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I absolutely love New Years! Let's be honest, NYE parties are usually overrated and a bit of a bust, but the actual ending of one year and entering into another is always so exciting! Reflecting on the previous year and dreaming about the one to come is something I always look forward to doing. It really helps me to get in the right perspective and set my year on the right path. If you've been following along my journey for awhile, you might have read my New Year's post last year, or have heard me refer to my 2017 phrase before. I used to choose one word at the start of a new year that I hoped would frame the year to come, as a type of New Year's resolution. Last year I decided to chose a phrase instead of just a word, and man did this phrase actually shape my entire year more than I could have imagined: "Wildly Free + Incredibly Secure."  Living 'wildly free + incredibly secure' has become something that not only did I try to do in January, but it became a mentality that I carried throughout the entire year and plan to continue living by in the years to come. However, a new year means a new phrase for me, and even though this year's phrase sounds super simple, I feel so strongly about it!

STAND UP + STEP OUT

Stand Up: 

s t a n d - to be in an upright position

Often times, we are our own worst enemy. We put ourself down time and time again, we don't believe in ourselves, and we assume that the rest of the world is out to get us or thinks poorly of us. Most of these negative thoughts are 100% not true, and even if any of them might seem true to you, you + I have the privilege of choosing what we put our focus on which then determines what shapes our thinking. This year, I want to STAND UP-- no longer allowing myself to be put down by feelings of fear, insecurity, or inadequacy. Sometimes it's as simple as STANDING UP to know your worth and remind yourself what you are fully capable of! 

Step Out: 

s t e p - a movement made by lifting the foot and setting it down again in a new position, accompanied by a shifting of the weight of the body in the direction of the new position, as in walking, running, or dancing

Okay, standing up is a great move in the right direction.... but it doesn't get you very far if it's not followed by a STEP! Stepping out can be such a scary thought. Stepping out usually means moving directly out of your comfort zone and stepping into the unknown and the uncertain. However, you can't move forward without the faith to stepping out!

Obviously you guys are aware that Zach and I have taken a HUGE leap of faith this year and have moved our entire lives across the world to Bali. It may seem like we have this whole standing up + stepping out thing down pat... but once you take such a massive leap of faith, you still have to make a conscious decision to keep moving forward in the right direction. You have to continue standing up to your doubts + fears, not just get to where you are going and then get comfortable and have a seat. As crazy as it may sound, I actually don't want to live a comfortable life! I want to always be moving forward-- stepping out into new territory, and living my life to the fullest. To me, a life lived to the fullest doesn't necessarily look like everyone else's life; it's one that makes its own path and lives out its own adventures. That is exactly what I want-- and I hope this year I will find just that!

How do you set goals for the new year? Do you write a list, or choose a word or phrase to shape your year?! I'd love to hear some of your goals in the comments below! 

Xo- Tara

“Moses my servant is dead. Get going. Cross this Jordan River, you and all the people. Cross to the country I’m giving to the People of Israel. I’m giving you every square inch of the land you set your foot on—just as I promised Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon east to the Great River, the Euphrates River—all the Hittite country—and then west to the Great Sea. It’s all yours. All your life, no one will be able to hold out against you. In the same way I was with Moses, I’ll be with you. I won’t give up on you; I won’t leave you. Strength! Courage! You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going. And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.” 

 ~ Joshua 1 (MSG)