ANOTHER JOURNAL ENTRY | Katie Huntley

When I was a kid, I had dreams and expectations of how my adult life would end up. Like most kids, I’m sure there were many fantasies dreamt up, and the main one that I remember was that I was going to marry a rich horse rancher. My mom used to laughingly remind me that those two don’t go together as horses eat up a lot of money, but still...a girl could dream! I smile as I look back at all the childish fantasies that I had made up in my mind that would someday be my adult life. I always thought adults were exaggerating when they complained about the difficulties of growing up, but they were right. As a young girl, I could not wait to grow up, and I would fantasize about living this perfect, flawless life. However, I was unaware of the realities of being an adult. Expectation: “When I grow up, I’ll stay up all night!” Reality: When I was working full time, it was all I could do not to just come home and fall over my bed. But I am a woman; so, there is that whole co...

This April I turn 31. It’s crazy that when I started writing a blog I was 23 and here I am about to turn 31. I feel like my 20s were a time I was really getting to know myself and what I wanted. My 30’s have been a time of really learning to love myself more. It has also been a time of learning what I need to let go of. These are 11 things to let go of in your 30’s you may want to think about. The number on the scale: This is something I am still trying to let go of, and honestly I think until I just get rid of having a scale this will haunt me. I wish (and I challenge you) that I could just focus on how I feel in clothes instead of the number. Anyone who brings you down: This is something I think covers a variety of areas. I think on social media you can’t follow people who bring you down or make you feel less than or bad about yourself. I also think that in your life you can’t surround yourself with people who bring you down. If they aren’t cheering you on they don’t belong in your ...

I have battled with anxiety for longer than I would like to admit, and the last few months have really taken a toll. Living with anxiety is like swimming in the ocean during a storm: it’s a struggle to keep your head above water, and any minute, you could get swallowed up by a wave. Even when I feel calm, I’m always on edge worried about when the next surge of anxiety will hit or if a panic attack is around the corner. I believe as women, we tend to put on a happy face and just push through our day regardless of how we feel, and we don’t want to seem vulnerable. But as women, we need to be vulnerable with each other because we might help someone who is feeling the exact same way but isn’t as strong. That is what this post will be: me being vulnerable. Looking back on my life, I can’t really remember when my anxiety started. It could have been high school, but I vividly remember it in my early 20’s. My anxiety manifests itself in a lot of ways, but mostly I feel out of control...

Look for brave. There is a lot to be said for cheering each other on. I've witnessed it the most recently in my Plunder business; whatever goal our sisters reach whether big or small, they are being cheered on by the entire company. Our sisters in Christ should be no different. When you see a sister step out in faith and be brave, she needs to hear that cheer more than ever. Sister, you were brave and God sees you. I come from generations of strong women on my mom's side of the family; just like the women before her, my mom is no different. I watch her take care of my dad, and even on his worst days, she grits her teeth and does what needs to be done. Hell, it takes guts to raise 6 kids on one income but she and Daddy did it and I think they would do it all over again if given the choice... I think... I'm pretty sure my mom is where my sister got her grit and strength from, because she fought for 11 years during her battle with cancer and not once did I ever hear h...

Serious post time...my journey the past several months have been very raw and emotional. When I started this devotional in August, little did I know the twist my life was about to take and how much my bravery (faith?) was really going to be tested. You are braver than you know . Shortly after I began this book, give or take a few weeks, my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer that had spread to lymph nodes as well as a couple of other spots by the time they found it. The news hit me in the gut like a baseball bat. My dad. The strongest, most giving, most stubborn, most invincible man that I knew, was now fighting the worst disease that has ever affected our family. Cancer had already taken my sister, my grandfather, my mother in law and several other distant relatives. I sat there, phone still in hand from talking to my brother Casey, and stared at the wall. My husband had walked into the room and said something to me but I couldn't hear him, my thoughts were t...

Turns out I’ve got a lot to work on this year. 1. Care Less. about things that don’t matter and things that don’t make you feel good. 2. Care more. about things that do matter. 3. Change is good. resist the natural urge to fight it. instead try to remember almost every great thing in your life started with an unexpected change you initially didn’t want… 4. Surround yourself with good people who fill you with good vibes. get away from those that don’t. 5. Comparing yourself to others is as useless as it is exhausting. someone else’s story will never be your own. 6. Control what you can. let go of what you can’t. 7. No one has it all figured out. some people are just better at faking it. 8. Ordinary people create awesome shit every day. why not you? 9. Less excuses. More doing. if you spent even half as much time working as you do complaining, you’d probably have nothing to complain about… 10. Listen to the nagging voice inside of you urging you to take that leap of ...