I am thrilled to be welcoming Brittany Kirk as my first ever guest writer. She is not only my best friend, former bridesmaid, and regular ear to call on for my most brilliant ideas, but she is also no stranger to over coming life challenges with grit, perseverance, and grace. Her words today give just a glimpse of that tenacity, and I hope her perspective gives you a bit of gumption as well.

“At the beginning of 2020, I picked a word that would be my theme for the year. At the time I had no idea just how much it would mean to me, and we’re not even halfway through the year yet. 

That word was STRONGER. 

Fast forward a couple of months, and we’ve found ourselves in the middle of a pandemic. And a pandemic brings all sorts of emotions and reactions – fear, anxiety, uncertainty – and everyone reacts differently. For me, without even realizing it, I looked at this crisis and looked for the ways that I could become stronger. 

I’ve doubled down on my workouts. Running, yoga, strength training, walks, stretching, you name it. Working out has kept me centered and grounded. I’ve renewed my focus at work, doing everything I can to add value for my organization. I’ve poured myself into devotionals, and bible study, and prayer. My faith has kept me going when nothing else in this world makes sense. 

No one teaches us how to handle a pandemic. There’s no playbook for us to fall back on or read that gives us all the answers. So we’re all figuring this thing out in real time, day by day. 

I see this season as something you can just get through, or something you can grow through. I’m a big believer in taking everything that life throws at you and making the best of it. Does that mean I do it perfectly? Heck. No. There are lots of days that I have not been living my best life. But when I slow down and really start to look a little deeper about how I’ve been spending my time, I can start to identify the things I want to change. 

Even on the days when you feel like life is out of control, you still have control over you. How you show up. How you move your body. How you interact with others. We have no control over this life or the twists and turns that it will take us on. But we can CHOOSE to show up and be intentional. We can CHOOSE to grow. We can CHOOSE to get STRONGER. 

Some of life’s greatest lessons and turning points come from the hardest seasons. If only we keep our eyes open to see them. 

I wouldn’t wish for any of this to happen again, but I do believe that good can and will ultimately come from this crisis. Our stories are being written every single day. 

How will you remember this time of quarantine? What will you see when you look back on 2020?

I’m still here. I’m still working. I’m still fighting. And I’m going to GROW through this pandemic and come out STRONGER on the other side – physically, mentally, and spiritually. Who’s with me?”