“The gift of big dreams comes with the power to achieve them.”

Above is the quote that I initially was going to put on this year’s AYE Christmas cards, but instead I opted for this beauty here.

I actually crafted this quote one day in a journal and thought it could be perfect for an inspirational holiday card, however, I decided it actually best served in a New Year post welcoming a new decade full of promise!

2019 was and incredible year that I am so thankful for — it was busy and exciting with Sean’s and my first full year of marriage, 8 weddings, travel, being name Best of Boston, and mentorships, and yet it also was a year of learning a lot about myself, what worked and what didn’t work for me. It was year of some deep soul searching and looking ahead to plan what the next 5 and 10 years is going to look like for me. And that soul searching led me to my word for 2020.

In 2020, this is a year of surging ahead for me, and my husband as well. We are breaking out of the gate and pushing, pushing, pushing. It’s a year of BIG things. It’s a year of multiple bucket list items finally being actualized! Making dreams and things that have been on on my heart for years now and on the cusp of becoming reality. From my most complex wedding to date, to a wedding in Rome, Italy, to a wedding in my all-time favorite city of Charleston, hopefully Sean and I will be buying a home, launching a product, changing the AYE structure (in 2021 we will be serving an intentional number of 5 weddings) — there is so much happening in 2020 that I am excitedly, and albeit a little anxiously, anticipating. I also am turning 30 in less than 30 days, and I am vowing this decade of my life will be the best one yet. 

“I am in a season of pursuit.”

And so fittingly I have chosen the word “Pursuit.” While not the most glamorous of words, I selected “pursuit” (and the verb “pursue” to go along with it) because I want my word to keep me centered on this year ahead. I am in a season of pursuit. The pursuit of joy, big dreams, actualizing goals and bucket list items and taking leaps of faith to put something into the wedding world that I know it needs. My mindset is that I am pursuing things in this year of my life, because in a couple of years to come my plan is to slow. Now is the time for the groundwork — that tenacious effort to lay the ground work and do the work that is sooooo worth it in the future. If you are an enneagram advocate, depending on the state of my life I’ll be channeling my type 3 side — the achiever.

“The gift of big dreams comes with the power to achieve them.”

Now friends, I want to go back to this quote from the beginning of the post. For many of you, I see you have huge dreams that you are striving towards in the upcoming year. This weekend I asked everyone on Instagram to share with me their words and mantras for 2020 and so many shared the same words including:

• Actualize

• Push

• Action

• Achieve

I can tell that in so many hearts there is hope and resolve that 2020 is going to be a big year! And I know it will be. I know you know this but big resolutions are easy to make, life-changing when they are achieved, but hard to maintain. Resolutions require willpower, confidence in yourself and your dreams, tenacity and unwavering belief in yourself to counteract the self doubt. And during the moments of self doubt that make you want to quit, you have to be ready to press on. Run your race. It doesn’t matter how fast you get there, how messy the journey is, the number of detours you have to take or the number of times you have to stand up again, just as long as you get to your goal. A tenacious pursuit will get you there.

I do not believe for one second that you were given dreams so they could die in the recess of your mind. You were given the ability to dream BIG. You were given dreams to speak them aloud and make them real. And with your dreams you were given the power to work towards them and achieve them.

For those in a state of pursuit like I am as we head into 2020, I want you to keep the theme quote from this post wherever you go so that you can read it as a mantra to keep you going! 2020 will undeniably be your year of bringing those big dreams to life, and I would love to be here cheering you on! At the bottom of this post I have turned this quote into two graphics for you to use as wallpaper to your phone, share it on IG or in your stories, print this out on cardstock and keep on your desk or print and put inside of a planner or journal. Tag #my2020pursuit so that I can follow along, encourage you and reshare your posts!

One final note before I close – thank you, thank you, thank you for joining me here for another year. Your support and connection here on my blog and on social truly creates a community I adore, and I am so thankful for you. I hope you know how much it means to me that you take the time to read these posts, and because of you I continue to content to share! I wish you so much happiness as we say hello to a new year!

And just like that, we are hours away from a new decade. Happy New Year, friends!

xo, Keri

(Tap and hold the images below to save to your phone and use as wallpaper or IG story content! Save to your computer if you wish to print!)