Reflections From a Small Town Girl
Happy 2018 Ladies!
For the last couple of years, I’ve prayerfully considered, listened, and chosen a word that guides and directs my actions for the entire year. Usually this process takes a couple of weeks but for 2018 the word(s) came so easily...
As I was thinking about how to begin this New Year, I thought it would be a great opportunity to just share a little more about myself and why my life’s purpose is to invest and walk with every woman who is committed to living a Purposely M.A.D.E Life in the new year!
Plainview, Texas! That’s the small town that raised me. Unless, you also grew up in West Texas you probably haven’t ever heard of this small town gem.
The Basic Breakdown: Plainview, Texas-Population 21, 625, 1 Super Walmart (closest mall was 45 minutes away), the BEST local eating spots (Nina & Hope’s, Spudnuts, The Fieldhouse, Burger World, Allsups 😊), 1 main Movie Theatre, Sonic was a hangout spot and Junior/Senior Prom as well as The Red, White, and Blue were events that the WHOLE town came out to support every year.
Although I love the benefits of living the city life now, I’ll always be a small town girl at heart! Growing up, many of those days in Plainview seemed so slow and uneventful in my eyes, but God saw the bigger picture. He knew that those days were building the foundation of my character and what would be needed in order to do the work that He M.A.D.E. me to do.
The three most important lessons that I learned were:
The Essence and Importance of Community. Yep, for the most part it’s true what they say about small towns: everyone knows your name, your parents, and your family history. As a teenager, I was not at all impressed with this part of community as it threatened to “ruin my life” because I couldn’t get away with anything, lol! Now, I truly value having a support system that keep me accountable, a group of friends who reflect grace and truth, connecting with others to share experiences, encourage growth during difficult time, and to celebrate life’s amazing victories. It’s guaranteed that building community throughout your life will leave you with one big extended family!
How to Be a Creative Problem-Solver- With limited entertainment options, activities, and resources, you learn quickly how to create your own fun! One of my strengths is being able to thrive in crisis/difficult situations by coming up with creative solutions in the moment. I attribute this skill to my first attempts as an entrepreneur with my Snoopy Snow Cone Machine, Homecoming Week and making Super Hero capes for Twin Day, becoming an expert at toilet papering the house of a crush and not getting caught, and lots more! These were the precious moments where the character traits of dedication and patience were built!
Humility and Resilience- It’s here that the true meaning of “Do not despise the day of humble beginnings” was imprinted on my heart. My first job was at K-mart working as a lay-away associate. If you know anything about “putting up” lay-aways, you know that area can get crazy, especially during the holidays!! However, it taught me so much about work ethic, customer service, and how showing up and giving your best to others can change the course of their lives for a moment, a day, and a lifetime!
Over this last year, God has truly utilized these lessons and so many more to draw my heart to helping women discover their life’s purpose, overcome fear, and live in harmony with their authentic selves in every area of life. This year I received more than one word, I got a powerful mantra that came so clearly. 2018 is my year to: LOVE BODLY!
If you haven’t yet taken the time to reflect on your own lessons from 2017 or your own small town experiences, I highly encourage you take some time this week to do so!
I can hardly contain my excitement about the growth and blessings that this year is going to hold for each woman in this community! I’m looking forward to connecting with every Purposely M.AD.E. Woman who believes that this is her year to build authentic community, is willing/ready to do the heart work, and creatively approach her own personal healing with humility and resilience!
Cheers to Loving Bodly in 2018!
Love, Peace, and Purpose,
Tynisha
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