Happy December! I have to say that I missed you guys something fierce. Let’s jump right in! It’s time we catch up.

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Do you remember being asked what you wanted to be when you grew up? That was the most challenging question for me. There were *so* many things I wanted to be. Around the age of 8, I made a list. I am a little fuzzy on the exact list, but I remember Massage Therapist being on the list. And I did that! I went to LMT (Licensed Massage Therapist) school, and I worked for a Chiropractor for a short time.

Even though I enjoyed my time as an LMT, I knew it wasn’t my final stop. Life came along, and I found myself in a classroom teaching. I thought this was it. I thought teaching was my place to bloom.

The funny thing about our childhood is that we constantly revisit aspects of it at some point in life. This past year in my career has been the toughest. I haven’t been happy. It’s been emotionally draining and uncomfortable. I’ve had to push and pull deep inside to find the strength to carry on.

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I decided to do something about my discomfort. I needed to find a place to bloom. But before I changed my physical location, I needed to change my mental location.

Living in survival mode is draining and constantly calculating, planning, and praying that nothing bad happens. It can lead to paranoia. To find the perfect place to bloom, you have step out of survival mode and get into garden mode.

What is garden mode?

Garden mode is GO time! It’s growing time! It’s time for you to trust God and let him strip your heart of the weeds—past trials, tribulations, fears, and anything that keeps us from operating to our full potential.

God has huge plans for us. The love he has for his children fills my eyes with tears on the daily. He loves me so much that he allows me to shift my thinking and realize that he’s here to help and not hinder.

Garden mode is when you make the effort to live forward. Survival mode requires holding on to the past and keeping score on who did what, what happened when you did ‘XYZ,’ and it’s a mess. A huge mess that crowds your mind and stops you from living to your full potential.

Making the Shift

How do you shift? Through prayer, scripture, and meditating on God’s word. My Bible has been my best friend over the past 300-plus days, and I can honestly say I feel my help coming. I KNOW my relief and my release are coming.

I want to encourage you to seek God so he can direct your path and give you that place you need to bloom. Bloom for Christ and watch him change your life! I am a living witness. I left the classroom today after 6.5 years, and I know God has beautiful plans for me. 🥰

Take Care,

ToriB 💕🌻