WHY I DIY

Happy New Year, friends!

I am always a big fan of a new year. So many days are ahead of me that seem full of possibility and promise! And there is no failure yet hovering over me.

I have always been a “maker”. When I see things in a store or at a craft show I think “I can make that”! In the past I have been known to buy things and come home and take them apart. Then I use the pieces as a pattern to create something new and wonderful…something with my special touch added.

This is how I view my life as well.

Why I DIY: A Story

I was married for many years. I homeschooled my kids for all of those years and I was a stay-at-home mom and I loved it. Investing in the people that I love has always been a high priority for me.

But then five years ago my marriage ended.

It was not necessarily a surprise, but it was a shock for sure. It was a situation that threatened to send me spiraling into hopelessness and fear. Those initial days weeks and months are a blur to me now, but I do remember the feelings enough to know it was the most difficult time of my life.

My friends became like an anchor to me. I am very blessed to say that they are the type of friends who pointed in the right direction: straight to my God who loves me and holds my life in His hands each and every day. To be honest, God is the reason I get up every day and do what I do: live life.

After a life change like that life can seem very broken and shaken apart. Some parts of my life still feel that way. I still have a long way to go, but when I look back I can see that I have come far.

One feature of a newly single life is that you have to learn to do things on your own. When the car breaks down, if the sink starts leaking, when the kids are out of control, you are the one who needs to take care of it.

And guess what? There were a TON of things I did not know how to do. The list of unknowns was (and still can be) quite scary.

The Good Part:

These days I look at my life as one big DIY project. It is on me to make my life look exactly the way I want it to. And as I have grown stronger and more capable it becomes quite an exciting endeavor.

All of us come into this world and we are given a certain set of tools. The tools I was given to live life as I was growing up was a rather broken set of tools. They did not create lasting relationships and they did not bring peace into my heart. Life always felt like a rough road for me, as it does for a lot of people.

DIYing my life allows me to learn to work with a new set of tools that actually bring about the things I want to see in my life: healthy relationships, a successful business, and a lighthearted view of life. These things are more real to me now than they ever have been. While I have built up a much better toolbox of skills, there are still a lot of tools I do not know how to use or I do not use them well. I do know, however, that I can continue to learn and grow.

The same is with DIY projects. I love making things and I love learning new techniques. I love standing in front of a finished project that I made all by myself. Sometimes I am surprised with the wonderful things I come up with!

This New Year:

This year I have a million things I want to do and learn. While I know I will not get to every single one, I will get to a lot of them and my skills will grow. I know this because I will make it happen.

Do you know how I know this? Because I know that “I can make that”!

I can look around at craft projects or personal life skills and I can figure out how to make them mine. I can and will toss out old, dysfunctional tools and replace them with new tools that get the job done. Tools can be fixed and repaired and I can ask skilled people to give me lessons to use them properly.

I want my life to be full and free and peaceful, and my home to be lovely and comfortable.

I want all that life has to offer.

This is why I DIY.

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