Happy Monday everyone!!
After last week’s post being more on the depressing and venting side of things I have to say I felt so much better after writing through what was going on in my head and getting out here. Shortly after posting “Happy New Year?”, I came up with the idea to get back on the motivational train and write something everyone can use as fuel to start their fire for the week. While reading, keep in mind that I am writing this for me too, because we are all in dire need of a lighter to start the fireworks under our asses. Yes, 2020 was shit, but it can’t touch 2021. This year will be a VERY different story, but it’s going to take a different mindset and some serious positive energy to initiate that change we’re looking for.
I want everyone reading this to take a deep breath. It helps if you count in your head as you inhale and exhale: 1…2…3…4. Go on, take a deep breath. You’re breathing as you read this anyway, so you may as well get the most out of it. Now that you’ve taken a deep breath, take another one. And another one if needed. It’s amazing how just a few deep breaths can help slow our heart rates down and refocus our minds, help see things from a broader perspective, get out of our heads a bit and give our minds a break from all the stressors we have been thinking about. We can always go to a beach somewhere warm and take ourselves on a vacation, but our minds might never have a day off if we don’t allow them to. We are not supposed to be living our lives under constant stress thinking about all the things that are weighing us down. We are supposed to be happy and enjoying the beautiful blessings in life all around us. There are countless illnesses and health conditions that stem or are worsened by stress, so taking a few deep breaths at the start of each day or even during the day when we are extra stressed out can really help. Not to mention that the increase of cortisol in the body makes it nearly impossible for weight loss to happen and can trigger weight gain so there’s a little extra motivation to prioritize proper breathing and giving your mind a break.
Arguably one of the worst parts about covid is that it affected everyone in differently, and we have all been suffering with the consequences in our own ways. While I don’t know what every person is going through, I can promise that it’s not permanent. Nothing in this life is permanent; not even life itself. That is, until I figure out how to become a vampire…just kidding. No matter what age you are, how long you have been at a job, or what financial situation you are in, none of that is permanent. You can always go back to school, find a new hobby to dive into, find a new job or even begin your own company. I remember being at my graduation ceremony with an 88-year-old man who was finishing his degree because he promised his wife he would when she was alive. I was just as shocked as everyone else initially when they announced his story at commencement, but then I realized this man did not care what his current life situation was. He made a promise and set out to keep that promise no matter what it took. I’m sure his wife was smiling down at him from heaven, more in love and more proud of him than she’d ever been. There are people who go through several marriages and divorces but never give up on finding the true love they are looking for; refusing to settle for a person that does not deserve to be their life partner. It does not matter what your day looked like yesterday, this past week or even this past year, nothing about your life has to stay the way that it is if you are not happy. Nothing about your life is going to stay the same anyway, that’s just human nature. So why not be proactive about making the changes you want now rather than just waiting for the time when you grow so sick and tired of your current situation that you’ll do anything for a change?
While it’s important to remember that nothing is permanent, it’s even more important to remember that no one is YOU! That is precisely the reason why nothing is permanent. Every single person is unique and has a definite purpose, a reason for being, we are not clones meant to perform the same cycle over and over again. While there are more than 7 billion people on this planet, not one other person out there has your exact makeup. Not one of those 7 billion people has your face, your smile, your personality, your talents, abilities, quirks, none of it. None of those 7 billion people have the heart that you do, and no one else can see the world through your lens. Not one person was created just to have an average life or to be unhappy, so don’t allow any outside sources to control your life and your happiness when you are the only one meant to live it. You are the only person living your life with your own custom lens, perspective and plan created for you by God himself. God has a beautiful plan for your life, and no matter what might seem to be getting in the way, these are all just tests preparing you for the greatness that is ahead of you. There may be a horrible boss or co-worker at work that make it seem like their purpose is to make your life miserable, there may be an abusive partner holding you back from happiness or bullies at school that just won’t seem to leave you alone. This is all horrible, but everything happens for a reason and God would not give you something you couldn’t handle. God puts people, things and events in our lives to either be a blessing or a lesson, and he leaves it up to you to decide. The only thing we can control is how much of those outside sources we let control our everyday thoughts and control our internal happiness. What’s the point in letting someone else make you feel miserable if they can’t even feel the effects of it? Don’t give them the reaction they’re looking for, you are beyond that. You are so much greater than that. You are destined for far greater than anything you can imagine.
I know some days it feels like you’re trapped in a room where the temperature keeps rising with no way out, but it’s important that you remember that God is in control of the thermostat. He would never raise it beyond a temperature that we are not capable of withstanding. We need to start accepting that there are certain things that are beyond our control, such as the way others treat us, and accept responsibility for the things that are within our reach. These things include how happy we are, how we respond to others who treat us poorly, and how we choose to treat others around us. Life is too short to let negative people and behavior control our lives, we need to focus on spreading positivity and building towards the path that God has planned for us. As my father always said to me growing up, “Life is too short to worry about circumstances that are beyond your control.”
I love you, dad. Thank you for teaching me one of the most valuable lessons I have ever learned.
XOXO
Kaycie
