what I learned from Forrest Gump.

I'm sure you have a list of movies which always detracts from your task at hand. My short list includes: You've Got Mail, Notting Hill, and Forrest Gump. {Apparently, I love '90s movies.} Over the course of the last week, I stumbled on Forrest Gump three times. Though I've seen it more times than I can count, I tuned in and caught different portions of the movie each time. I think there is so much to learn from Forrest--beyond his box of chocolates.

Hearing Forrest's mother utter the quote above to him in one of the early scenes of the movie struck me in a way it hadn't before. Like pretty much every teenage girl, I struggled with the whole self-acceptance thing in those dark middle and high school years. I was never good enough--and I fought hard to try and prove myself. It is funny to think a movie could bring this sort of clarity, but go with me here: my teenage self thought it had something to prove to the world, but my late 20s self realizes the person I really had to impress was myself.

I demand excellence of myself. I don't do things halfway. I am definitely a perfectionist. Being out of my blogging groove in the last few months feels...weird. I miss posting more often, but sometimes, I realize that real life trumps the hours I spend crafting a post. With so much going on behind the scenes with our house, I would rather give you two good posts a week than four or five that are mediocre at best. I don't know why seeing Forrest Gump caused a lightbulb moment for me, but it did. I don't need to be like every super human who somehow cranks out twenty crazy good posts a month. Why? I am happy with the few in which I pour my heart and soul.

What I learned from Forrest Gump {or from Winston Groom--the author behind his story} is this: what I create is enough. The game of comparison is not one I enjoy, but it is one in which I sadly participate. If blogging were easy, everyone would do it. With my 29th birthday looming in May, my goal for the coming year is to finally embrace me. Others' stars may rise, but I'll be happy with wherever mine shines.

Thanks for reading this long, somewhat cheesy post. Claiming Forrest taught me anything could be construed as a stretch, but I promise you it's not. I cannot send enough gratitude to those readers who stick by me, through thick and thin. I read each of your comments and cherish them. You keep me encouraged and inspired, so thank you from the bottom of my heart. For those who celebrate, Happy Easter! xoxo {av}