Of A New Year

At the start of 2015, I heard about Ali Edwards and her idea of picking 

"one little word" to focus and reflect on throughout the year. 

I decided 2015 would be my year of rejoicing. 

I rejoiced in the small things - rain, wind, letters from family, and hot chocolate.

I rejoiced in the large things - not dying of my paralyzing anxiety, 

new work for my dad, and completing my mission.

Some days I had to look harder than others, but there was always a reason to rejoice. 

As my year of rejoicing came to a close 

I've thought a lot about a word I wanted to focus on in 2016.

After much deliberation I decided 

2016 will be my year of

discovery. 

I'm going to be honest, I've struggled a lot coming home 

from my mission and figuring out life and what's next. 

Jobs, masters programs, life decisions -  it is all ever so daunting trying to figure it out.  

But trying to make those decisions has been complicated by the fact 

that I don't even feel like I know who I am anymore. 

I feel as though I'm still trying to figure out who Emily the Returned Missionary is. 

What does she want to do? What are her dreams and desires? 

And until I figure that out, all the other decisions seem... impossible. 

I told my friend the other day, 

I feel like my life is a pile of jigsaw puzzle pieces.

I don't know how to put them back together because 

I can't find the edge pieces - my core personality - 

to give the rest of the puzzle structure.

So I decided I want to embrace discovery this year.

I want to go on a journey of self discovery. 

I want to rediscover who I truly am. 

So this is your invitation to join me on my journey of discovery. 

I have a list of things I want to discover and I'm sure I'll discover more along the way.

As always, my thoughts and now, my discoveries, will be recorded here. 

2016 - I am ready to embrace discovery. 

Who knows what I'll discover this year?

"Discovering who we are is part of this great adventure called life. The Holy Spirit which 'speaketh of things as they really are,' whispers these truths to you, teaching you that there's a lot more to you than what you're thinking, feeling, and wanting at the moment. In fact, there's far more to you than the sum total of everything you've experienced in this life. What the rest of the world doesn't know is that the 'real you' is a fascinating mixture of past, present, and future: a past self, now forgotten, that existed in the eternities and was spiritually born of God; a present self that's a work in progress with unimaginable potential; and a future self that will be transformed, glorified, and perfected through trials, repentance, resurrection, and divine grace." 

President Dieter F Uchtdorf