Tag: love

Making My Bed: 1000 Consecutive Days

1000 days!

I have made my bed 1000 consecutive days today. It might seem like a minimal task, but it wasn’t on day one. Day one was my first day waking up in my tiny 420sqft studio apartment. My wife (ex-wife now) had left me and filed for divorce because she said she found someone who was “offering to give her the world.” Her reason was because she felt second to everything else in my life; my faith, my family, my drive, my passions. The very foundation of what makes me who I am. It broke my heart. It made me question who I am. It made me ask myself, “What was wrong with me?”

On top of all that, I was losing everything we had built together. The future that I’d envisioned and the family I’d hoped for. I found it difficult to breathe, let alone move. But I got up and stared at my messy bed and decided I’m going to face my messy life by doing something that is totally under my control. I’m going to make my bed. So I did. Every day.

Every day no matter how difficult it was, no matter how much I just wanted to stay in bed and cry, I got up. I made my bed. I found new reasons to smile. New reasons to laugh. I sought out new adventures and I met some of the most incredible people in the process. People who helped me and showed me that there is a purpose greater than my pain.

1000 days ago, I genuinely thought that I wouldn’t get through it. But I did and do every day. The most difficult thing to do is to get up and move forward after we had been broken down. The bravest thing we can do for ourselves is get up and fight to make each day better.

Tonight I’ll come home to my made bed. It will remind me for the 1000th time that I got up.

The origin of the word “courage” comes from the word “cour”, which mean heart, and it means to completely share your story with your whole heart. –

Brené Brown, The Power of Vulnerability

The Story Behind the Name

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

Who is Big Jo?

Hello, my name is Joan (JoAnn). Big Jo has been a nickname of mine for the past 6 years and it looks like its sticking around for a while. It was coined by my friend Larissa after watching me lift heavy at the gym. Mind you, I stand at about 5’1 and weigh about 125lbs on a good day. Not exactly what you would picture when you hear the word big. But nonetheless, I embrace the name because it has evolved into more than just the physical characteristics of the word. Being Big Jo to me means living big and loving big.

What is Living Big?

Living big is living with intent or a sense of purpose. It is acknowledging your dreams and creating goals that work towards making those dreams a reality. No matter how big or small those dreams are. It is understanding that things will not always work out the way you plan, but you keep moving because there is so much more to life. Don’t let a couple of setbacks hold you back from the life you’ve envisioned for yourself. It is being grateful for the people in your life. It is being thankful for waking up each day. It is finding a reason to smile when you’ve had bad day. It is saying, “You know what? It’s all good.”

What is Loving Big?

Love in itself is a big word. Loving big is loving people even when it is difficult. It is understanding that we are all just humans who make mistakes. Some of us learn quicker than others and some never learn at all. Regardless, love is always the answer and forgiveness will lighten the heart. Love Big.

So, Why BigJoAdventures?

I named my blog BigJoAdventures because life itself is a big adventure. With its twists and turns and ups and downs. There will always be a story to tell. I don’t want to stick to a single category. I want to write about my life experiences as a whole.

You can expect content about the following categories: travel, nature, learning, faith, hope, love, family/friends, inspiring people, fitness and photography.

Please click follow and stay tuned.