27 November - 10 December 2023
Wow. I was just looking back through all my old posts and realized that I've been posting consistently for the last SEVEN years! Like, wow. Lately, writing and posting has felt like a burden. I've been very overwhelmed by life. But even though I've missed a few weeks here or there, I've still been consistent. There was a three month gap between getting home from my mission and then posting, but otherwise it's been pretty much weekly (with the exception of the last couple of months), with me posting the highlights of my week and keeping track of my life. Even if no one reads it but me, it's so worth it because it helps me to go back and reflect and remember my strengths and the progress I've made. I have learned so poignantly these last two weeks that I am my worst critic and truly need to reign in the negativity and give myself more grace and seek for the positives. Doing this really helps with that, even though it's sometimes hard to get the motivation to write when I'm struggling with already feeling super overwhelmed.
Anyways... some quick highlights of the past two weeks include:
-I've had three or four people ask me about my skin care routine because they notice my skin is glowing and want to know what products I use! I took a picture of all my products today to send out, and this isn't even all the products I have (but is most of them). It feels good to know what I've been doing for the past month (or two?) has really made a difference in my skin. It has definitely become part of my self-care routine, a moment to focus on the sensations of cleaning and caring for my face, though it does sometimes feel like a chore. What really helps is good makeup products. I've found some good foundations I like, and applying it on moisturized skin really makes a huge difference in how well it covers and makes your skin look flawless!
-I attended a 14 hour training in Tempe for Core Skills. I have three more of them left to get EFCT (emotionally-focused couple's therapy) certified. I learned a lot and made some great connections. One girl in my group was also a student and we bonded, and I learned she Korean, which made me really excited. I'm still working on learning Korean! Slowly, but surely! I do have school to finish up because... I'm graduating THIS MONTH!!! And a huge licensing exam to prep for (um... yeah. I buckled down and bought a $300 study prep course... bleh. But I'm gonna do it!!) So I've been busy, but I'm trying!
-I gave a short talk at our stake Christmas devotional and got TONS of compliments! All the speakers were truly fantastic, and we had some great musical numbers. I got to sing in one of the choirs too. And I felt very pretty that night. I've been filming lots of YouTube videos, so here's one I did about children's books, and that's how I also looked that night at the devo. But along the lines of YouTube, I started going in a new direction, focused on specific activities/exercises to do with kids and teens that are therapeutic and help kids grow. So far, I think my view count has gone slightly up than before, and it seems to have a more positive outcome. And the videos are so much easier for ME to film and feel confident about. I really like this new direction a lot and it excites me, which is really good since I had begun to feel a bit burnt out from doing my channel.
-I attended the CLEAR Counseling work Christmas party, and it was the first time in a long time that the time passed without me noticing it. I didn't think or feel like I'd been there very long, but almost 3 hours had passed. It was incredible to be able to just sit in and enjoy the moment.
-Valerie and her boyfriend are getting pretty serious, already discussing rings and honeymoon locations! So we will see if she gets a ring by the end of the year or not!! I'm just so happy for her. Her being happy makes me feel so happy and blessed. And I love how she can be more of herself with him.
-Gracelyn is cute as ever and growing so fast! She is so good at imitating words, so we've been getting a kick out of her saying "I cute" and our names. She is walking more and more, but she still prefers crawling or being held (especially by grandma).
-Work gave me a $1,000 Christmas bonus!! They really love having me there and are sad that I'll be leaving soon to start working full-time as a therapist. I've been helping them expand their business with social media, marketing, and vinyl. We put vinyl all around my cousin's truck!
Much love,
Emily Burnham
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