Author: Cassandra S.

Don’t be afraid to begin again.

Don’t be afraid to begin again.

And again.

And again.

As many times as it takes, beloveds.

I had a ton of pieces disappear.

Again.

So, I am writing new ones.

Again.

If those disappear, I shall write again.

And again.

And again.

Life has taught me how to fight back.

For ME.

I scrap hard for me, now. I absolutely refuse to give up on me.

Not anymore. I AM worth the try, beloveds. I am. So are you.

Keep on fighting for YOU. No matter what. No matter what happens. No matter how many times you have to start over.

Don’t be afraid to start again, again.

Do NOT be afraid to begin again!

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: You got this. Use frustration as your fuel. REFUSE to allow frustration to turn into anger and inaction. Keep it moving. Laugh. Begin again. 50 times, today, if need be. We got thangs to do. Keep on doing your thangs. The outcome is not up to us. Be encouraged. Keep going. I go with you. The Universe goes with us all.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

You are.

You are:

Altogether lovely.

Altogether!

You are:

Astoundingly outstanding.

Outstanding!

You are:

Wonderfully wonderful.

Wonderful!

Beloveds, God has been sneaking up on you. Why? He is terribly anxious to keep on scooping out all the gobbledeegoop of foolishness that has foolishly been planted in that terribly precious and priceless heart of yours.

You are sooooooooooooooooooooooo many wonderful things, beloveds. Why on earth are you forever focusing on the not so wonderful things about you(your words/thoughts not His)?

Keep on being you. This world doesn’t need anymore me’s or them’s or they’s, eh?

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: You are incredibly important. Nuff said, K?

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Anyhow.

Geeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzz!

Life is doing liferery things. Again!

I have spent ALL afternoon working on pieces. Uplifting pieces. Thoughtful pieces. Inspiring pieces.

Satisfied, I prepared to be done. I was ready to move on. I was satisfied. I had done my work.

In satisfaction, I gloatingly prepared to shut things down. Life, being liferery, gave me an ehem and suggested I check my drafts/scheduled folder…ehem..

OOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMGGGGGGGGGGGG!

Gone!

Finito!

Nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OOOMMMMMMMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!

Satisfaction gone, I determined what to DO next.

*Cassandra scrounges through the what to do bag to see what she shall DO/SAY*….hhmm…*Cassandra decides not to do THAT one*….yikes…hmm…Aha!!

*Cassandra heads for coffee*.

My day is done, beloveds. I can’t do one thing about what happened to my happenings. Just because the words are lost somewhere in WordPressdom does NOT negate my try. That’s a Universe problem. I did my pieces. Up to The Universe to see they got where they were needing to have gotten to…*shrug*.

Maybe, The Universe wanted me to write ‘just cuz’ or ‘just for me’. Whatever the reason, beloveds, don’t get too upset when your try disappears. The effort is STILL there. It is. In the meantime, make some lemonade, or something, out of that which has disappeared….*shrug*.

Perhaps, beloveds, this piece was worth all the other pieces combined. Who knows?

Anyhow, I am getting about being about the rest of my day. Don’t allow circumstances to dictate the entirety of your day.

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Geeeeeeeeez, I worked ALL afternoon. Smh. Be encouraged. We got this.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

What does success look like for you, TODAY?

What does success look like for you, TODAY?

Success can mean many things. Success can change.

Today, success meant getting out of bed, writing some pieces, yakking with fam, encouraging folk, hanging out with God.

What will success look like for me, tomorrow? I have no idea. I shall have to wait and find out.

Yesterday, success was simply surviving the day. I was troubled/sad because I had been praying and praying and praying and SEEING no movement. I pouted. I prayed. I fussed. I prayed. Finally, I decided I had done my work. I tried. I prayed. I decided to leave the outcome to my prayers and go about the rest of my day.

What does success look like for YOU, beloveds? TODAY? Success for you. Are you moving closer to your goals? Have you rested a bit? Have you gotten in your ‘me’ time? Have you encouraged yourself? Have you allowed yourself to enjoy your day? Have you given yourself permission to daydream?

