Erin Napier > Quotes

“I grew sick with boredom and consumed by stress. I was mad at myself for simply surviving, annoyed that I didn't have the courage to leave my job.
I was pushed and pulled in two directions, faced with a clear choice: I could remain where I was, stable and protected and dying on the inside. Or I could trust myself and take a leap of faith that frightened and excited me in all the right ways.
The decision came down to something simple: ignoring or listening to myself.”
― Erin Napier, Make Something Good Today: A Memoir

“Writing down only the good moments of each day was my way of controlling the narrative of our life. Even I was out of control of the events of the day, writing what I chose to remember changed life as I knew it.
It was a way to make my faith become more real than my fear.”
― Erin Napier, Make Something Good Today: A Memoir

“If we're willing to give in to where God leads us, scary though it may be, we'll keep landing in the right place”
― Erin Napier, Make Something Good Today: A Memoir

“The journal was an exercise in selective memory, of focusing on what matters in the time I have to spend on this earth, in this body. Most days were spent combating my genetic disposition for worry, but in between burned bright moments of a happy satisfied life.
If I had never started the journal, I would have missed so much, taken the lessons for granted, and without the gift of seeing the big picture.”
― Erin Napier, Make Something Good Today: A Memoir

“We are all old houses, altered by time and circumstances. Our lives are shaped by the good and the bad, and we take it all in and make it a part of us.”
― Erin Napier, Make Something Good Today: A Memoir

“As much as I hate change and uncertainty and the damaging storms they can bring, I know that they are needed: they can unearth details in the house that is my life that may have gotten buried through disuse over time. Perhaps our real passions sometimes just need a little commotion to thrust them to the surface, then a dusting off to make them shine again. They might be buried or even forgotten. But once they come to light, we are so happy they're there.”
― Erin Napier, Make Something Good Today: A Memoir

“Independence was mine, and it wasn't about my new career or my new car. It was about doing instead of dreaming.”
― Erin Napier, Make Something Good Today: A Memoir

“Every single night, when I turned out the bedside light, I asked myself, "Will I ever be brave enough? For all of it?"
I read recently that when you let routine take over your life, your brain goes into autopilot and stops recording, almost as though it knows: Nothing to see here. Nothing new, nothing worth remembering. You have to do and see new things for your brain to take snapshots that make life feel lasting. As much as trying new things scared me, I resolved to start. And hoped that it would get easier.”
― Erin Napier, Make Something Good Today: A Memoir

“Following the blueprint God made for you doesn't mean you'll be perfect or holier than or a model example of faith, honesty, and greatness. It doesn't mean that you won't fail constantly, because you will. But if you do, you'll hear Him whispering, "It's okay. That's in the plan. Now, keep going and keep your eyes on me. I'll help you.”
― Erin Napier, Make Something Good Today: A Memoir

“I am not, by nature, an optimistic person. I cling to hope and the kindness of others and the rightness in the way the world sometimes is. But I've always been afraid that if I don't manage my expectations, the other shoe will drop. Whether that other shoe is comeuppance, failure, or just the universe balancing itself out, I can feel it lurking. It might be just out of sight, but it's unmistakeably there. My fear acts as my armor; my feeling is that by preparing for the world to crumble, perhaps I can keep it from happening. If I assume everything is always going to be great, I'll jinx it. It's a superstitious sort of pessimism I have.
I have been blessed a million different ways and no tragedy has befallen us, so maybe there's something to this managing of expectations. It's a burden, though, one I've always hated carrying. It would never occur to Ben to think like this, of course, but for me, it always felt like a way to stay protected.”
― Erin Napier, Make Something Good Today: A Memoir