Hey friends, Abby Grimaldi here!
I have a question for you: Who do you want to be? The answer can be basic or complex. Who do you want to be? A good person? A doctor? A mom? A teacher? A girlfriend? Fit? Beautiful? Inspiring? Successful? Yourself? A lot of you know I'm WAY too chatty for a one-word answer. You too? Regardless of how you answered the question, I have one follow-up question: ARE YOU who you want to be? I've always been a visionary person. I find this over-the-top joy in visualizing my future dreams...even if they continually evolve! At 5 I wanted to be a child actress...like Dakota Fanning or Mary Kate & Ashley! Didn't we all..? Not much real substance behind that dream, but hey! I was 5. #stereotypicalbabyofthefamily At 15 the Lord set me on fire for Him...so during high school, my new dream was to be a cross between Beth Moore & Kari Jobe. I didn't know how that would happen, but they were my biggest role models, so that was who I wanted to be! I've always asked my self... Who do I want to be? Am I being who I want to be? Choosing my path after high school was an unclear, drawn-out process...eek! I graduated high school an accomplished musician, student, & dancer, but had no idea how my life would unfold or how I could become the person I wanted to be when I grew up... Fast forward to fall 2012, I'm a freshman at UND, reluctantly majoring in music education at my local "safe school." At this point in life, I had a fire for music & ministry, but didn't see how God would bring my visions to life. It's been almost 5 years since then. I had NO idea all the great things God had in store for me. I believe I've come as far as I have (still on my way) because of 2 things: 1. God's obvious guidance 2. my willingness to say yes & seek opportunities for myself Looking back on those college years: piece by piece, person by person, experience by experience, God showed me who I want to be, & I became more & more like that person. I'm one year out of college & still doing a lot of the same things I did in college. (Minus studying for finals, hallelujah!) I'm a nomadic hockey wife with dreams I want to realize & skills I'm taking ownership of developing. I'm trusting God to bring me where He wants me, but I know I better be doing my part! I've grown in strategic ways because I've focused on God's vision for me. I stay in His Truth & grow in intentional ways...Here are some pieces of who I want to be: 1. I want to be a fiery Christian, rooted in truth & fueled by compassion for others. 2. I want to be a professional musician. I want to sing, play, write, & perform using God's gifts to the fullest. 3. I want to be honest & dynamic; inspiring people of various walks of life & backgrounds; in God's Word, preaching TRUTH. 4. I want to be an awesome wife/fan of my hockey-playing husband. 5. I want to stay fit & happy. Those are my examples. What are your's? WHO DO YOU WANT TO BE? Once you've answered that question, it's time to act: HOW DO I BECOME THE PERSON I WANT TO BE? HOW DO YOU BECOME THE PERSON YOU WANT TO BE? He's called me to take certain actions to get where I'm going, & I think you could take them too. Here they are: 1. SEEK GOD, get dreamy, & create a vision of "who you want to be." 2. SEEK ROLE MODELS of all types. People who are experts in areas of interest, faith warriors, kind people, dynamic people. Look for them, & watch what they do. Ask them questions. Shadow certain things that they do. 3. SAY YES when opportunities arise & LOOK FOR opportunities when you don't see any. Take those opportunities for all they're worth. You want to grow, right? Forge your own path. Escape your bubble & do things that will propel you forward in life. Things that will humble you & broaden your perspective. Things that will challenge & sharpen you. SAY YES...to God-honoring, scary, big, exciting things. You'll be fine! Better than before. 4. BE WHO YOU WANT TO BE. (Right now...no need to wait.) If you've got a vision of who you want to be, you're halfway there. The rest is up to your will, determinaion, & bravery to take action & start being the person you envision. What does taking action look like? Here are are 3 personal examples: 1. I've loved Zumba since high school. At UND there was this AMAZING teacher named Brittney. She was insane. Spunky, infectiously happy - people LOVED her class. She graduated, & I was going to MISS her class! She told me to become an instructor...I said YES. I've been teaching for 4 years & am so thankful for the teaching experience I've gained & people I was able to reach & inspire. This experience led to a group fitness position at an amazing gym last hockey season. I'm glad I said yes 4 years ago! 2. I didn't start voice lessons until my senior year of high school. I felt so behind, & used to shake singing solos, but I had an incredible teacher who saw my potential. Years later, I still occasionally doubt myself., but I've come a LONG way. When Satan says I'm nothing special, I actively deny his lies by practicing even more & declaring the anointing God has over my music. I often sang 2-3 hours a day this year, taking control of what I could control. I don't know what God will do with my music, but I'm preparing for anything. Always be ready for what God could call you to next. You never know what's on its way, so keep preparing. Honing your skills & building your confidence. God wants to use you, so give Him the gift of your excellence in return! 3. I didn't meet my husband until I was 18, & he was my 1st boyfriend. I spend my high school years growing in my faith & putting in hours in God's Word. The more time I spent with God, the more I became like Him. I didn't learn about relationships by dating people. I luckily got to learn from the outside looking in. I observed my Christian friends' relationships: how they prioritized purity, didn't put each other on pedestals, & constantly sought God's guidance. I prayed for my future husband for years, & though he was nowhere to be found, I prepared myself for him. God prepared us for each other while we were separately pursuing His callings. Our marriage is Christ-centered & 'dance in the kitchen to High School Musical before games' happy. I'm so glad I took ownership of this as a teen & let God bring me him in time! These are some examples of specific ways God has guided me to live my best life & become the woman of God I dream to be. Everyone has unique callings. I know life can be unpredictable & crazy. It can really knock you down & distract you from becoming who you want to be. So consider this a friendly reminder... YOU HAVE THE POWER TO BE WHO YOU WANT TO BE. You can do what you want to do. You can make time for what you want to make time for...if you really want it, you will. Few things break my heart more than seeing people living stagnant lives, wishing for more yet doing nothing to change their lives. I'm not saying everyone should move to NYC & try to become a celebrity, but I do know that each of us has dreams. Life is truly what you make of it. Opportunity is out there, & the person you WANT to be is never too far out of reach. So get out there & start saying YES. Not just for yourself, but for the multitudes of people that could be blessed by you stepping up to shine as a bolder & brighter version of yourself. If you've noticed me using my hashtag, #BornToShine, this is why! You are BORN TO SHINE. So who do you want to be? Comment below & let's chat! Find me on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter & let's grow together! I want nothing more than to join you on your faith journey. Much love, Abby Grimaldi
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AuthorChristian Singer-Songwriter, Writer, Hockey Wife, & Fitness Fanatic. Nomad with North Dakota roots. Archives
January 2020
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