2018 in Review

It’s been a wild year. Actually, 2018 was pretty rough for me, with a lot of turmoil and uncertainty. But this last month, it feels like things have started to clarify in my life, and I’m hopeful for what 2019 will bring.

I’m going to break this post down by my three main categories–financial security, happiness, and health.

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A Year of Book Recommendations: Nonfiction

I’ve always been a voracious reader, primarily of fiction (and specifically fantasy novels). This year, I decided to consciously track the books I read throughout the year, both so I could be keeping myself accountable with regard to reading more nonfiction, and so I could know how many new books versus old books I read/reread respectively.
belle reading book recommendations
via GIPHY
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Charitable Giving in My Budget

charitable giving in my budget blog post

Happy Thanksgiving! I love this holiday so much because it emphasizes reflection on what we’re thankful for, and it’s the perfect start to the holiday season. The air has started to get crisp, and my whole neighborhood smells like woodsmoke from people starting to use their fireplaces. It’s all very hygge. But it’s also a time to think about your charitable giving.  Continue reading “Charitable Giving in My Budget”

Breaking Free of Assigned Identities

breaking free of assigned identities colored pencils owning the stars

In every high school movie, there are the stereotypes. The jocks, the nerds, the music kids, etc. Take a minute—think of the stereotypes in your school. Which one were you? I’m assuming that some sort of answer, even if it isn’t a perfect fit, popped into your head. Or, at the very least, a hybrid of a couple archetypes. Having assigned identities provides security—a platform to define yourself upon and to explore from. But it also limits you. To reference a teen movie masterpiece, Zac Efron’s character in High School Musical (Troy) struggled because his identity was “jock,” but he wanted to perform in the school musical.

zac efron assigned identities jock musical heart's in the song high school musical

Those limits, the constraints of the identity that you either chose for yourself or that someone else assigned, can be stifling. And how do you break away from them, especially when the identity overall seems like a good fit or a natural choice? What opportunities are you missing because you have on blinders that only let you see a straight path forward?

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