Bethany Aleshire: Thriving In The Face Of Your Dreams

Everyone's Story is excited to host this week's awesome guest, Bethany Aleshire. When I was first introduced to Bethany online I blinked what seemed like a few hundred times. Was she really so young and had that much going for her? Yes! And I'm truly happy she does. Her secret? Bethany wraps God's gifts and talents He has blessed her within her heart and turns these treasures around to run with this fuel, helping others to shine and soar (which is also the name of her online magazine). This week Bethany helps us to put into perspective the many daily aspects of our busy lives, making us question whether we're just surviving or trying to thrive. Bethany and I look forward to hearing from you.

The Surviving Vs. Thriving Debate by Bethany Aleshire

Life can get hard and busy quickly and without warning. Something blows up, a lot of to-do’s pile up, or you blinked and it’s suddenly your busy season. What do we do? We go into survival mode and do the bare minimum to get through each day. We don’t write, blog or go the extra mile because our world will stay together if we ignore them – compared to finishing an assignment from your boss who is breathing down your neck about it…that obviously could make your world shatter if you ignored it.

As much as I recognize how pressing our urgent to-do’s are, how important is the “fluff” we choose to leave out?

Blogging.

Calling up your Mom.

Working out to get your fit body.

Reading.

Saying prayers over your kids.

Striking up a conversation with a stranger.

Writing your novel.

Hiking for a day.

Bringing an idea to life that you’ve had on your heart for a long time.

Taking a slower route home.

©Bethany Aleshire

Will we get to the end of our lives and realize that we only got the bare minimum done? That we got the kids out the door every morning at 7am sharp, but not with love? That we did what was required by our jobs to climb the ladder, but threw our true dreams in the trash? That we created and maintained a clean house, but never had the time to take a walk through our neighborhood?

I don’t write about this because I’m the most thriving person you’ll ever meet…definitely not! But because I slip into this mindset way more than I’d like to share. For example, in this past semester I only blogged twice. Twice! I want to say it slipped by me, but no, it did not. It slipped by me because I decided to go into survival mode. Yes, I got all my homework in on time and did fine on my finals, but now my online brand is going to take some serious work to get it back up and running. That could hinder me more than a lower grade in one of my classes. Overall, it’s all about putting important things first and not the urgent things.

The dream team behind Shine and Soar Magazine

Yet, don’t hold yourself to a perfect standard, give yourself some grace! I’ve done some thriving (though it rarely feels like it cause it’s disguised as hard work!) in my time, but there are days where I need to watch Downtown Abbey and eat a bowl of ice cream. You just need to. But if I do that for days upon days, and hours upon hours, my heart goes limp and I know I’m entering into a new slump – which leads to a period of me catching up on procrastinated to-do’s, which leads to a survival mindset. As always, moderation is key.

So, as you start your 2014, I hope you thrive in the hard work of pursuing your dreams and also in the times of intentional and fulfilling rest. Don’t let the survival mindset swallow you whole.

Bethany's Ah-hahs To Tweet:

Bethany Aleshire, young adult Editor & Chief of Shine and Soar Magazine, visits on Everyone’s Story. (Tweet This)

Meet Bethany Aleshire, a talented young woman who wants to encourage your daughters! (Tweet This)

Discouraged by today’s youth? Bethany Aleshire will change your mind. (Tweet This)

Author's Bio:
I am a photographer, believer, emboldener, lover, visionary, and entrepreneur. I've got my hands in a few creative projects; mainly running a magazine, Shine and Soar, for Christian women entrepreneurs, running my own photography business, and pursuing a degree in graphic design. But overall, I'm just a girl with many creative dreams and a deep heart.

Find Rachel on the Web:
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