Who do you call friend?

People. They are everywhere; some we know, some we don't, and some we don't care to know.  Have you every imagined what it would be like to live in complete solitude.  What would it look like to have no one to share you deepest secrets with, laugh out loud with, or be able to express yourself as you were created to do.  How would you feel?  Would you be happy?

As I walk through this journey called life, I have come to realize how important people are.  I am discovering how vital love and compassion truly are.  As humans, we have developed this mentality that tells us we must be in charge of our lives and support from others is an unnecessary component.  We have been trained to live independently and to depend solely on ourselves.  Although independence is important, I completely disagree with this philosophy of me, myself, and I.  People need people. Souls long for companionship. Hearts break over loneliness.

Every day we are around people, whether it be friends, family, or complete strangers.  Who are you letting in?  Who do you call friend?  Friendships make you feel loved and valued.  They develop your inner being and help you unveil the true you.  How do you grow if you have no one to grow with?  Our hearts need a glimpse of kindness and compassion from someone other than ourselves. There are some things in life that are valued over others, and for me I value time with the people that make this world go round.  I long to live this life knowing that I loved people the best I could.  If the only thing I do in this life is love people for who they are and show them they are loved by Jesus, that is sufficient for me.

So find someone you love and tell them you are thankful for them.  Discover how truly blessed you are to have them in your life.  Dare to love others who find it hard to love even themselves.  Be different; be bold.  Take chances for people because they are worth it.  Rely on community.  Find a searching soul.  Love until it hurts.

Waiting to Live...

My life lately could be described as a waiting game.  I am always waiting for the next opportunity or the next chance for a change.  I spend so much time hoping and praying that something will happen, that I am missing where I am, right now.  It has always been a concern of mine that I am not making the most out of my life.  I strive to try and find things I can do, and ways to get involved.  But what about the joys of the simple things?  What about the life that God has given me this very moment?

I recently have been blessed with the opportunity to do something that I have dreamt about doing for a while now. In retrospect, it has been a year since I first decided it was the direction I wanted to go.  I remember months going by and hearing nothing.  I was anxiously awaiting a sign, a letter, something that let me know I was closer then when I had started.  Now that it has finally here, I realize that the things I did while i was 'waiting', is exactly what I needed to fully prepare me for this journey, even though I was just 'buying' time.  My job, my spiritual journey, and the friends that I made all played a part in who I am, and how I will be able to complete this amazing next chapter of my life. I had not realized it until now and i began to think how truly wonderful life is.  

One day we will all wake up and be able to say, "finally, I am here! Right where I have dreamed of being".  But most days we will wake up and everything will be the same.  The same job, the same apartment, the same city.  But do not be discouraged, for this is all preparation for what is to come and be fulfilled in your life!!  Do something you love, be someone you love.  Don't try to always do the next best thing but try and take life as it comes.

I believe there is a waiting period for us all.  It is important for us to have goals and aspirations in which we work to obtain, but it's ok to live, too.  Think about where you are, and how far you have come.  Maybe the place you are now isn't that place you had hoped and dreamed for.  Maybe the life you are leading isn't the one that you have spent your whole life working for.  I am here to encourage you and to tell you to stop waiting and to start looking around.  Find something that lets you know, you are here in this very moment.  You have been given the opportunity to live life to it's fullest. Stop waiting to live, and simply start living.

Enjoy the Ride

The things that I long for, are always the hardest to catch. Life is full of opportunities we wish we would have taken and maybe should have taken.  But isn't that the beauty of life?  We let things we love go, in hopes that something else will come along.  We give up on dreams to start new ones.  The lows of life are overwhelmingly devastating, full of heartache and pain. Fortunately, the highs of life are indescribably beautiful and bring about unspeakable joy and happiness.  Nothing can touch you and you would give anything to stay there forever.  Everyone can think of a time where you felt exactly this way.

The funny thing about life is that is the high is only temporary and the fall is inevitable.  The amazing part is hope is always there to grasp and hold on to.  A time will come again that we will be able to rise up to that feeling that we long for.  What people don't realize is the lows make the highs even more amazing.  We would have no reference to happiness if we did not know what the opposite felt like.  Without sadness and pain, there is no forgiveness or healing; no happiness or love.

