Stop using hard times as an excuse to beat up on yourself.
Take care of yourself. Stop using hard times as an excuse to put away your me time. Hard times are exactly why you need to continue to be good to yourself. Hard times are really when you need to give yourself the rest and relaxation your body needs.
I don’t know why we give ourselves such a hard time when we are going through hard times….smh.
Lecture over. I think it’s time for a cup of coffee. Who wants to join me?
asking for A Friend, Cassandra
#YourLifeMattersToMe
Note: Be good to yourself. Be encouraged. You will make it through this hard time. In the meantime, enjoy your day. Life is going to happen whether you decide to enjoy it or not!
The world is in a big hurry to get you to believe in it’s narrative for you.
Why?
Because, if you are not firmly grounded, beloveds, on what YOU think, on what YOU have reasoned, on what YOU feel is right, then the world can lay on you whatever it takes to get you to conform.
The problem with this is that you may be conforming to things you would never imagine you would choose.
Sadly, many are conforming out of a need to be seen, to be heard, to be loved.
More are conforming to fit in. Anywhere. Any old kind of way.
It’s time to wake up! For ALL of us.
Apparently, I needed to have a tornado come in and turn my life completely upside down, to get me to wake up and see how I had been sleep walking, with fear, through my life.
I had allowed myself to listen to the lies that I was too old, too poor, too this, that or the other thing, to chase down my dreams.
So, I let those dreams run off without me.
That tornado, whew, shook me out of my slumber. It reminded me how truly short life was.
Now, I spend my days tumbling, bumbling and stumbling towards dreams that may never come true.
I have found that the results of my dream chasing are no longer the point or my aim.
My aim now is just to live, love, laugh and hold as many hearts as I can. To encourage as many as I can. To exhort as many as I can.
Wasn’t that my dream before? Yes. Only now, precious now, I do those things free from the fear I won’t be seen, heard, and loved.
Free from the chains of guilt and shame. Free from expectations of myself or others.
Scraping, through all the hard, I found:
My voice.
My gumption.
My go get it.
My “I got this”.
My stick with it.
My “get over yourself, Cassandra!”
My laugh.
My tears.
My sad.
My mad.
My determination.
My tired.
My try.
Hard brought out the best in me.
Hard brought out the worst in me.
Hard challenged me to be hard on me so I could dig out of my apathy. Ah, hard, I appreciate your hardness.
I just stopped by to ask somebody what you they were believing in. Life is what we make it. Life is what we choose.
Believe in yourself. Think for yourself. Choose for yourself. Live for yourself.
We all believe in something. Your faith is trying to tell you something. What is your faith telling you about you? It may be time for you to evaluate. It may be time for you to question. It may be time for you to be willing to listen for a new answer.
This last year has taught me how to be willing to listen, to evaluate, to reassess and to change where I had been going before. And no longer said in my ways. I am no longer too stubborn to willing to listen to myself.
I thought I was open before. I was. Yet I was primarily open to what I thought, to what I believe, to what I hoped. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It can, however, be a limiting thing. I’m done placing limits upon my life.
This is not a lecture for you. It’s just my hope that you will use my tornado to perhaps make some changes in your life. I wouldn’t wish the tornado on anyone.
Have an amazing rest of your day.
asking for A Friend, Cassandra
#YourLifeMattersToMe
Note: I’m looking forward to my life. I wasn’t able to say that a year ago. I wasn’t able to say that before the tornado. That tornado changed my life. That tornado saved my life.
Hard times are not here to break you. Hard times. Can’t be used as an open door. To an entirely new way of thinking, believing, achieving and transforming. Use your hard to your advantage.
Frustration is no longer frustrating to me. In fact, I no longer call it frustration. I call it challenges. I call it obstacles. And then I overcome. it.
Simple as that. Life is truly what we make it. I’m trying to make my life a good one. As best as I can.
I am reframing what I tell myself. When we tell ourselves is crucial. It’s the ball game. It tells whether we are going to win or lose before we see even start.
I cannot tell you how many times in the last 50 years that I would tell myself I was frustrated and sure enough, I ended up frustrated and mad and annoyed.
I had a conversation earlier today with my sis. Apparently, I was a bit on the annoying side. I was in a silly mood. I felt like being silly. I was silly. It did not go well.
I didn’t get mad or frustrated like I would have in the past. I didn’t feel like I was being picked on or dismissed. I just allowed myself to be me and allowed my sibling to be annoyed with me being me….lolol.
I am learning how to correctly label the things I’m going through. Everything doesn’t have to be bad. Everything doesn’t have to be harmful. Everything does not have to contain gloom and doom within it.
Life is short. What are you telling yourself? Be sure to take all the catastrophizing out of your life. It’s amazing how dramatic we can be, isn’t it?
asking for A Friend, Cassandra
#YourLifeMattersToMe
Note: I couldn’t sleep so I got up and did something productive. I’m trying to use everything for my good. Everything is a teaching moment. The question is, are we going to be a good student?!
I have refused to forgive myself for mistakes made many times in my life.
It has only been going through this last tough, hard year that I realized that I was not a mistake. These hard days has taught me that mistakes simply happen.
I have learned, through every painful, tearful step, that all I can do is try. To do the best I can, and life is going to do what life is going to do. Period and end of story.
