My 2014 word of the year

Y’all I’ve got to admit, when I wrote the post for my 2013 word of the year, I had no idea what kinds of things I was opening myself up to pursue!  Here is a quote from my post last year

Stay tuned because you’ll see big things happen with me and Madelyn Ridgeway Events this year; I know it.  You’ll see things materialize that have been in my heart for a long time.  Things I have to share with the world and make it a better place

Words are a powerful thing, y’all; whether you know it or not, our words create (or tear down) our lives.  I love a quote from one of my favorite speakers that says “where you are today is a direct result of the words you spoke a year ago”.  2013 proved this to be true in so many ways.

When I wrote that post, Shaffer and I had discussed me leaving my job to stay home but quite frankly, it seemed like it just wasn’t going to happen; between two surgeries, great opportunities at work, multiple family deaths and a second, growing family business, we started to think we’d missed it.  We had prayed and truly believed we were on the right track but the little seeds of doubt started trying to sneak their way in.  This is where the rubber meets the road folks, this is where it becomes faith and you step out on the water to walk! On April 12, 2013, I left my full-time job of almost 10 years to go after what matters most to me.

In the beginning I felt like a fish out of water. Not having a job to go to, reports to file or a boss to answer to, felt really awkward to me.  After after about a month, the pendulum swung and I was over the moon with all the “extra” time I had; I did lunch with friends e-v-e-r-y day then ran to pick the boys up and home to get dinner started.  I quickly realized this wouldn’t work.  I eventually settled in to somewhat of a routine and dug my heels in to really pursue those big dreams of mine and make great things happen.  All the work paid off when I launched the new Madelyn Ridgeway Events in November to great reception and enthusiasm!

It’s only the beginning and I look forward to more good things to come in the future which is why I chose focus as my 2014 word of the year. Webster’s defines focus as:

–  to bring to a focus or into focus: to focus the lens of a camera.

–  to concentrate: to focus one’s thoughts.