to find a fun way to incorporate the little theme of my plans versus a bigger and better plan. I feel like my life has been chock-full of situations like that…
I planned on being an Olympic gymnast, a journalist, an editor, a physical therapist, a hotel big-wig, a personal trainer, a teacher, and a chef. Although I don’t know why I decided I didn’t want to be all of those things, I do know that my calling to write and to photography are stronger everyday, and my passion for both is far beyond the passion I had for all of the other things I thought I wanted to do. And y’all…that BLOWS MY MIND (in a really good way :))!
I planned on being stick-thin my entire life, rarely eating, over-exercising, and staying that way. I’m so proud and lucky to say that there are bigger and better plans for me than that…plans to be healthy, happy, and truly enjoy food and movement. There are days that I think, “Oh, if only I had the self-control to just not eat that I had when I was younger…” but there’s not a day that I act on that anymore. For that I am truly, TRULY thankful! I can’t imagine how miserable my life would be if I couldn’t enjoy food and exercise for what they are there to do!
I planned on not having children. It’s not that I didn’t like kids, I just figured I didn’t want them and there were already too many in the world anyway. I’m thankful that I now feel called, more strongly than ever, to have children and/or adopt children…I just want kids! I want to love them, nurture them, teach them, and I want to watch my husband be the amazing father I know he’s going to be. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with not wanting children, but I am personally thankful to have that desire in my life!
I planned on living in Texas forever. And not that I would mind that, but Colorado has opened my eyes to a brand-new world, has introduced me to some amazing people, and has taught me far more about myself than I ever imagined possible. Plus it’s super-pretty 🙂
Finally, but most importantly, I had big plans to marry a really good guy. There were much bigger and better plans for me to marry the BEST guy!
My husband has taught me love, patience, fun, joy, excitement, passion, leadership, submission, care, devotion, and faithfulness to an extent that I never thought was possible. I’m convinced that there is no other man on this earth who could love me the way that he loves me…and I am so incredibly thankful that he is part of the BETTER plan for my life 🙂
Now that I got myself all teary-eyed, what’s something that you planned on that didn’t happen…but then it turned out that there was a better plan all along? I can’t wait to hear what you guys have in store here! C’mon – make me cry! 🙂
Awesome post! This is so the story of my current life! Well, in that I’m learning that plans don’t always work out exactly how I planned them, and that it is okay.
For a long time I didn’t think I wanted children either, but like a light switch one day I decided I did want children. I also thought I would get pregnant right away. 7 months and lots of lessons later I’m finally learning that things don’t always happen with the snap of a finger and that patience, hope, and positivity will get me through!
And that’s the first time I’ve EVER written about that part of my life!
Love the husband/dog pic!!!!
Oh good gosh…this was such a good post to read. (and especially for me today…I needed this) The whole idea that things happen and workout for a reason is something that hits home for me today. Thank you Heather…thank you.
Love your big plans and your better plans.
I had big plans to be a Dr… but the better plan was for me to be an eningeer.. I truely enjoy what I do on day to day basis 🙂
I feel like everything that didn’t work out, it was always because there was a better plan out there. haha. Or maybe that how I frame it in my head most the time. Not sure. haha. I definitely have the better husband though. Definitely a better plan.
This is a refreshingly honest and wonderful post 🙂 There are plenty of plans I had, that no longer seem important. There are more (and better!) things I did NOT plan on , that seem to continuously pop up and surprise me for the better! Meeting someone I want to be with forever, planning our move to CO (yay!), looking into areas of my career that interest me and realizing I have all the time in the world to dip into every single one of them, etc etc.!
🙂 thanks for the thought-provoking start to my Friday morning!
I also never planned to get married or have kids. I was very cynical about it. Along came Peter, he helped to bring me back to Christ, and my life just did a complete turn. I am happier than I have EVER imagined I could be. And I just want to share that joy with others. I never planned to do anything but teach, but now I just want to share my love for fitness and help others see how beautiful they are.
First, I love the pic of your hubby and dog- sooo cute!
I had big plans to plan out every aspect of my life… but now I have better plans of not having to control everything, and instead enjoying the wonderful twists and turns that come my way. I couldn’t be happier! 🙂
Oh my goodness, what a wonderful post. You makin’ me cry first thing in the mornin’.
Aw, you got me teary-eyed, too, Heather. What a wonderful post.
I have big plans of NOT having children, either, like you…and I still have that plan, but who knows, I might change my mind (though I doubt it).
I had big plans to go to Northwestern and be a fabulous journalist, but ED got in the way and I had to drop out, and instead attended “Life University” to learn some of the greatest lessons in my life.
I had big plans to be a journalist and be someone “great”…but I realized that that “great” is just self-glorifying, and now I have better plans to use my journalism skills to work for the church and God. 🙂
This is so great!! It reminds me of a favorite quote, “Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.” Sometimes we have to shift our focus, not to what we once thought was best for us but what is best for us NOW.
