All Aboard the Struggle Bus

Good Wednesday Morning! I am struggling. I am sure I am not the only person in the world who struggles sometimes. Yes, I realized that last time I missed a post I wrote about how I am a human and you should take time for yourself and blah blah blah. Yes, this is true and you should take time for yourself. However, I am having difficulty prioritizing the things I need to do. Throughout college, I was a huge procrastinator (admittedly I still am). I would wait until the last minute (usually 2 ish hours before the assignment was due) to START the assignment. Now, sometimes I was on top of things and I spent time researching and taking the necessary steps to not stress myself out and get the assignment done in a reasonable amount of time. But eight times out of ten I was stressing myself out trying to finish a 10 page paper on a book a hadn't read. If you have been with me through this blogging journey or you know me personally, or I spent many a night doing this exact scenario in your house (thank you, you're awesome and I appreciate you) you know I got a degree in history.

For those who are unaware, history is A LOT of reading and writing. Which I have said I love many times on this blog and to people who didn't know me then. However, in college with all those assignments, I HATED reading and writing. The books were long and boring and the papers were hard to write. I had literally anything else I wanted to do. So I did and left the paper writing to later. Looking back this is a terrible idea... but it's how I function. Sometimes I am organized and on top of it and sometimes I am freaking out about a deadline and I forget about everything else (even other deadlines). 

I think of these blog posts as deadlines because I said I was going to post one every Wednesday (and if I can get on top of that and get a good following behind me maybe post two a week). However, I have missed two Wednesdays completely and my last blog post was posted on a Friday. This month (March) has been crazy as far as organization and getting things done. It was my boyfriend's birthday month and I don't have a lot of money so I decided to make him something instead of buying it. I made him a cute little scrapbook/journal thing that took forever to make. Enter my inability to prioritize. I put his gift above everything else I had to do this month: my blog, my YouTube, my pen pals, etc. I still did things. I couldn't work on the gift when he was around but I didn't work on the things I needed to either. It is very frustrating but I am incapable of changing my mindset sometimes. 

Where am I going with this you ask? That is a great question... I don't know. I am sitting at my computer with my second cup of coffee (by the time this is posted it will probably be closer to the fifth cup mark) watching the clock so I make it to work on time. I guess what I am trying to get at is everyone is different. (Duh Tuesdae, everyone is different.) No, my point is, everyone functions differently. Everyone's brains work differently. I go through bouts where I am the most organized person in a 100-mile radius which inevitably is on cycle with a hot minute of the worst unorganized mess you have ever seen. During these times of unorganization, I look at other people and become jealous and upset. I think to myself "why can't I be organized?" "Why am I struggling to keep up with  these tasks that I could do two weeks ago with no problem?" "When will this end and I can be on top of my game like they are?" I start beating myself up because my brain isn't functioning the same way as someone else's who can wake up and have one (or even no) cup of coffee and be a functional human being ALL DAY! (We ran out of coffee once in my house... once.) 

Everyone functions differently. Everyone has different ways to get stuff done. If you're messy and unorganized but you still got up and got something done, that is okay! Stop comparing yourself to other people who look like they have it all together. They aren't better than you, they just function differently from you. If everyone functioned the same way, this planet would be quite boring and we would all look like robots. It's okay if you are extremely organized and have everything just the way you want it. It's okay if you are moderately organized and don't have it all worked out yet. It's okay if on the outside everything you're doing looks like a mess because inside you are handling it like a boss! 

Don't let other people change your opinion of yourself. You are doing an amazing job!

This week in Creative Corner:

Well, it's really been this month. I've been working on my boyfriend's birthday gift. I am working on making a flip-through video of it for YouTube, so keep an eye out for it! This is the longest project I've had in a while. It included "our story according to me:2017" and some pictures of us and pictures from people around the world and various other fun things. Here are a couple pictures of it.

Daylight Savings Fruit: Joy

"You can't focus on what's going wrong. There's always a way to turn things around, to find the fun!" - Joy (from Disney Pixar's Inside Out)

 

The beginning of Daylight Savings can be both good and bad. The bad part is you lose an hour of sleep one night and then your entire sleep schedule is thrown off for about a week (or more). BUT some good does come from Daylight Savings! We get more sunlight! The weather is warming up! More sunlight (vitamin D) needs people are in a better overall mood! It is all so exciting! Now, it's time to get serious. 

