Hello and Happy Sunday!
For those of you that don’t know, my name is Courtney. I’m the youngest of the “Olesh Oysters.” I was the last one to take a breath, and the last one to get my blog going. That’s because starting and maintaining a blog is a little out of my comfort zone, but it’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time for a few different reasons.
The first reason is personal. I find that my experiences of joy and clarity are fleeting. At a few different points in my life I’ve had sheer mental clarity. I felt like the world was at my fingertips and that everything was magical. In these states of mind, I was inspired yet calm. Driven, but flexible. But these feelings never seem to last long. Not more than a few weeks, or months if I’m lucky. My hope is that, by starting a blog, I will make self-reflection more of a routine. This will make my states of happiness more memorable and tangible so that I can learn from myself. I also hope that it will help me express myself so that I can start to see what patterns cycle throughout my experience.
The second reason I wanted to start a blog is because I’ve been trying to limit my use of social media. I constantly find myself aimlessly scrolling through Instagram or Facebook. I’m willing to bet that I’ve lost days of my life to those soul-sucking apps. Lately, I’ve been trying to make my actions more intentional and deliberate, so I deleted them off my phone to avoid using them. (Disclaimer: this is easier said than done! I sometimes give in and re-download, but I always end up deleting them again once I find myself too distracted.) I have also begun to notice social anxiety whenever I post anything. I HATE how much I’ve started to crave likes. I hate even MORE when I tailor my content as a way to earn more likes. With that being said, it definitely has its upside. It’s hard to build a personal brand or stay in touch with friends if you DON’T use them in this day and age. But, I still think I have a lot of substantial things to say, and I hope a blog will allow me to authentically portray myself to people that care to read my content. I’m tired of living under a rock, so I am hoping the blog functions as a way to update people on my life while engaging with people I’ve made connections with in the past.
The other reasons I’ve been wanting to start a blog are more communal and spiritual. I am a very authentic and introspective person to begin with. Anyone that knows me personally knows that I speak my mind. I’m definitely opinionated, but still compassionate. I’ll be the first person to offer my resources and guidance in a tough spot. My level of introspection makes me highly empathetic to others’ pain. I hope that by sharing my daily experiences, challenges, and realizations, my readers will find any of the following: guidance, comfort, joy, humor, help, friendship, etc. Why should we all have to be pained by the same things? I hope to be honest about my mistakes and hardships so YOU don’t have to endure them.
I also hope to make spiritual experiences more of a common talking point. Our culture is way focused on all of the wrong things. I believe we are here to connect with each other, feel love, and pursue our passions. We all have gifts buried inside us that can be discovered simply by looking inward and learning to be vulnerable with each other. This universe is intricately beautiful, and I hope we can help each other experience more of that beauty.
I’m currently wrapping up a family trip to Arizona and I’m feeling completely rejuvenated. If any of you follow me on Instagram (@colesh131), you know we did a Jeep Vortex tour in Sedona that was a pretty spiritual experience for me. It was on April 17th, the day that one of my friends passed away 6 years before. We ended up spotting orbs in FIVE pictures of me while I was standing in the center of a vortex – the guide even stated that weird phenomenons happen when pictures are taken at the spot we were on! We then made our way to the Grand Canyon, where we did a bike tour on Earth Day. I HIGHLY recommend the Canyon to anyone who’s never been. Just laying eyes on it reminds you how incredible this planet is and what a miracle it is to be alive. (Peep @oleshoysters on Instagram for more pictures!)
I feel like this vacation allowed me to take a step back and refocus on what’s important to me. It can be easy to get wrapped up in your day-to-day routine, especially if you’re a member of the corporate world like myself. Sightseeing with my family really reminded me what I’m working towards and lit a fire inside me to push hard through the summer. I hope you all feel refreshed after this holiday weekend too. If you haven’t lately, take a few minutes and spend some time in the sun. It was a long winter, but all the creatures are coming out of hiding. Silence your mind and I’m sure you’ll feel your soul starting to awaken too.
If you made it this far, thanks for sticking it out for my first blog post. Sending you love!
Catch ya later,
Court
I Love You.