If not, what are you waiting for?

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Success takes many forms. The world would have you think success is having a bajillion dollars in the bank whilst the entirety of the world claps for you and thinks you are the bomb.com twenty-four hours of every day. Life, and the rest of us, knows this is not true.

What does success look like for you, today? Get your success in. Then, get on enjoying your day.

When I was working, I found myself terribly unhappy/miserable because ALL I wanted to be doing was writing and encouraging folk. Now, I can and am doing just that! How satisfying. Now, I am just waiting for God/Life/The Universe to monetize my gifts and show me how to do so.

Until then, beloveds, guess yall are getting a bargain and getting me for free. How blessed are you!…..hahahahahahahahahahahaha.

I love you. I am rooting for you. I am praying great things for your lives. Be encouraged, K?

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

What’s so wrong with being wrong?

What’s so wrong with being wrong?

Who says we have to get it right EVERY time?

What’s wrong with telling someone they are wrong when they are wrong?

How else will they/we ever get things right?

What’s so wrong with making mistakes?

How else will we ever learn or grow?

I no longer mind being wrong.

That’s what erasers are for.

I long for the days when folk gave grace and understanding to folk who made mistakes. I think I shall side with those who are not afraid to get it wrong.

How about you?

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: It’s a good thing I don’t mind messing up. I have done lots of that this year.😁🤣🥰

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Loving you. Loving me.

I don’t know how many days I have left.

That said, I know how I shall spend each one:

Loving you.

Loving me.

I don’t know how many mistakes I shall make.

That said,  I know what I shall continue to do:

Loving you.

Loving me.

I don’t know if I shall ever be chosen.

That said, I know what I will keep doing:

Loving you.

Loving me.

I don’t know if I will ever see my dreams to fruition/completion.

That said, I know that I will continue:

Loving you.

Loving me.

I may leave this world with nary a penny to my name.

That said, I shall, with arms outstretched, fulfilled, contentedly keep:

Loving you.

Loving me.

*Cassandra turns from the mirror, promising to remember these words always*

loving me,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Every since the tornado, I have wondered if God might have gotten more use from life had He given some of my hours to another or others.

I have looked at my life, wondering what possible use MY 55 years have wrought for His Kingdom.

I have wondered what the world The Universe saw in ME, to have spared my life and gave me words to give.

Like a fool, I give words that seem inadequate. Still, my why says they are needed. Why?

Because, there are others who believe, as foolishly as I sometimes think, that there lives, their words, their hopes and dreams truly do not matter.

They do. You do. I do.

This world lies. It tells us our worth is tied up in things. It shouts our value can only be found in how much we can produce.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

You matter.

I matter.

WE matter.

Beloveds, I don’t know much.

That said, two things I do know. For the rest of my days, I shall continue:

Loving you.

Loving me.

Do the same, would you please?

Asking for A Friend.

Someone needs to KNOW his/her/their life has value. Is it you? If so, hear me when I say:

God SEES you.

God LOVES you.

God CARES DEEPLY for your life.

Keep going. Keep believing in love. Love is there for you. I shall keep believing and praying for every heart which has been callused by misuse or indifference. Your heart SHALL be healed. Be encouraged. 💝

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Let it go.

Let it go, beloveds.

Let go of the mediocre so you can snatch up outstanding.

Let it go, beloveds.

Let go of the mundane so you can see/experience amazing.

Let it go, beloveds.

Let go of the comfort zone(s) so you can dive into divine vastness.

Let it go, beloveds.

Release the things which were only meant to be in your life to serve a purpose. The purpose has been served. You know this. Move on. You got thangs to do. So do I.

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: It can be sooooooooooooooooo hard to let go of things we KNOW no longer serve us. I have been fighting, to the death, to not go back to the things I know. I am ready to move on and experience NEW things. I have been wanting to experience NEW for years. Years!

I let fear hold me back. I let bills hold me back. I let age hold me back. I let my gender hold me back. I let my race hold me back. In fact, I threw any and everything on the wall so I could have an excuse not to have experienced the NEW I have longed for.

