Just a little bit extra.

I’m tired.

I want to stop writing. I can’t. Not just yet. I want to give things ‘just a little bit extra’. Dad used to tell me to do what you can. Then, do just a little bit extra.

For the last couple of years, it has all I could do just to do the best I could. You could forget about an ‘extra’. I had no extra. I was empty. Truth be told, beloveds, I feel empty. Still.

Still, I am trying to get back to giving ‘just a little bit extra’. I want to get up. I want to turn off the laptop. I want to lay down. I won’t. I promised me I would give ‘just a little bit extra’ today.

Ah, God. I’m tired. I’m giving all I have. Can you give a sista some back please?

asking for a friend(me),

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Everything in me wants to stop. Right now. Not quite yet. I feel a little bit of extra in me…lol. Be encouraged. You are in my thoughts.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Kicking and screaming if you have to!

Drag your dreams.

Kicking and screaming if you have to!

Make your want to want whether they want to or not!

Give mercy NO mercy as you fight for what you want to bring into the light!

Drag yourself out of bed.

Kicking and screaming if you have to!

Make yourself DO what you KNOW what you can do!

Muster your courage. Summon your strength. Get them working FOR you.

Kicking and screaming if you have to!

Life is short. There is too much good in you, beloveds, to be docile, to be silent, to be stagnant.

Get up!

Get a move on!

Live your life.

Kicking and screaming if you have to!

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Okay, so you are supposed to be out there living life, beloveds. Get going. Kicking and screaming if you have to!

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Your try is NEVER wasted.

I am redoing things this evening. ALL over again. I had just spent an entire afternoon working on things that disappeared. Again. Smh.

I didn’t waste time fretting about it. I decided I would do some new things. I chose to start again. Again. I decided not to wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow may have other things in store.

So, I am working on things. Again. I am working on me. Again. Those things were not wasted. Just because they have been hidden, my try has already stored up great things for me.

Who knows what these new pieces shall bring me that the hidden ones didn’t/can’t/wouldn’t? Beats me. I just know I am doing what I can do.

I messed around and pressed something and now the page is all wonky. So what. I am writing. Still. The words are the important thing. I am NOT going to spend half an hour trying to unfix what I have apparently messed up…*shrug*.

As you well know, beloveds, I am going to turn my mishap into something terribly inspiring and remind you to keep on keeping on no matter that the STUPID LAPTOP IS DOING DUMB THINGS I CAN NOT FIGURE OUT AND IT’S DRIVING ME CRA CRA!!!!!

Oooops….scuze me…ehem.

Life is short. Laugh at the mishaps. Then, continue happening to life. Don’t forget, we got thangs to do.

doing thangs with you,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Allow ALL things to work for your good, beloveds. Even the frustrating things. Especially those. No need for frustration to have ALL the fun, eh? We got this. Life has us all…

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Too much in you to fail.

There is just too much in you, beloveds, for you to fail.

Fear not. There are times when life seems to be just tooooooooooooo much to handle. Don’t waste a moment wondering if you can do this.

There is just too much awesome in you, beloveds, for you to fail.

Keep standing.

There is simply too much faithful in you, beloveds, for you to fail.

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Nuff said. Go on ahead and keep on being your fabulously fantastic self! 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!

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!