Intentional Living

Happy May! (Updated)

            This post is a little overdue, but I wanted to check in before mid-year and since classes and workload is slowing down this is my chance.. Really what I wanted to highlight was #MentalHeathAwarenessMonth (particularly depression), this is something that hits close to home because I know plenty of friends/family/people including myself that has or do experience low (a.k.a. depressive) points & to be quite honest I believe it happens to EVERYONE on the regular once in a while. In some cases, people have It is worse than others but I learned It is so important to be aware of your feelings and circumstances and how they affect you. This has been on my mind for some time now so I thought I’d share..

            If you know me personally or follow me on social media, you know that I am a person of light and positivity. I am the way that I am now because I learn and grow so much from experience. That doesn’t necessarily mean that what I speak on is my personal experience, but things that I’ve observed and learned from other people’s experiences.

Out of all, I learned that healing is found in the discovery of power. 

I always say it's so much easier to look at all the bad in your life versus all the good. For me it’s about taking power over my own life & thoughts. I don’t have control over my thoughts but I have the power to control the attention I give to my thoughts. Sometimes life and circumstances, trial after trail leaves you to believe that there is ultimately no good within reach despite how hard you try/ how many accomplishments you achieve, etc. For the most part we get stuck in our past and wonder where we went wrong or what we should have done better. The more we allow ourselves to harbor negative energy & thoughts towards unfortunate situations or people that hurt us, the more power it has over us.

           I learned to not waste time on ‘What if’ when what I have is ‘right now’. The lessons you’ve learned, the mistakes you have made, the pain you have endured... it was all for something. You survived 100% of the bad days and the worst of your story is not who you are, instead a small piece of a beautiful picture.

          I’m reading a book that says “The human is the only animal on earth that pays a thousand times for the same mistake.” Truth is, no one deserves to keep reliving a tough part of their past. Your past is a relevant part of your life but only because it has the ability to point you in the right direction. Loving and accepting yourself is the hardest part..

It is not about being happy and productive it’s about being honest with yourself &what you feel, yet remaining calm and aware.

You are not hopeless. You are not alone. Hard days are normal. You are still worthy. It is never too late. There is help. Be kind to yourself and Have faith.

Coping

           I personally cope through ‘hard days’ as I like to call it with my faith. I choose to bring every big problem/Internal issue I ever have to God and solely to him. I’ve learned that God & Suffering is not mutually exclusive. An easy life was never the promise, Jesus himself suffered. It’s a vehicle of perspective, that contains purpose for something greater in life that I am unaware of yet. I am not perfect, I struggle in my faith sometimes, but I know that everything I experience is supposed to shape me and I choose to never give up on that belief.

Whether you are spiritual or not, life is just a series of tests. Even if none of this applies to you, awareness is always a factor. Reach out to someone and spread love, encouragement, and openness not pity nor judgment. Keep pushing..

Sincerely,

Jenn

Additional Resources:

  Therapy for Black Girls Podcast:  https://www.therapyforblackgirls.com/podcast/

(Started listening for fun, ended up loving her discussions!) 

Book Recommendations:
Intentional Living - John C. Maxwell
Becoming - Michelle Obama
The subtle art of not giving a f*ck - Mark Manson
The 7 habits of highly effective people - Stephen R. Covey
The four agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz