The Here and Now

We always hear about how time flies.

And usually, time does have a tendency to go by so quickly that we blink and it seems 10 years have somehow gone by.

But every once in a while, life puts us through something that feels like it lasts forever. Sometimes, parts of life can seemingly drag on and on. And on.

The thing is, those parts of our life, when looked back on, will also seem to have flown by.

In retrospect, every segment that life naturally breaks down into - childhood, middle school and high school's awkward years, college, that first job and big move, and so on - don't seem to last long.

A flash and they're gone.

So often though, we spend that time waiting for the next phase. Already mentally, impatiently, moving on to that next big thing.

Why do we always have a tendency to be somehow less than satisfied with the now - instead ready and waiting for what's next?

Maybe instead, we can appreciate all situations - the good, the bad, the ugly, even the so-hideous-let's-not-even-bring-it-up.

Because no matter how bad it was, it was likely good for us. Exactly what we needed, even - although it didn't feel like it at the time.

And no matter the current situation, let's embrace it; experience the situation for what it is.

Whatever we are meant to learn in the experience - however you are supposed to be affected from this experience - let it happen.

Be open to it and let it in.

It will make you the person you are meant to be. It'll strengthen you, quiet you, prepare your heart and mind for the next phase of your journey - whatever that may be.

Don't rush through the now, shrugging away its importance. That will only take away from what you get out of it.

Be patient - this phase will both crawl by and fly by, simultaneously. No matter what it is, it can somehow be amazing, lonely, fulfilling, terrifying, sad, loud, happy, quiet - all in one.

Let it be. Exist in it. Soak it in. Truly experience it. Your life will never again be exactly as it is now, so just let it be the way it is right now.

Let it change you and make you better.

There is a purpose to this part - and every part - of life. See it through.

Find out what the meaning is in all this, or don't. But know that it does have meaning. And let that meaning take affect in you.

Be fully in the here and now, because it won't always be this way.

It'll change before we know it. It always does.

Because time really does fly by, no matter if it feels like it in the moment or not.

I haven't posted for a while. I've been incredibly busy with work and my writing business, which is such a blessing. Today I thought I'd share a spotlight a local community-building organization, OTA, did on me. It's so raw and honest. I'd forgotten how personally I shared when filling this out. I believe that's how we grow, though. And sharing things that are hard to admit can help us grow, too!

Name: Stacey Kracht          

City/Town: Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Where else can we connect with you online?        

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stacey.kracht

Instagram: https://instagram.com/slkracht/ 

SnapChat: krachts1 

Blog: http://staceysbeautifullife.blogspot.com/ 

Who is your community? 

My community consists of dreamers, business owners, entrepreneurial spirits, readers, writers, creatives, beauty-makers.

Give us a behind-the-scenes look at your average day.

Currently, I work full-time at Northwestern Mutual as a recruiter. On the side, though, I'm using my connections with people to build on my passion of writing. I'm blogging for a few local businesses, as well as writing magazine articles, content for marketing materials, websites, etc.

What challenge in your life or work are you most interested in overcoming?

Actually getting things to take off is probably my biggest challenge currently. I have lots of connections, but there are never enough. I need to build more relationships with people who could utilize my writing services. Blogging is a great way to get word out to constituents about constant changes in a company or industry. I want to find people whose marketing strategies could benefit from blogs, and see if I can help them out by writing that content for them.

If you could do any job, what would you do and why?

I would be a writer, as I'm trying to do. It is my dream. I've been writing since I was a little girl. I love chatting with friends old and new over a cup of coffee. I love hearing people's stories, finding out what drives them to succeed, how they came up with their ideas, what inspires. And then bringing those stories to life. I want to use my passion to share others' passions with the world.

What is the most beneficial aspect of living in the OTA region when it comes to your career?

As a writer and in my other careers, networking has helped me so much. I get energy and inspiration from people. Meeting new people and building relationships is easy to do here. People are willing to connect you to someone else they know who might help further your interests. Midwestern hospitality has really inspired me to pursue my dream.

At what intersection do you live your life?

I live at the intersection of listening and sharing. 

Where do you think good ideas come from?

People inspire me. Music inspires me. Often my blogs are inspired by song lyrics. Living life is where I get my ideas from!

Sometimes they come from nature: If I go for a walk and breath in the crisp air, or spend a weekend on the farm, all the sudden I have all this energy and tons of ideas! I love sharing ideas with others and hearing their ideas. I can't just keep things inside - I have to share with others. I love listening to the dreams of others, as well. And sharing them through writing.

What’s one current trend you think will change the world?

Social media already has changed the world, but I think it will continue to do so. I think blogging is a great new way for businesses to share grassroots information about what's going on with their constituents. The sharing of information - organic communication - is vital. I think it will only continue to get better and to change the world in creative ways.

What’s the best way to put inspiration into action?

Just act! When something inspires me to write, it's almost like I can't keep myself from doing it. I have to stop what I'm doing, find a cozy spot to settle in with a pen and paper or my laptop, and start writing away. When an idea is really flowing, it's really hard to hold it back.

Another great way to put inspiration into action is to collaborate with others. People complement each other. If I have an idea but don't know what steps to take, someone I know will always have an answer for me. Sharing ideas helps bring them to life.

What’s the greatest risk you’ve taken?

Following my own dreams. Doing what makes me happy. I grew up very conservatively, so to do anything bold would be considered "risk" in my mind.

What’s your biggest failure, and what did you learn from it?

I almost married the wrong man. This taught me the importance of who we surround ourselves with. I want to always be a very positive influence on others, and I want to make a difference and impact others in great ways. I want to help others be the best version of themselves, and this energy will, in turn, only make my life better. I know that I'm constantly part of something bigger than me. I want to remember that.

Who do you hope to leave a legacy for?

I want to leave a legacy for readers, writers, entrepreneurs, business people, dream-followers. I want to touch the lives of anyone who I work with or who reads my writings for the better.

What project (passion or professional) are you working on right now?

Building my passion for content writing into a career would be my focus.

I'd like to connect with more individuals, learn from others, and get started doing content writing for others!

I consider myself a lifelong learner. But part of learning is action. Acting on the things you have learned. I have learned that I have what it takes to be a true entrepreneur, and I believe it can help me to impact others, which is really my true dream. I love taking others stories and turning them into a written format that can be share with a greater audience. I love genuine connection with others. I love sharing ideas and thoughts. People truly fascinate me. We are all different and have unique gifts. If we work together and align ourselves with people whose skills complement ours, so much more can be accomplished; so many more lives can be touched.

Always. Wanting. More.

Why do I always complicate the greater plan for my life?
Why does it seem there's an emptiness inside me that I'm not sure how to saturate?
What is it that I'm seeking?
Why is there always an emptiness, a void, a gap, a longing...for more?

...More of what, though?
More talent?
More quietness, maybe?
More to surround myself with...?

Why am I always trying to fill this gap with people?
Is it people I need? Or is it a person? Or is it even anyone else at all? Is it simply more me that's needed?
Is it something within me longing to become a bigger part of my life?
Why when I'm by myself, sometimes I'm miles away in my heart and in my head? Why do I wander off on some search mission in a distant place in my mind?

What is it that I'm after? What is that rock that I'm looking for?
Why am I always on a mission?
Why is contentment never part of my equation?
Am I always wanting something?
Why is enough never enough for me?
Why do I always think there has to be more?
Why is peace so hard for me to have? Is it simply that I cannot accept peace?
Why is it that I'm always pushing for the next big thing?
Why does my mind seem to torture me?
Why is there always a sense of unsettledness there?
Why do I have an overwhelming desire for what cannot be described - always?

Am I alone in this? Or do others feel this, as well?
Is this a positive, or a negative? Maybe it just simply is?

Sometimes I think I need to just breath and just be. 

I am a little bit of everything...

I am difficult to describe. I am so many contrasting things.
I know what I want but don't always know how to get it.
I am country and fashionista.
I am impatient but calm.
I love music but also crave words.
I'm trusting but cautious.
I am sensitive but strong.
I am independent but vulnerable.
I am broken but I am whole.
I love with my whole being, but quick to move on from what hurts me.
I require attention but thrive on my own.
I am outgoing but reflective.
I am emotional but logical.
I am confident but insecure.
I am busy and animated but relaxed and chill.
I love to be entertained but also require reflective meditation.
I am comfortable with who I am but often compare myself or worry what others think of me.
I love the company of people as much as my own thoughts.
I am perceptive and thoughtful but reasonable and convincing.
I smile to hide the pain; I cry when I am the most joyful.
I am observant but meditative.
I am always seeking something more, yet I hate change.
I am adaptable but organized.
I  need acceptance but stand up for my beliefs.
I appear disorderly but know where everything is.
I crave attention but need my space.
I believe in myself but need reassurance.
I am a dreamer and a realist.
I am ever-evolving and constantly learning, but always making mistakes.
I am careful but adventurous.
I am indulgent but calculated.
I am full of ideas but not always original.
I am focused but aware.
I am systematic but am flexible.
I am energetic but peaceful.
I am learner, do-er, thinker, talker.
I am a great dichotomy.
I am "and;" I am "or."
I am a chameleon. A little bit of everything.
I am a beautiful contradiction.
I am a wonderful, crazy mixture of things.
I am a living paradox.
And it's quite an adventure being me.

To be a Kid

Sometimes I want to be a kid again.

Actually, I don't. I don't want to relive all my childhood days. They are in the past for a reason.

But I want to be a kid at heart.

I want to wear little bouncing pigtails in my hair.

I want to hop from hay bale to hay bale.

I want to dig in the sandbox with my Tonka truck.

I want to swing so high my toes touch the clouds.

Just for a day.

I want to play dress-up with all mom's old high school clothes.

I want to giggle like my life depends on it.

I want to wiggle my toes in the mud.

I want to ride on the back of the hay rack while dad works.

Just for a moment.

I want to scream at worms and crawling things.

I want to "help" grandma in the kitchen. 

I want to cry when I hurt, be held closely and reassured that everything will be okay. 

I want to lie on my back in the grass and stare up at the clouds.

Just for an hour. 

I want to jump on the trampoline until my stomach turns. 

I want to chase a puppy around, tugging at its tail and folding its little ears.

I want to race my sister to the end of the driveway on my bike (minus the skinned knees).

I want to not have a care in the world. 

Growing up is all I wanted back then, and now all I want is for one day, to see the world through the eyes of a child just one more time.

Music

"The earth has music for those who listen." - Shakespeare


Music can evoke emotions that little else can. Music inspires us, drives us, sets our mood, keeps us going, motivates us.

Music makes us laugh, makes us cry, makes us stop and think.

Music settles us down, riles us up.

There is music for every occasion, every event.

There is music for every emotion, every feeling.

There is music for every stage of life.

Sometimes I need faster, louder music to get me motivated.

Sometimes I need mellow, calming music to relax me at the end of the day.

Sometimes I need music that just gets it...music that explains how I feel better than I could.

I love the listening that music requires.

Really listening.

And not just to the lyrics.

To the melody, the harmony, the beat, the tone.

Music brings us back, recalls old memories.

The same song may have different meaning to different people, and music can come in different forms.

Maybe, like Shakespeare hints, music is found all around us. Music is in the wind, in the trees, in the grass, in the streams.

Music is in the click-clack of our shoes on the pavement, in the zoom of cars passing by. Music is in the tick-tock of the clock, in the pitter-patter of rain on the roof.

Silence is music. Sometimes quietness speaks louder than any noise.

The stillness of a quiet night. A soft breeze. A kiss of air. Those are music, too.

Listen to the music around you. Let it wash over you.

Find the music that lets your soul sing. And let the song in your heart be one that moves others.

Change

Do you ever get that feeling - of being anxious for what's to come? You feel the nervous jitters in your stomach, those butterflies bouncing back and forth.

You think maybe it's partially dread, because change is hard to adjust to and accept. But maybe beneath that...way below the surface somewhere... Maybe there's hope.

Hope of what's to come. Hope for a new tomorrow. Hope for change, for something new.

Hope for what you've never experienced before.

Hope for something that will alter the course of your life as you know it.

Hope for a rattling in your very core. A brewing of something...different. Something amazing.

Maybe it's the changing seasons... Maybe it's the changing leaves, or maybe, just maybe, it's a change of heart.

Maybe there's a change that's been beneath the surface for quite some time, waiting to be freed. Maybe that change has been building up for a while now, and it's time to let it out.

Maybe it's something more than you can understand.

Maybe it's not what you expected.

Maybe it's part of a greater plan and timing.

Maybe it's something bigger than you.

Maybe it's something you haven't been brave enough for, prepared enough for, before now.

Maybe it's something that will work out in the right time.

Maybe it's something that you need to let go of, finally, now.

Do you have what it takes to give in to that change? To allow it to alter your journey, your path?

Maybe the real question is... Do I?