The relaunch of Evermore holds an extra special place in my heart. Thanks for taking a second out of your day to read more about it! ___ Recently, I came across a quote that read: "It's easier to achieve what you truly desire when it's what YOU genuinely want." And that's exactly what I’m beginning to experience through Evermore 2.0.
For far too long, I’ve allowed various external influences to dictate my next moves, not only in my business but in all areas. Whether it was the opinions of well-meaning loved ones, societal expectations, or the latest trends, I often prioritized what others thought I should do over what I truly wanted. I found myself constantly taking stock of what those around me expected of me, and even assumed certain expectations without questioning them.
I became so immersed in my roles as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, church planter, employee, the girl who makes clay earrings (tbh I don't even wear earrings lol) that I lost sight of my own identity and the things God wanted to develop within me. It all felt like a default setting I had to accept as is.
I let the waves of expectations (and what I perceived people’s expectations were) drift me further and further away from who I primarily am and who I wanted to become. When asked what my dreams and goals were, or “what does Rae want?” the honest answer would have been “I’m not sure what Rae wants; we haven’t spoken in years.”
Without realizing it, I began to grow resentful of my many blessings (jobs, relationships, opportunities) God has given me because I operated out of a default - feeling more lost and unfulfilled as the seasons went by.
As I reflected more on how I got to this place, I was reminded of a time I led a women's gathering at my church ( you know, pastor wife things). We began our discussion with the question “Who are you? Answer this question without using your name, job, education, organization, nationality/culture, accomplishments, family and friends?”
As you can imagine from trying to answer this for yourself - the silence in the room was palpable as everyone struggled to come up with an answer.
We all bore titles that came with default descriptions, characteristics and actions - just cruisin’ on autopilot. Most of us rarely processed what it actually meant to authentically live in the various avenues and titles we had.
Why? I believe it’s because we weren’t searching beyond the external voices to look deeply within.
The lesson..
The notion of living life from within is extremely vital, yet we often overlook it. If you're like me, someone who's overlooked this practice for a while now.. feeling lost, stuck and drifting by default - begin by asking yourself introspective questions to uncover what you REALLY want, what you really believe.. and how YOU want to live these things out. Be relentless about it. This must be a non-negotiable practice! Not only in the beginning of the journey but consistently throughout.
Evermore 2.0 is exactly that for me. As I create, learn, share and grow - I hope to succeed in living life from within - by design and never default. I hope you’re inspired to do the same.
PS adding a cute accessory to the shop!
xo,
Rae