I am doing my level best to encourage as many folks as I can get my words to. I don’t want folk to have to experience excruciating loss/hard things, before they find the courage to try the NEW.

One of the greatest things about life, beloveds, is the fact we can change our lives as many times as we feel like it. We can start over fifty times, if need be. We can start over fifty times, in one day, if starting over is required.

Starting over is never easy. It requires a great deal of faith. It forces us to choose between the familiar and the unknown. Most of us choose the familiar. Smh.

I’m tired of choosing the familiar. I am ready to select a bit of the unknown. How about you? Let’s find out together. I dare you…

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Do.

Do.

Whatever it takes to make your day happen.

Do.

What you can to see your dreams come true.

Do.

Whatever is needed to keep your keeping on keeping on.

Do.

Something.

Every day.

Don’t let ONE day pass, beloveds, without your having done SOMETHING. The something is of no import. The important thing is to DO.

Do, beloveds. Your life won’t happen until you do…lol

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Um, you are supposed to be doing something, remember? Asking for A Friend. In case no one has told you today: I love you. So does He.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Real talk, God, I don’t think I will survive this.

Me: I don’t think I will survive this.

God: You will.

That’s what I said, beloveds, when mom died. I

survived.

Me: I don’t think I will survive this.

God: You will.

That’s what I said, beloveds, when hearing that awful tornado in my yard.

I survived.

Me: I don’t think I will survive this.

God: You will.

That’s what I told God, yesterday, looking at my almost empty bank account. The answer(s) have not come. Not yet. Soon, I hope, I shall say…

I survive.

Until then, I hope.

Until then, I stand.

Until then, I believe.

Until then, I try.

Until then,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Be encouraged, beloveds. You SHALL survive. You SHALL win. You SHALL prosper. You SHALL make it. You SHALL love. You SHALL live. You SHALL thrive. You SHALL laugh. You SHALL do all the things dummy fear/doubt has lied and told you can’t/shan’t. Tell fear/doubt to shut up and kick rocks. We got this. I think…lol.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Real talk: Can I be honest with you?

Can I be honest with you, beloveds?

I soooooooooooooooooooo almost gave up.

Not on God.

Not on you.

On ME.

I was sooooooooooooooooooooo angry.

With me.

Why?

Because, the tornado scared me so badly I couldn’t return to work. I STILL am not ready to pretend the world is right side up and do something mundane like take care of every day life things.

I hear the roaring of the tornado. Still. I hear the racing, of my heart. Still. I hear the silence of everything that was snatched up. Still.

I keep trying to make a deal with The Universe. Just leave this one, old lady alone and she will do the same. Just leave her to doing the same old same old. Take these stupid, loud dreams, of hers and leave her to the old, tired comfortableness of sameness.

Ha! That’s what The Universe said to me. It’s kind of hard, beloveds, to give up when The Universe screams Ha! all up in your face. Kind of makes one get some act right. Kind of makes one want to say Ha!

Ha! That’s what I told old.

Ha! That’s what I told unknown.

Ha! That’s what I told 55.

I think I will listen to The Universe. Comfortable has cost me too much. Comfortable has left me lonely. Comfortable has caused me too much heartache/grief from not pursuing my dreams with everything within me.

Now, I squeeze every once of me out of my days. I am looking for my dreams everywhere. Dammit, dreams, where in the holy heckamiah are you hiding?!!

Whew! I managed to snatch my dreams from the jowels of despair/defeat.

I find it maddening how easy it can be to scare the begeez out of our dreams. This is why we MUST continue to feed them. Why we MUST continually encourage them and ourselves. Whether we feel like it or not.

Real talk, beloveds, choosing to ALWAYS choose to stay positive is positively exhausting, at times. Keep at it, though. There is too much wonderful in you.

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Hang in there. There is so much hard going on, right now. This too SHALL pass. It will. In the meantime, be good to you. Be honest with you. Be prepared to put down your pride and reach out for support. Then, rest. You are doing all you know. Be okay with that, okay? In case no one has told you today: You are magnificent. Also, you are loved.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!