We try so hard to control our lives so that the outcome is favorable to us. We are only human.  But what we forget to remember is that we don't have control, and we must let go.  So many people feel entitled to happiness, wealth and success.  Personally, I am glad that I have good days and bad days.  I am thankful for all of the blessings and the failures in my life.  I find it beautiful to look back on the growth of who I was, who I am , and who I am becoming.  Maybe I did miss out on opportunities, and maybe I did make some wrong choices along the way, but I will continue to look ahead and hold on to who I am at this very moment.

Life is a rollercoaster, simply traveling along a path with its many ups, downs, and experiences that send you into uncharted territory.  Let it take you where is leads you.  When you face the darkness, the light will only be that much brighter.  When you hit rock bottom, the skies will only be that much bluer.  Be thankful for the unexplored land you will walk on, it makes home that much more preferable.  Find the joy in everything you do, no matter where you are or what you are doing.  Life is too short to not explore every emotion, feeling, and moment.

So let go, throw your hands up, and enjoy the ride.

Whats On Your Mind?

Lately, it has become very evident to me just how much of a battle it is to be positive on a daily basis.  With the monotony of life it becomes easy to let our thoughts take over our attitudes.  Until recently, I don't think I truly understood the connection between our thoughts and our actions.  Whatever we let enter our minds will directly have an effect on our heart, and will be evident through our actions.  Attitude is everything isn't it?  Conceptualizing a positive attitude seems quite simple when things are going great, but the minute life gets hard it is easy to allow negative, self destructive thoughts to take over your being.

I believe we have the power to take complete control over our thoughts, so that our actions and deeds can be a blessing to others.  Once you find how to break free from allowing negativity and judgement enter in, you will find it much easier to go through the day.  Attitude effects our relationships, our jobs, even our own personal struggle with ourselves.  This may sound cliche, but you are the only one who can control your outlook on life.  There may be times where life happens, and it seems unfair, and it probably is. The hope is that we can learn to live in it and learn from it, trying to make every experience a stepping stone to growth and maturity.

 The beauty of life is that we are always changing, always growing, and our attitude is the foundation to that growth.  I can choose my thoughts, I have a choice to resist negativity.  So now its your turn.  What is your choice?  What will you choose your outlook of life to be?   What you choose will ultimately determine your happiness in life.  It has nothing to do with circumstances or privilege, it has to do with the thoughts you choose to rule you.  So, choose life. Choose happiness. Choose love.

Remind Yourself

Today is a venting day.  We are all too hard on ourselves.  Hear me out.

As a society we are constantly seeking encouragement and affirmation.  We are in a consistent search for acceptance, love, and approval.  Is it natural? yes.  Will it ever cease? probably not.  But, it doesn't have to be the only thing we can depend on.  What do you love about yourself?  What are the identifiable characteristics about you?  What draws you to others?  Sometimes it is essential to provide ourselves with a reminder of what is so evident to everyone else.  Do we need the approval of others, or do we need the approval from ourselves first?

I think we miss the importance of realizing who we are and the natural potential we have.  Everyone is unique, so what is unique about you?  

At my job, we do groups with youth and we are always asking them to say positive things about themselves.  This can be very challenging.  They can rattle off all the negatives in the world, but to say " I like my smile, or I like my hair" is like pulling teeth.  The agony of searching for a positive word to say about themselves is dreadful and quite honestly emotionally exhausting, especially when I know what they are capable of and how special they really are.  Why is it this way?  Why is it so hard for us to love ourselves just the way we are?  

Today I challenge you to remind yourself of what you are good at and what you were put on this earth to do.  Are you a leader?  Are you creative?  Are you enthusiastic about life and every moment you are given?  Are you a good listener?  Do you love well?  What is it that makes you, you?  Find out because we all have a chance to prove to the world who we are and there is no more waiting.  Today is your day to start living and loving, not only others, but most importantly yourself.  

Rooted in Patience

If you know anything about me, you know that I am slightly obsessed with trees. The general idea of trees is the concept that I tend to embrace in all aspects of my life.  Having a tattoo of a tree on my foot tends to spike the conversation of, 'well what does that mean'?  I did tell myself that I would never get a tattoo that didn't have a meaning behind it.  I have learned how to explain my tattoo in a couple of sentences, even though I could spend all day discussing the true meaning of a tree.  I know you are all dying to know why trees are so special, so please let me indulge you.

