Dress | Earrings from Nordstrom (Similar Here & here) | Shoes (Similar here & here) | Purse
How pretty is this floral maxi dress? I am not usually big on prints, but I love this one and think it’s so sweet and romantic. I think it would be perfect for a wedding, a date, engagement party or a date night! I put a jean jacket with it to make it more casual but I think you could put a shawl with it to dress it up for a wedding or a nicer evening. I purchased this dress from Nordstrom and there are TEN different colors/patterns. I’m wearing a size medium for reference (mainly for my hips because, your girl has a small chest lol). There is a slip that goes to about mid thigh where the slits open on the side so it’s not see through. I loved this dress and thought you all would, too!
Happiest of Friday Friends!
I titled this post May Flowers for two reasons: 1) the dress is obviously floral and 2) May flowers suggest happiness, new life and coming out of a rainy season. I am here to tell y’all that this has been my life for the last few months – a rainy season. You may have noticed that I have not written a post since February, and I’ve been pretty MIA on Instagram. For a while, I have been struggling with direction, where I am in my personal life and what I’m contributing to the world. It sort of feels like I’m in a late 20’s life crisis.
I would not say I was depressed, but I definitely wasn’t myself for a while. I’m usually an extremely happy and optimistic person and nothing gets me down. I cried A LOT January – mid April, I felt unmotivated and distracted and a general feeling of failure from a personal standpoint. I’ve never really felt those things, so this was a very strange place for me to be.
I didn’t really know why I was feeling this way. I realized why when I was at church for our Easter service with my parents. I saw all the kids coming down the aisle for their children’s sermon in their adorable little Easter outfits, and I immediately realized that I wanted a family. In my 28 years, I’ve never felt the desire to have a family like I did that day. I felt it so much that I almost cried because it feels so far away for me. I realized, that at 28 years old I was not where I wanted to be and that had been making me unhappy.
This realization lead me to think about broader questions: where am I in life overall? Am I fulfilling a greater purpose? Am I doing what I love? The greater question, was HOW do I get the things that I want and be happy! How do I live a full life that at the end of the day and the end of my time, I can look back with lots of love, happiness and few regrets?
If you know me, I usually get what I want. So how? I reflected a lot and the starting point was working on me. I’m always working on me but for the past five years, there’s always been a guy in my life so it’s never just been me. I don’t want to say that these guys were a distraction because all of them taught me a lot and have helped me develop as a person and understand what I want from a relationship, but I desperately needed to focus on Cortney.
For me, working on myself means working on my relationship with God, my relationship with my friends and family and making sure that I’m doing what I love to do. In one of Andy Stanley’s sermons that I listened to recently called “What Makes You Happy”, he says that you’ll find the happiest people have peace with God, and they are more concerned with the WHO and not the what (meaning people v. material possessions). So I’ve been going to church more consistently to grow my relationship with Jesus, and I’ve been working on the friendships and relationships that I currently have and developing new ones. I’m also exercising more, taking time to read and trying to get involved more in the Raleigh community. All of these things have helped me tremendously in all aspects of my life. I feel more confident, more joyful, less stress and pressure and more open to new ideas, opportunities and experiences. I truly believe Andy hit the nail on the head with this sermon. You can watch or listen to it here.
This new season of life is helping me trust in God to fulfill my hopes, dreams and desires rather than someone else, and to trust that all things come at the right time – whether I understand that timing or not. So while I’m still a little insecure and very deeply want certain things, I have hope that I’m on the right path to getting those things. I am content with where I am in life and can be joyful again!
So if you are feeling this way or having a down time in your life, you are not alone. Take some time to refocus on what’s important to you and your values! I promise it will make all the difference!
I want to know: how do you find joy, contentment, happiness and peace? Leave a comment below and let us all know! I know everyone can use a few tips on finding happiness! 🙂
Have a SUPER weekend!
xox,
Cortney
Thanks for your vulnerability. as a mid-to-late 20 something year old woman, it is nice to hear (selfishly) that is it kind of ok to just not be ok for a while.
And let me tell you- I am a settled, married woman- and I find myself asking the very same ‘larger than life’ questions. Am i happy? did I make the right decisions? am i fulfilling a larger calling or meaning? whats next?
On the flip side- ironically- the ‘stability’ of a ‘normalized’ life can be equally suffocating. Perhaps classic “grass is greener..” mentality. I don’t know..
Maybe its the constant comparisons that social media allows, or financial restrictions, or the pressure to have kids, or the lack of autonomy that marriage equates- but ill tell you, move into that space only when you are ready. Anonymity allowing full exposure; its tough. Rewarding, but really, really tough.
So cry when you need to, build yourself into the version of you that you need to be, and wait for the perfect prince to crash into your life when you least expect it. I hope and wish that the stagnation that causes my mid-late 20s life crisis avoids you all together.
We are all in this difficult, confusing life together. #Survive
Thank you for sharing your perspective as a married woman! I think you’re right about the grass is greener on the other side mentality. Everyone has something that everyone else wishes they had – whether that be a certain relationship, money, clothes, a talent, etc. – but those things can also come with challenges and difficulties too. Life is confusing and tough sometimes, but I’m always trying to see the beauty in it, even when it is hard! Best of luck to you! Thank you for reading and sharing your experience!
– Cortney
This is so where I am right now too, I need to work on my relationship with Christ and grow that before anything
Briana
https://beyoutifulbrunette.com/
It’s always comforting to know that there are people going through the same things in life as you during more emotionally challenging times! Thankfully we have a savior that meets us where we are in life and is always waiting! We’ll all get there! You got this!