Who I Am

Can you believe it is February already?! With all the talk this past month around resolutions, I started to think about what mine are for this year. The past 7 or so months of my life have been spent doing a lot of searching and digging to find myself again after many years of just “going through the motions”. What I mean is, I wasn’t exactly lost, but I wasn’t fully living in the moment and I wasn’t putting much effort into getting to know myself better. So, after nearly 5 months of Vibrant Hope Boutique being in business, and to start the new year, I want to introduce myself. So, who am I?

My name is Taylor, and I am the founder and owner of Vibrant Hope Boutique. I am a 20 something recent grad school grad. I am a world traveler and everyday adventurer. I’m a forever student, book lover, random note taker and list maker. I’m a day dreamer and a night thinker. I’m a taco junkie, pop drinker, ice cream enthusiast and wine sipper. I’m an advocate of positivity and laughter. I’m a cat lady, polka dot lover, bold lipstick wearer, seeker of good people, giver, and day brightener. I’m a daughter, sister, friend, entrepreneur, public servant, and writer.

Recently on a plane, a woman sitting next to me asked me, "what are your favorite things?" With a clear language barrier present, I wasn't sure I'd understood her correctly. Like, in life? I thought. That’s kind of a strange icebreaker to ask your seat buddy. But it was a 14-hour flight, so I guessed we'd have the time. I must have looked confused because she began pointing at the video screen on the back of the seat. I quickly realized she was inquiring about which of the available movies I liked best. Now that made more sense, but it got me thinking. What are my favorite things in life, and about myself? Why didn't anything immediately come to mind?? Did I even know myself at all? So, I kept thinking about it and started making a list, and it kept getting longer and longer. Then I thought about whether I was fully appreciating "my favorite things" and how those things were helping me reach my dreams.

Some of what makes me, me, and my favorites are just silly bits of who I am, but some say something bigger me and how I live. It occurred to me, after making my favorites list, that if we gave more attention to our favorites and were more intentional about appreciating them, we might be living happier lives. In 2018 I am resolved to be intentional, remember what I love, and use those things to achieve my dreams. It’s okay to not know everything about “who you are” or who you are going to be. Start with the small stuff. Pursue the “favorite things” in your life, because they just might turn the question of “who am I?” into a wholehearted declaration of this is WHO I AM.