If you have ever planted a tree, you know that it takes a long while before you can really stand back and be in awe of its strength and beauty.  A tree needs to grow deep, strong roots into the earth so that it can receive continual nutrients from the soil; giving the tree a strong foundation.  There will be no outward beauty until the invisible roots underground have done their job.  Finally, the tree will begin to grow, slowly but surely.  It will take years for the tree to be beautiful, but the amazing thing is that the tree continues to grow all throughout it's life.  A tree with strong roots and a solid foundation can withstand all storms and weather and continue to grow in all seasons.

Here it is, the metaphorical relation between trees and life.  The moment we have all been waiting for.  Trees are a genuine representation of who I want to be as a person.  Patience has always been a weakness for me, but lately I have been forced to be patient in all aspects of my life.  I went through a really tough season of feeling lonely, lost, and completely defeated.  As i look back on that season of life, I realize that everything I went through only strengthened my foundation, and rooted me further into the life I need to live; the life that has always been waiting for me and calling my name.  As i continue to wait for the day where I will be able to bear beautiful, noticeable fruit, I know that before that can happen I have to have a strong foundation with constant nourishment.  I have to be able to ensure that I can withstand all seasons of life, the storms, the droughts, the frigid cold, and the downpours that we all experience so that I can give back beautiful fruit to the world.

I am more excited now for life than I have ever been before.  The most important thing that I have realized is that its not about getting their fast, or jumping to the top right away.  I know that I am truly grateful that it has taken me this long, because the Lord knows that I would have lost it all.  My maturity level was not there, and I would have made so many mistakes, making it impossible for me to fully do what I know my life is meant for.  I know that day is coming, and it is is coming for you too!  Instead of constantly living in fear and wondering when you will ever be the person you know you are made to be, take each and every moment to be thankful for the person you are being created to be.  Trees do not develop overnight, and neither should we.  But when we wait, and continue to grow and learn new things we will be stronger for it.

If you are in a waiting period of life, and you feel that you are ready to take on more than every before, don't give up for your time is just around the corner.  Be grateful for this time, and learn to make the best of it.  You never know what you will learn along the way.  Just remember, a tree with a strong foundation will be forced to bear fruit.  The more rooted you are, the more fruit you will bear.  There is never a time in our lives where we are at a stand still, we are always growing. Be patient and dig deep.

Drown into Life

Usually when one thinks about drowning, it holds a negative connotation.  But today, drowning evolved to become more about life and love then anything else.  When you have passion, it is natural to immerse yourself so that all of your energy flows out of you and into it.  I want to live life by drowning myself in love, energy, joy, and peace.  I want to fully commit myself to not being able to breathe without it.  I long to drown others with kindness, grace and mercy.  Drowning isn't all bad when looked at in this way.  I think many times we go through life just trying to stay afloat.  Trying to keep our head above the water in so many things that it feels as though we are barely surviving.  When you take that breathe and dive under you can literally feel the commitment.  There is no better feeling then knowing you are giving everything you have to someone or something. I imagine it is scary and frightening to not know the outcome but commit anyways. But I would rather give everything then give half of who I am.  If you want to live, you must drown in something first.  It is the only way you will ever receive a full awareness of who you are and the life you were destined to live.  So drown away, not in sadness or despair, but for the one who gave us life!

Inspiration from a Chalkboard

Today, sitting in hot yoga, not really wanting to be there but going anyways, I looked up and straight ahead, on the chalkboard that took up the entire wall was the saying "Trust the Journey".  In that moment, I realized that that board was written for me.  I really believe that I needed to hear that more than anything.  With all the uncertainty and fear that has been alive in me lately, that wasn't just a phrase, that was a way that I needed to start truly living my life.  Sometimes, we just need to trust that what we are doing and the direction we are moving in, is the right one.  Often times we question, stop, or even turn completely around.  I realized I don't want to be paralyzed by fear; I don't want to be crippled by the unknown.  I want to live every moment, and trust that the journey is exactly what I need and where I need to be going. I truly believe that sometimes we just have to 'be' and let peace transform us. Trust in the journey is not just a phrase, it is a way of life.  I know that I am moving towards what I know and believe to be true, and sometimes that is all you can do.  Keep moving! Trust it!