From the Heart: Reflecting Back and Looking Forward

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” ~Soren Kierkegaard

I can never quite wrap my head around how quickly a year goes by...

Three hundred sixty five days seems like such a long time when one is on “Day One” of a brand new year, with everything laid out like a big blank slate or a vast, open landscape, the possibilities endless.

Exactly at this time a year ago I was beginning a new journey of sorts, taking a personal big leap, uncertain of what the year ahead would hold.

I vividly recall the feeling of utter excitement and enthusiasm coupled with the sensation of a nervous belly alive with the fluttering butterflies of anxiety as I said goodbye to my work of (almost) thirteen years as a personal chef, and hello to working full time on The Cozy Apron.

Talk about a risk.

I wondered if I'd be able to learn all the new things that would be necessary in order to hit the ground running so that I, along with my hubby Michael, could really, truly and whole-heartedly grow The Cozy Apron, and begin to take it new levels. That was the goal.

Looking back, so much has transpired in these past three hundred sixty five days, so many lessons learned and so many ups and downs experienced. All of it has been amazing, eye-opening, and never boring!

There have been a few tears along the way (OK, more than a few), some feelings of panic and utter despair, some breakthroughs, some new perspectives, all with a sense of the Divine at work in our lives all the while.

I have always found the Creator to have an unconventional way of working in my life, never showing me the easy way out of something, and this past year was no exception.

Reflecting back, these past twelve months in particular have been a roller coaster ride unlike any other; because so much was at stake and so much heart was being poured into the endeavor, with so much on the line, unlike before.

And I'll tell you, the main take away that I have from this unique experience of “stepping out in faith” this past year is that little miracles do indeed happen.

That when one listens to that quiet voice within to make a move and then acts on it, and then couples that with sincere intention, desire, and hard work, then one is met with the quiet and subtle help needed to eventually begin to see some light, some progress. (May not seem like it at the time, but the help is there...)

That when love is poured into something, eventually the fruits of that begin to manifest, even if slowly at first, but they come.

For us, these fruits ultimately manifested in a wonderful increase in the visitors to The Cozy Apron this past year (especially in these past 6 months or so), and with those visitors came much more exposure in general. This was our hope and our goal, and to see it coming to light makes our hearts so full.

Michael and I have slowly been raising up The Cozy Apron like a child for the past seven years now (!), unintentionally taking the long, “scenic route” to get to where we are now.

And while this past year was a bit of a turn around year for us, we still have such a long road ahead of us, filled with so much we long to do, and so much unknown; but at least now we're actually seeing each step we take make a difference, and for that we are both grateful.

Going forward into 2019...

My hope is to continue to step up the “game” even more—the game of life, the game of the work that I do, that game of being human.

My hope is to go deeper with myself, to expect more, to offer more, to be willing to be challenged more, to be better.

I would like to be bolder, and to listen to that inner voice even more.

I'd like to fear less, and to embrace what life brings my way more.

I'd like to trust more, and to be more malleable, more moveable.

And in all humble sincerity, I hope for all of these things for you, too...

I hope for you to have the kinds of experiences that change your life, that make you better, that help you feel the Divine at work in your own life, that offer you some hope even when things may look a little bleak.

May 2019 be what each of us, individually, need it to be.

Here's to many adventures of all shades to experience, and to sharing more of life with you.

Taste what's good and pass it on.

Ingrid