Each month, I set aside time to reflect on the previous month: memorable moments, lessons I learned, how I spent my time, how I’m different, who/what I’m grateful for, improvements for next month, and goals to work toward. I try to be intentional in my personal development, and posting each month is a way to keep me accountable (as a nice reminder, it’s also built into my favorite planner 😉 ).

THREE LESSONS I LEARNED:

• Trust in God’s plan. We’ve been waiting on an extension and it’s just a tad stressful (especially if the extension doesn’t go through we’ll be leaving Italy in May… with a lot to wrap up before then). Joe and I have had to trust God’s will through the process. There was literally nothing we could do about it. Just trust in His plan.
• You can’t control how others act, only how you react. Instead of trying to change someone, focus on making your reactions more kind, loving, and other centered. Your reactions might, in turn, even change how others act.
• Community is important. That is something I’ve been missing here in Italy and has made it so much harder to adjust. I love Joe tons, but having a single person be the sole person I interact with for most of the week can get difficult. I’ve recently joined a women’s Bible study,  and Joe and I started attending a home group together. Plus, I have some lovely yogis attending my classes each week!

Top 3 Highlights:

• Explored Vatican City with my sister when she came to visit ✈
• Hung out by the Pantheon and just listened to street music 🎶
• Met my Dressember goal of $1,500 🤑

Monthly Motto:

Dreams don’t work unless you do.

Photo Credit: Robyn Sheely

What big lessons have you learned over the past month? Share in the comments below!