 

It's been a hot minute since I talked about a Fruit of the Spirit. The next one I want to talk about is joy. No, not Joy from Inside out (although, I LOVE that movie! If you haven't seen it, please take a break from this blog and go watch it then come back. Or finish reading and then go watch it!). When you think of the word "joy" what do you think of? Happiness? Amy Poehler? What about other emotions? Commonly, when someone hears the word joy they immediately think of happiness. That isn't always the case though!

 

 

The best way I think I can explain the difference between joy and happiness is an external emotion or reaction based on the situations around us. Something you can feel on the outside and show off to everyone. Joy is an internal ability to be content, even in times of struggle, doubt, loneliness, the list goes on. Joy is the ability to be any other emotion but happy and still be okay.  

 

Where does this joy come from you ask? Well, joy doesn’t come from the people around you or the things you do. Simply put, you can’t achieve joy by yourself. I mean, you can try but it will be extremely difficult. Joy comes from God, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit. (the Holy Trinity if you will) If you believe that joy is strictly from what you do, stop it! Stop believing that joy is a result of your actions. Pleasure is a result of your actions. Pleasure is temporary; joy is long-lasting (maybe even eternal). By accepting joy as an emotion instead of a state of mind, you’re allowing your joy to be stolen from you. John 10:10 says, “the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that you may have life, and have it to be filled.” (John 10:10, NIV).  Some translations say “have it abundantly”. See, Jesus came to us and knew no sin, but became sin and died for us so that we may live and have joy! Do not let your joy be taken away from you! If you have true joy, it cannot be taken from you! In another verse from John, Jesus is talking to his disciples and telling them that He is going to be put to death and he says to them, “Therefore, you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice and your joy no one will take from you!” (John 16:22, NIV) You are in control of your joy! The only way anyone can take your joy away from you is if YOU give it to them! No one can take your joy from you without your permission! Let me say that again for those of you who didn’t catch the impact the first time. NO ONE CAN TAKE YOUR JOY WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION! It’s yours! 

 

I have 4 bible verses for you. Consider this your homework because I want you to commit these to memory. Write them down, tape them on your fridge, on the wall, on the bathroom mirror, in your prayer room; write them in your prayer journal! These verses are so important to understanding joy and where it comes from. 

 

Number 1: “Do not grieve for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10, NIV)

            This is actually the last line of the verse but there is so much packed into this little section. First, there is a command; do not grieve. Do not be troubled by whatever is troubling you. Easier said than done, right? Whatever is troubling you, is small in comparison to God’s love, God’s mercy, God’s joy! Put your worries in God’s hands and let Him take it for you. Second, look at where our joy comes from! Our joy is the Lord’s joy! There is a great scene in War Room when the main character is accepting Christ and “cleaning her house” of the devil’s evil ways. She walks through her quiet empty home yelling at the devil telling him her house is “under new management” and he is not welcome there anymore. She walks out into her backyard (as if a guest has just left and she needs to tell them something else). She says something and then slams the door behind her. She opens the door again and says she is sick of him (the devil) taking her joy. She says, “my joy doesn’t come from my friends, my family, it doesn’t even come from my husband. My joy is found in Jesus.” Jesus is the holder of our joy! Third, we are strengthened by the Lord’s joy! The Lord gives us strength so that we can continue to have joy even though we do not feel “happy”. 

 

Number 2: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust Him, so that you may overflow with the hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13, NIV). 

            Ahh, Romans. There is so much good stuff in Romans. The God of hope, God is the God of hope. He gives us hope when we feel we have none. What is the God of hope doing? He is filling us. Not half full, not half empty. Filling us, to the top, with ALL the joy and peace! So, we are being filled all the way to the top with literally all the joy and peace there is! I guess you could say we are joyFUL and peaceFUL! We are full, overflowing, with joy and peace. Not just a little bit. Now, we aren’t just filled with joy and peace for nothing. We have to trust the God of hope that he will give us this joy and peace because we cannot have it on our own. There is that word again: overflow. We are full of joy and peace and overflowing with hope! We are given this hope through the Holy Spirit who is our helper. 