As I wait this next chapter in my life. I am encouraged. I am pardoned. I enlightened. I am grateful. For every mistake. For every misstep. For every mishap.
Each one brought me closer to my dreams. Each one told me about myself. Each one revealed the miracle called hope.
I’m learning how to listen to my mistakes. I turned them inside and out now. I take out all the gifts now. I make sure to get out all the laughter now.
We all make mistakes. We will continue to make them. This is how we learn.
I just stopped by it and encouraged someone to stop berating themselves for the mistakes they have made. Your mistakes are talking to you. Are you willing to listen?
asking for A Friend, Cassandra
#YourLifeMattersToMe
Note: Society doesn’t level best to want to get rid of us when we make mistakes. The world wants to cancel us when we are not perfect. That’s why I love God so much. He loves me. All of me. Warts and all Mistakes and all. How great is that?!
Stop giving yourself such a hard time for your mistakes. They are revealing the diamond in you!
Life is doing what it does. And now you must do what you do.
Life is not out to get you. Life is not trying to be the villain in your movie. Life is simply doing what it’s supposed to. Making sure that you live. In the moment. In the meantime.
I think this is one of the greatest lessons I have learned since the tornado. That life is not being personal. Life is just lifing. Life is not being a bully and picking on little old me.
Life does not discriminate. Life happens to us all. All the money in the world is not going to buy off life. Life is going to happen whether you, are ready for it or not. It would be to get ready for life as best you can.
I just stopped by to encourage somebody. Starting with me!
Life has been kicking my tail these last few years. I’m finally learning how to listen.
Life had been trying to tell me to slow down. Life had been trying to ask me to listen to my dreams. Life had been trying to tell me to listen to my tired and weary heart. Life had been trying to get me to listen to God.
I was hard headed. I was busy. I was too busy running around trying to earn love and support.
All this time, life had tried to get me to simply live. I was afraid to listen to life. I was afraid to listen to me. I was afraid of what they would say.
Your life is trying to tell you something. It’s not trying to be mean to you. Your life is trying to get you to listen to your heart. Your life is trying to get you to listen to your dreams. Your life is trying to get you to get the support that you need.
You don’t need to buy acceptance. You don’t have to buy love. You are wonderful soul. There are many who will love you just for you. Give life a chance. Give love a chance. Give your dreams a chance.
We are all a work in progress. Enjoy your life. All of it. Warts and all. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be you.
asking for A Friend, Cassandra
#YourLifeMattersToMe
Note: I cannot tell you how much I had beat myself up over the course of the last year and trying to find a job. I felt like such a big fat zero. It took so many months for me to understand and recognize I was much more than my bank account.
I’m glad it took all of this time to find a job. Before I could find a job, God had to help me understand that I was a wonderful person. A deserving person. A hopeful person with a job or without one.
I just stopped by to tell you that you are so much more than what you have, then what you do, then what you will ever have or do!
I don’t want you to think I am hopeful because I found a job. Far from it. I’m hopeful because I have learned that I can be OK with nothing. I’m hopeful because I know I can be loved with an empty bank account. I’m hopeful because I am still me regardless of where I work or don’t work.
Be encouraged. Have an amazing rest of your day. I love you. You got this. So do I.
I cannot believe how hard life has been the last 5 years.
Yet I am grateful for the hard of the last two years. I’ve learnt so much about life. I have learned so much about me.
I’m ready now. Because of the hard. Not in spite of the hard. But because of the hard.
Hard has been trying to show me the way. Hard has been trying to teach me how to fight. Hard has taught me how to fight. And to win.
I have won my independence. I am free from fear. I am free from catastrophizing. I am free from a hopeless outlook.
I am free now to do some ridiculously stupid things…lol.
Don’t get down on yourself when you are going through hard times. Hard times can be a friend. Our times will give me the key to so many blessings, if you’re willing to accept and receive them.
Your hard times are not here to punish you. Stop punishing yourself. Stop blaming yourself. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. Yes, she may have done some dumb things to get you into this corner. Yet God, Life, and The Universe knew you were going to do those dumb things. They have prepared a way of escape for you!
It’s not too late for you. Get back in the game. Dig out your dreams from where you hid them. Move forward. Look up. Be encouraged.
asking for A Friend, Cassandra
#YourLifeMattersToMe
Note: Before the tornado, whenever life used to be hard on me, I used to fuss and complain to God. I used to think life was picking on me. I used to lament and cry out that life was just not being fair. Life was just lifing.
Life is short. Get out there and live. Get out there and love. Get out there and try. What do you have to lose? Better still, what do you have to gain?!
When the deck seemed stacked against you, remember you hold all the cards!
Nuff said. Cassandra
#YourLifeMattersToMe
Note: I was feeling a bit picked on. I was having a tiny bit of a pity party. Then I remembered everything is up to me. I told myself my attitude is everything. I kept speaking life to my situation. I kept telling myself that it takes just one.
Keep speaking life over your situation. The glass is half full. You shall overcome. Just starting is a win. You will accept the results. Be encouraged. You hold all the cards.
Your attitude is everything. Your attitude will get your altitude where it needs to be.
Why Can't I Be Loud?! 