by Hope
I had the most amazing opportunity this past weekend. I hid out in a dungeon. Me and my thoughts, my books and my laptop. I really did need a reset. And my best friend provided the space for me to do just that. It was wonderful! And I highly recommend it to everyone.
Not really a dungeon
Ok, it wasn’t really a dungeon. It is a room in her basement that has no windows. It’s cozy and dark down there. I would compare it to a soft version of a sensory deprivation chamber. Those freak me out a bit. But this was perfect.
No responsibilities. No sound. I arrived Friday late afternoon with a full back pack of thought provoking materials, journals, highlighters, and pens galore. And went directly into isolation.
Listening intently
I began my time with a plea to God to meet me here. To direct and guide me. And then I spent the next 48 hours diving in, sitting in my thoughts, studying and debating, and breathing. (Ok, I did take a break Saturday evening to enjoy a family meal with my friend, her family, Princess and Princess’ boyfriend.)
And I listened. I listened to my heart, to my head, to the guidance the books gave me, and prepared myself for whatever is to come next. I made lists upon lists. Lists of what I could do for work. Documented the life I want to build. Questions I need to consider.
It was so, so good.
Starting over again
In many ways, I am starting over again. Single again. Job change in the immediate future. Kids are all grown and mostly independent. I needed this time to breathe and focus on what I want. While I didn’t come away with the answers and clarity I had hoped for. I learned so much and have so much hope for the future to come.
Two things that have been made very clear to me over the last couple of months as I have dug into self care and reading like crazy:
- We believe 100% of what we tell ourselves. And what we believe we achieve. I must do better at appreciating who I am, what I am capable of, and especially knowing my own worth.
- Change does not mean failure or scarcity. It’s opportunity for growth, improvement, and more! “Every new beginning begins with an ending” (no idea who said that) – and this is my new beginning! I’m ready for it. It’s going to be the best chapter yet, I believe that.
Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.
But life has a way of rewriting your plans.
A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.
Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.
Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.
She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.
That sounds amazing – a place to go where you’re comfortable but also away from home. A place to focus on yourself, your goals, thoughts, hopes, dreams, prayers, etc. It may not have produced instant results when you were done with the weekend but it no doubt got the ball rolling.