 

Number 3: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again; Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)

            This is one of my all-time favorites!!!!! It is currently my scripture of the month for my bullet journal. Really all of Philippians 4 talks about joy but I want to focus on this specific verse. Is short but has so much *oomph* in it! Rejoice. Do you know what it means to rejoice? It’s to have joy again. Have joy again in the Lord always! It’s like a reminder to continue to have joy in the Lord. Not only are we being reminded to have joy, but Paul is also reminding us that we should always have joy! THEN, just to make sure you remember, he says it again! REJOICE! Have joy again! Keep having joy because we are overflowing with it! 

 

Number 4: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (James 1:2-3, NIV). 

            OH, MAN! This one hits me right in the feels! James is saying we should not only have joy but pure joy whenever we face trials! To be pure is to be clean, to be without fault. How can we possibly have joy when we are having a hard time? Well, James answers that question with this verse. Trials test our faith. Think of it like a muscle. You work out or go for a job and strain a muscle. It hurts for a while but the strain on it makes it stronger. We have to be tested and pulled in order to grow in our relationship with Christ. The tests we are put under produce perseverance. That’s a big word. The definition is persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. In other words, our faith is being tested so that we continue to look to God for answers.

 

You are in control of your joy. Your joy cannot come from worldly things because worldly things only bring pleasure and temporary happiness. Write these verses and remember them always. Remind yourself that even in the lowest lows, you have joy in Christ. 

 

 

This week in creation corner:

I realized I don’t think I had this section last week so I will tell you what I did last week too! Last week I spent a lot of time working on my boyfriend’s birthday gift. It’s…. taking a long time to get done! (Nice try babe, I’m not telling the internet what it is yet). I can’t really say much about it because well that defeats the purpose of it being a present. Gotta be a secret. Anyway, he knows it’s a crafting thing and that’s about it. This week I worked on my pen pal letters and envelopes. I only had a couple letters to write but I also had worked this week, so I found it difficult to let get those letters done and decorated and write this blog and all the other stuff I needed to do. But I managed even though all the things are out much later than I anticipated they would be out.

Motivational Blog or Book Review?

 I am NOT a morning person! I have never been a morning person. Lately, I haven't even been a night person! I like my sleep. 

I was thinking yesterday morning before I had to be at my 7:30 AM job, that I don't want a 7:30 AM job. And a 7:30 AM job isn't even that bad, but that's not what I want to do. I hate waking up early enough to have my coffee and shower and make it to work by 7:30. There are some crazy people I know that VOLUNTARILY wake up at 4:30 in the morning! Like on purpose! (You know who you are crazy people.) Anyway, I hate mornings! I hate being awake before 7:30 in the morning. Yes, I have more time in my day to do stuff if I wake up earlier but if I'm up early, that usually means I have roughly 30 minutes to an hour of "me time" before I have to START getting ready.

Usually in this "me time" after I wake up, I go to the bathroom (yes, I just said bathroom on my motivational blog and it probably won't be the last time. Do you feel motivated yet?) I start the coffee, I feed and water the cat, I wait for the coffee to be done, then I make a cup of coffee. I grab my fresh cup of coffee, my devotional, and a blanket and sit on the couch. This is usually the time when the cat feels his cuddliest so he will stick his face in my face as if to say "pay attention to be human! Love me!" This goes on for about 2 minutes until he remembers that I am the enemy and I must be destroyed. (If you remember, I was the one that just fed him and he still proceeds to hate me.) Eventually, I get him to calm down and lay down on my lap while I read my devotion for the day. So far, about 15 minutes have passed (maybe 20). Depending on if I showered the night before, I could have anywhere between 10 and 25 minutes left of my "me time". So, what do I do? What's that? Something productive? Of course not! See, I'm not awake enough yet to try to be productive. Instead, I grab my phone and stare at the mind-numbing social media that I have. It usually starts with Facebook, then Instagram, then YouTube, then Pinterest. It's honestly becoming routine which is becoming boring. 