Beautiful Post! It is sometimes hard to remember that things happen for a reason. It’s great to look back and be glad that things turned out different than planned. I went to nursing school and said I would never be an OB or pediatric nurse and sold those books back. I have been an OB nurse for 7 years and love, love, love it. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I’m thankful for giving it a try!
Oh wow, this was a beautiful post!!!
Isn’t it funny how we have all these plans for our lives but God tends to lead us in other directions.. directions that lead to things greater than we could have ever imagined. I often think how silly He must think I am wanting things when he has much better things in store for me!
I always planned on being a teacher.. until I discovered that while I DO have a passion for kids, it’s not in teaching them. And my passion for cooking is SO much greater and i’ve never regretted changing that direction of my life.
I also thought I would be married or at least engaged to my high school boyfriend by now. We dated for 4 years and I was SO convinced that I was going to marry him, you couldn’t tell me otherwise. Until I woke up one day and realized how bad of a relationship it was and how if I married him, I would be miserable my entire life. I am convinced that God smacked me over the head to make me realize that. And I’m EVER so thankful. While it’s hard to see everyone getting married or engaged and having babies, I know that I will in time, when it’s right. God’s time, not mine. And that is something I really struggle with accepting sometimes. But he knows best!
Wow…everytime I read your posts Heather, they just get better! Great pic of your husband and dog.
You made me strum up some feelings that weren’t so good, but turned out pretty great. I went to college to run track and possibly try for the Olympics. A typical jock. While at UF, I found God and he showed me other plans for my life that revolved around Him, not ME.
In college I found out I had a learning disability (dyslexia) and researched more about it. Now I have a masters in special education and as a diagnostician, and almost a PhD in Education. Had I not been turned in that direction I would not have been able to help as many student athletes with disabilities suceed and graduate, nor help others diagnose their difficulties that they have struggled with for so long. I am a better person for it and God is Great! I just try to help one person at a time.
I had planned on marrying a successful businessman. Instead I married a wonderful loving student who turned into the best stay at home father ever!
That cupcake looks so good!
I had never planned to live in the woods for so long – I expected to move to a big city by now – but I wake up grateful every day that I live in such a beautiful place. Every morning I awake to the birds chirping and see wildlife nearly every day, and a beautiful lake is on our property. I feel very lucky.
This was such a great post, girl! I LOVE your attitude. It’s very inspiring. Each day, I have to remind myself that I’m allowed to eat what I want without counting every calorie. I guess the thing I wanted to do was move the heck out of my hometown, but I ended up buying a house here. And, you know what? I’m not only happy, but have a newfound proud for my hometown!
I really enjoyed this post! It’s amazing how we change as we grow up. I also never planned on having children, nor getting married young (not married yet, not even engaged, but I sense it’s coming soon) – I thought I was *never* gonna get married!
When I was in high school, I was going to be an opera singer. There was no question about it. It was what I was going to do. I knew it, my family knew it, my teachers knew it, everyone knew it. Fast forward to freshman year of college where I run tearfully from my bitch of a voice teacher’s office, vowing that I will never sing again.
After that…down hill. I really felt like I’d lost a limb. Singing was my identity for so long, it took me a really long time to come to terms with the fact that I just wasn’t that girl anymore. And then … once I tried to sing and I was so disgusted that I’d lost all my strength and power that I decided never to test it again.
I went through undergrad, two majors (English and Middle Eastern studies) and although I loved both and was so passionate about both, neither felt right for me. And I missed singing so hard. “Depression” isn’t the right word. Bereft, lost, broken. I really was. I really lacked a sense of self, and got lost in a lot of really negative behaviors. It was not a pretty time in my life.
Then, randomly, I discovered Pilates. It attracted me in a way no fitness ever had, and it almost felt like singing again. And then I realized I was really good at it. And then I realized it was a potential career. And then I realized Pilates is just ONE of the many many options out there in a health-and-fitness related career world. And then I realized that my true passion actually lay in helping people feel better. (And then and then and then).
I don’t think I would have ever gotten here if I hadn’t given up singing. I would be lost, wandering around, breaking my back to try to make it in a disgusting and damaging industry. I’m so much happier where I am now!
I was planning on doing the Peace Corps right after college, but things didn’t work out with that…and I was devastated for a while. This had been my dream, but then, I picked myself up and decided to rethink my post-grad plans. AmeriCorps came into the picture, and while my service in Hartford has been a huge challenge at ties, it has changed me for the better. I also met my amazing boyfriend during my AmeriCorps service, so I really feel that there was a bigger plan involved with this. I’m in love, and I’m doing work that has pushed me to new heights. I’ll never knew what I would have done with the Peace Corps, but I do know that I am happy now. I have no regrets!
I never planned on dating my current boyfriend. I didn’t think we had enough in common and dismissed the idea. Soooo glad my mind was changed!! 🙂
Heather… this is such a great post! I got a little choked up. You have such a great attitude!
As for me… I would have to write over a thousand words to describe all the good things that have happened, which I never planned on.
All I can say is I truly love my life right now 🙂
Your pup is the most Handsome!!! I love that picture of your hus and the pup 🙂