LIFE CHANGES, so why not UPGRADE

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Today’s post is sponsored by Kelley Blue Book®, but you guys know for certain these thoughts came straight from my heart!

It’s Oct. 1st! Last month was my birthday! Do birthdays make you reflect on life goals? How you got to this point in your life…are you where you want to be?  If you’re close to my age, don’t you feel like our 40s are the time to start really settling in to who we are- unapologetically? Start to enjoy a few things you’ve worked so hard for?!

If you’re younger, get a head start… If you’re older, there’s no time like the present.

I am in the midst of some major transitions in life. Starting over again. But this time, not from scratch, from experience. I didn’t quite realize it at the time, but I made some great choices this past year that are helping this transition today. Funny how the puzzle of life starts to make sense with time. Little snapshots of my life popped up as I was in traffic recently. I had an overwhelming sense of gratitude. We are the sum of all our experiences. The peaks and the valleys made us who we are RIGHT NOW. And who I am today is a strong woman and mother to the most precious child! Here’s a snapshot of those puzzle pieces, broken down to six concepts:

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1) LET GO OF STUFF. For those of you on social media, you can see I’m still doing that!! It feels so good to be lighter. All the priceless stuff I took to a public storage unit, which gave me solace. Other stuff: you’ve heard it before and I’ll say it again, when in doubt, throw it out. (Donate the worthy stuff, of course). It certainly helped my recent move that I let some stuff go, but I’m working on paring down even more. Also, when you imagine your pieces/furniture/extra dishes/clothes getting a second life, it makes it more joyful to let it go. Find a women’s shelter and know you will be helping out someone very deserving. Fill up a box and take it to your car so it’s ready next time you are driving by. I’ve found a treasure of new beauty products that I think I’m gonna box up and give to one of you! Pay it forward! Leave a comment letting me know you’re interested (and make sure I have a way of contacting you via email or social media handles!).

2) UPGRADE AN ASPECT OF YOUR LIFE. This was a big one and you all were a part of it. I upgraded my car!! I’m so happy I have a reliable car for Hayden and me now. I live in LA and a car is like a second home. What I didn’t share with you at the time was I how I sold my old one with the help of Kelley Blue Book®. I cannot recommend this more. It takes a few minutes online… and you get a Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer. Literally a few minutes with my VIN number. I then took my car in to the local participating dealer in Burbank for a review. It was fast (Hayden and I hung out while they reviewed it). I had time to think about it, but I didn’t need much. I took the Instant Cash Offer and got my check!!  I was a bit confused because I thought it should have been harder! lol. Pro Tip (cause, you know, I’m a pro now…ha!)… communicate with the people at your dealership when you go to redeem your Instant Cash Offer. I explained I had just put new tires on the car, and my cash offer got quite a bit higher! 

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3) DO THE THING THAT YOU HAVE FEARED. Be it big or small. Wanna do stand up comedy? Sing in a band? Start a new business? I didn’t realize that starting this blog a few years ago would have ever been so beneficial. I didn’t think anyone would ever care to visit or read what I had to say! I was honestly scared of failure. But, I have formed a bond with you all and it has been a huge support to me. And it may even be a way for me to help provide for Hayden when I’m not filming. I’m so grateful I just DID IT. I didn’t know HOW. I researched and asked questions of others who have gone before me. And here I am again in life, taking one baby step in front of the other yet again. Somedays, I don’t move at all, but fall. And that is ok. As long as I get back up. That saying, “everything you want is on the other side of FEAR”… well, it’s true. Next up for me: DIRECTING!! WOO-HOO.

4) FREEZE TIME. This is a complicated one, but I’m just going to say it. If you are approaching 40 and have the desire to have a family but don’t yet (I’ve been there and still have that desire to have another one), there are steps you can take with modern medicine. DO IT. I wish I had frozen my eggs in my 30s. This is really a whole other post, but I couldn’t leave out the one thing I wish I had done before I hit 40. If you wanna read a bit more on my journey with this, check out this post here, or here.

5) SERVE OTHERS. Find a way to give back and serve. There are so many ways to do it now…. monetarily sponsor a child, mentor a child or teen, volunteer at your church or local schools or hospitals. I have found one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is to give to others. At my most depleted, lowest times when I have no energy and deflated spirit, the BEST thing I can do for myself is help someone else. It renews the soul. It is the highest form of self care when done thoughtfully.

6) PLAN AHEAD. I’ve written posts in the past about financial planning. That research I did and knowledge I’ve gained will come in handy as I’m forging ahead. I look back and think how fortuitous it was that I worked on a financial campaign. But, now it makes sense. I need to heed all the advice I wrote in that blog!! Be smart about your finances. Enjoy life WHILE you are saving.

Ok… that was about all the stuff that popped in my head during traffic yesterday… You know what I would LOVE to hear about from you? What is the one thing you are so PROUD of yourself for doing/making/etc that has helped you out? Think about it and let me know. I bet that list would really benefit each of us! I’ll be reading every comment.

xoxo

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