So, Why am I telling you my mundane morning routine? Well, remember what I was thinking yesterday? I don't want to go to a 7:30 AM job. Yes, this job helps me pay bills (sometimes) but I still hate going to it. You see, what I really want to do with my life is work from home creating things: this blog, YouTube videos, Etsy designs, photography, etc. I went to school to be a photographer and have had like two paying shoots since. Lately, I have been listening to audiobooks. Well, I listened to one and I'm halfway through another. The first one was Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered: The Definitive How-to Guide by Georiga Hardstark and Karen Kilgariff, the hosts of the comedy podcast My Favorite Murder.  This was a great book! In it, they talk about their pasts dealing with depression, eating disorders, and addictions showing people everywhere that they can have a crappy past and have done some stupid things and still become successful! They embrace and advocate for self-care and therapy and believe both are extremely important to everyone's mental health. Plus, the audiobook form is read by the authors so it's interesting to hear their stories read by them. The other book is Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis. In her book, Rachel shares her past experiences to show the people can suffer from the lowest of lows and still become successful, while also promoting self-care! (hmm, there might be a trend to the books I'm reading...) Rachel Hollis says, in one of her chapters, if you don't try the thing that you want to do, then how do you know you can't do it? Let that sink in for a minute. You have no idea if that crazy first step will fail or succeed if you don't take it! There was a poster in my middle school library that said "you miss 100% of the shots you don't take". How true is that? 

Both of these books (and advice from my older sister, Hi Sis!) have opened my eyes to realize that I can do a boring job that I hate for the rest of my life or I can try something crazy and see if it works! Who wants to do a job they hate and don't get joy out of? I sure as heck don't! Whether you want to start your own business, start a blog, a YouTube channel, whatever you want to do that you think is too crazy or extreme to work, do it! Give that crazy idea a shot! Pray about it! Ask God for guidance through the idea. 

About a year ago, my sister quit her job as a service manager at a car dealership in order to start her own business. She is still working on this business and has been getting a lot of business from it! Was that a huge and scary thing for her to do? Yes, but she did it and she believed it would succeed! Would she have gotten all this business had she not taken that first step? NO! She would still be at a job that she didn't like and coming home every day and complaining about it. Having a job you hate greatly affects your mood usually causing those around you to share in your bad mood. 

I love this Shia LaBeouf motivational video. It is silly and goofy but also motivates me a little more every time I watch it or see a GIF from it. JUST DO IT! Do that thing that will make you happy! You will never know if this thing will work out if you don't try to make it happen! You can continue living how you are now, wishing and hoping for that thing to happen OR you can make that thing happen! And, if you whole-heartedly try it and it fails, that is okay. Try it again. Or maybe it wasn't for you, or maybe God has something else in mind for you. Whatever the case may be, it is better to try and fail than to never try at all. 

Take a Break: 20 Ways to Take Care of YOU!

Do you ever just feel.... bleh? Maybe slightly overwhelmed at the same time? 

If you're new here Hi! Welcome! I am glad you're here! I hope this blog brings you motivation and hope! If you are NOT new here.. Hi! Welcome back! I am glad you are here too! This blog post is going to start a little different from my normal posts and hopefully, you will understand why.

Last week I took a small break from blog writing. Not because I didn't have anything to write or any other lame excuse I could come up with. I actually grabbed my laptop, sat down, and was ready with a topic in mind for the blog post. I had been thinking about the said topic for a while however when I sat down to begin to write, all the words left my brain. Yes, I know what you're thinking, "well why didn't you write them down when you thought of them?" Well... let me let you in on a little secret. 

Come closer... 

I'M A PERSON TOO! 

I was ready to do my blog post last week but when it was staring me in the face I lost the motivation to do it. Yes. I lost motivation to write my weekly motivational blog post. I am a human just like you and on occasion, I, too, need the motivation to do things. I want to apologize to anyone that needed that extra nudge my blog gives them. Instead of word vomiting a terrible blog post a couple days late, I decided to just take the week off and focus on myself. WHICH is this week's topic. 

So, like I said. We are human and we often lose motivation to do things that we KNOW we need to do. I am here to give you that motivation. Now, there are three things I want you to remember while you're reading this blog post. One, you are human. Two, you are unique. Not everyone has the same problems or things in their lives. Three, make time for YOU! I guess three and a half, give yourself some grace! You work hard, you deserve a break! 

"Well Tuesdae, that's easier said than done." Actually, it's quite simple! I am going to tell you 20 (or so) different ways to take care of yourself. In other words self-care. This has become an extremely important subject on social media lately. Self-care is SO important. Not only does it clear your mind and help you relax, but it also helps your mental health. First and foremost, TAKE A BREAK! Just chill out for a few. Then, do any number of these self-care ideas. Now, ANYONE can do these! Don't let age, gender, etc. stop you!