Beauties!!!!
Where in the world have you been?! Where in the world have I been!? I've missed connecting with you on here, thankfully I have a lot of my subscribers on Snapchat or Facebook to keep up with! I'm stepping away from Twitter slowly but surely for many reasons but I have been considering making a separate blog/business Instagram, what're your opinions? Let me know!
Wow, where do I start with my update? OH YEAH! I GRADUATED COLLEGE!!!! I am still in shock that that is possible :) This whole "not going back to school" thing will take some getting used to. I have been non-stop on the job hunt for almost four weeks and let me tell you; finding a job IS a job. I have lost so much confidence in myself and have never been so discouraged. Things are starting to look up and fall into place, I seriously cannot wait to start sharing some exciting news here soon! A very dear friend of mine told me, "God will bless you with 'this' or better" and that truly stuck with me. As much of a perfectionist as I am and as much as I have wanted to follow my "recent college grad" plan, I have to trust in God's timing and His plan because He will ultimately choose what is best. Being patient is hard but the outcome is very much worth it. Thoughts and prayers to those going though the same struggle, like, yes girl, I feel ya.
I titled this post as "Listen" because I think we, as human beings, forget to do just that. We forget to listen to others, listen to ourselves, listen to the Universe... simply just listen. Sometimes we listen too much to things that may not even be relevant and that will, a lot of the time, make things worse. Society has taught us to always be on the go, always be doing something, always be ahead or on top of everything/everyone... but that isn't the case at all! Actually, that is really unhealthy for you. If you take at least 5 solid minutes out of your day to simply listen, whether that be to the sound of nature or the beautiful sound of silence, it makes a world of a difference. I'm not saying that you have to sit crossed legged, hands on your knees, eyes closed and humming in meditation but taking the time to unplug will make for a more positive lifestyle. Yes, I will get into the topic of physically unplugging from the world at a later date because that is one of the most important things to add to your routine but today we will simply stick to listening. Let's split this up into sections, in order of personal importance:
--- Listening to OURSELVES ---
This, BY FAR, is the most important practice to have in your daily routine, honestly in your hourly routine. Life has the power to change at any given moment so keeping up with how you are taking it and how you are feeling is top priority. I totally agree, it's hard to not let everything around you kick you down but you have to build that relationship within yourself that reminds you that it is ultimately YOUR life, YOUR decisions, YOUR success. It has taken me a very long time to listen to my own voice because how do I know it is mine or that it is right? I don't. I won't. But I will continue to strengthen myself in many ways by simply listening to what my mind and body needs. Listen to yourself. What is pulling at you in the back of your mind? A conversation needed? A new opportunity that would bring you joy? A goal that you want to achieve? A glass of wine that you deserve? Whatever it may be, listen to it. Why are you thinking that or what would you see being the outcome? What's the worse that could happen, you fail? GREAT! The more you fail, the more you grow. Learn how to fail in different ways. It'll hurt at first but it is so rewarding. Listen to your health. Are you stressed? Are you fatigued? What about your body is bothering you? Listen to it. These simple things that we casually look over are the root to everything else. If you are feeling uneasy within your body, your mind will automatically feel uneasy as well. If you take care of yourself and remind yourself that you are beautiful and confident and talented, your body will show it by how you hold yourself. Filling your mind with powerful "queen" thoughts will stick and will allow your actions to follow. Filling your mind with competition or comparisons will stick and hold you back from so many amazing opportunities. Life does not have to be miserable, listen to yourself to find happiness and ease!
--- Listening to the UNIVERSE ---
The Universe can be multiple things: a higher power that you may believe in (or maybe you don't), harsh reality, a vibe/energy... whatever fits your description. For me, the Universe is a combination of all three that I listed; sometimes one overpowers the others, sometimes they all work at once. In all areas, they all need to be equally listened and payed attention to. My higher power is God. No, I will not push my beliefs onto you, but always remember I am open to any conversation if you need and hope that you feel comfortable coming to me with any topic. As I was saying before, listening to God is very challenging at times... sometimes it gets confusing with, well, are hearing want you think is being said or truly hearing what He intended? It all comes down to patience and timing. I had a conversation with a friend of mine about a week ago and we were discussing this exact topic. The friend has been trying to believe in the power of God but struggles because of the life that was handed to them at an early age... I went on to remind them that though a lot of the success in their life was built by their own motivation, ultimately God knew that was the plan all along. He didn't drive my friend to go down the same path that was shown at an early age, He provided strength and opportunities for growth. Listening to God can be frustrating but by doing this and believing in His power, you will never have to worry which relieves so much negativity and stress that gets piled on. Reality goes right along with this. Yes, reality sucks. It is messy and fearful and down right disturbing at times but everything happens for a reason. Listen to the things happening around you. How are they affecting you? Are you taking the situation in the right way or are you making snap decisions/assumptions? What, in your opinion, is the reason for what is happening? Again, vibes/energies go right with this. Who are you surrounding yourself with? What type of vibe do they send off, is it rubbing off on you? What surrounds you? Are things clean, messy, bright, dull, comfortable, etc.? How is it changing your mood while being there? Listen to these things carefully. Maintaining a positive and all-around happy life starts with these simple thoughts/moods. Try to take every situation and think what would make it better... then do that. Life does not have to be miserable, listen to the Universe to find clarity and positivity.
--- Listening to OTHERS ---
Before you get the wrong idea, this is not about letting others tell you what to do. That is one thing you will NEVER hear me advise, you will always hear me advising you to do the exact opposite... stand out, be bold, break rules- make rules, stay true to you and whatnot. This last topic is just about listening to others when they need you. It is so easy to be self-centered but listening to those around you is always important. You never know what someone is truly going through, they may tell you part of it or drop hints but by listening to their tone, listening to how they talk to you, listening to the types of things they are saying will affect you as well. Being there for someone is one thing but what is going in one ear and into your mind is another. Again, you do NOT want to let others control you and you don't want their negativity or bad behavior to overpower you either. Mood and actions are contagious so definitely be aware of what you are listening to or who you staying in contact with. Are the people you are around doing things that ultimately lift you up or helps you in any way? Do they do things that you don't agree with? Do you feel forced to be with them/talk to them? Are they listening to you the way you listen to them? You never should feel pressured to stay in contact with someone because of your past, because of mutual friends or interests, because of family, anything... if they aren't adding value to your daily life, it is okay to cut people off as long as you do it in a positive way. Talk to them, tell them what is bothering you and why it makes you feel the way it does... slowly but surely drift away... start making new relationships or learn to love life by yourself for a while. This is one of my biggest pet peeves about today's society; people will stay in relationships or friendships because it is all they have ever known and when they do find the courage to end it, they jump right into another relationship or another deep friendship. You are strong and capable of being alone and won't truly understand yourself until you are... be careful with who you jump into trust and connection with. Life does not have to be miserable, find people to listen to who will listen to you.
I know this was a very long post and by now I'm not sure how many of you are still reading, but I do hope something has clicked or will click in time. I am still learning these practices as well, these are things that will always be a learning process. Starting Sunday, I challenge you to write down at least 5 things throughout the week that you truly listened to and what it meant to you. I also challenge you to add in a 5-10 minute "listening" time everyday to lay down your phone, turn off the TV, go somewhere alone and just listen to the wonders around you. Again, let me know if you would be interested in following a blog/business Instagram. Also, let me know if there are any topics you are struggling with and would like me to touch base on. There are several things happening that are super exciting for me and I can't wait to share them, but I love hearing exciting things from you! Message me and share something new!
Until next time...
Xoxo, MJ
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