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Can you believe it’s been a year since my very first blog post? Yay! This one makes 52 posts! I still can’t believe it’s been a year—it feels like I just started yesterday! I am so grateful for the opportunity to share with you all how I am managing life to make it more joyful, lovely, and peaceful. I am also truly grateful for each one of you who reads my life reflections, and I am beyond grateful for everyone who helps me keep growing.
To be completely honest with you, when I decided I wanted to start a blog, I was scared for many reasons, one of which was that I didn’t want to feel judged. (As you may know, this is not an issue for me anymore.) Additionally, I didn’t know how I would be able to keep up with the work a blog requires while I had so many other responsibilities on my shoulders. Even though I had lots of thoughts already written down, I didn’t have enough for even four months, so I was afraid I would run out of ideas pretty quickly. The only thing I was completely sure about was that God requested me to help others by sharing my journey, and I knew He would guide me at all times.
When I was in the middle of my divorce process, I was looking for help because walking away was not an option. I wanted to read books or listen to podcasts that focused on friendly divorces, but not much material was out there for my specific case. I remember I bought an audiobook that I was really excited about at first, but within 20 minutes the advice focused on cutting all types of communication in order to “heal.” Now, I’m not saying that distance isn’t a good option for anybody. We all have to do what serves us best, and for many people cutting communication and walking away works perfectly.
In my case, I had a business I refused to leave behind. I had a dream that I wanted to pursue, and walking away was not the best option for me. So, as many of you know if you’ve read my previous 51 posts 😊, I decided to have a friendly divorce, perhaps even a smart one! I knew it was totally possible as long as I worked towards it. Well, it did take a lot of work—like every great goal does—but I’m thrilled to say I succeeded on that mission. Once I felt I was ready to share my story, God sent me the idea for how to execute it. It was beautiful!
Divorce Smart, Not Hard came to me one early morning (5:16 AM to be exact) when I caught my mind wandering during my daily reading. It was January 3rd, 2020. I was reading a book by Simon Sinek, but even though I totally love the book, that particular day my mind was far from what I was reading. I threw the book to the side and said out loud, “Divorce Smart, Not Hard!!” (It must have been funny to see.) I recorded that name as a note on my phone, and from that moment forward, I focused my attention on how to make it a reality.
I have shared many different posts with you this year, asserting that we are all completely capable of doing and getting everything on which we focus our hearts and our attention. I mean it! I know this because I keep experiencing how doors open for me when I really focus my energy on something. I wanted a friendly divorce. I asked for it; I worked for it; I let God take the lead on it. And I got it! I want my company to keep growing, so we can keep helping others. I ask for it; I work for it; I let God guide me through the process. And guess what? Our company is growing and helping many people. I wanted to find a beautiful way to share a little of my experience in order to help others who are going through similar situations. I asked for it; I keep working on it; I have God guiding me—and here we are, a year later.
To say I feel completely amazed is an understatement. It’s so easy to get lost in the day-to-day rush and the negative vibes, but I can assure you that even though it might sound cliché and cheesy, intentionally focusing our attention on what’s good in life and starting each day with a grateful heart pays off big, BIG time. We receive back the energy we put forth. That’s the reason I keep working so hard on my awareness muscle. The more aware I am, the more able I am to redirect my energy to positivity, goodness, gratitude for even the smallest things, and letting love be the force that drives me.
As I said last week, I’m a work in progress, and I will always be! I mean, everyone always has plenty of room for improvement. We were designed to thrive as long as we understand that growing should never stop. As many meditation experts say, “We must keep a beginner’s mind at all times.” We should receive each day with a humble enough mind to accept that we can learn hundreds of lessons and ways to be better than we were the day before.
Last but not least, THANK YOU!! I mean it! Thank you to each one of you who reads my reflections here. I thought I was helping you all, but somehow it turned out to be the other way around! You help me to see life from different and wonderful perspectives! Happy First Anniversary my Divorce Smart, Not Hard friends!
God loves us all!! For real!
Love,
Irene
