Faith

When Life Smacks You in the Face … Laugh

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Life can be a wild ride. You can get thrown curve balls. You can get hit smack in the face, (I have plenty of times!) You can think you have all the plans, dreams, and goals mapped out, while God says watch this and shakes it all up. 2022 has been that kind of year for me. The last few months have really stopped me in my tracks.

When this happens for me, I get hit with the – “Is this what I am really supposed to be doing?” “Is it really supposed to be this hard?” “What if this isn’t the right path for me?”

One thing I have learned, is that plans, dreams, and goals can blow up in a single instant. Everything that you thought was going to happen, won’t anymore. Everything that you had been working for, it wasn’t meant to be. Coming to the realization that no matter how much you plan, it doesn’t always work in your favor is a tough pill to swallow. While, it may seem like everything is crashing down, know, there is beauty in everything.

There is something peaceful about not being tied to 10 year plans. There is excitement about waking up and just focusing on the day. Working to be just a little bit better than you were yesterday. There is simplicity in just working on your next step and not the five steps after it. There is curiosity in stepping out and trying something new. There is bravery in being open to all the amazing things that can come your way, once you open your doors.

A conversation with a customer sat with me. “There is never a bad day, there are only bad moments in the day.” While everything may seem like it is crashing down or falling apart, maybe it was supposed to happen that way. Maybe, there are just bad moments in your life. Maybe just maybe, they happened for a reason. To show you another side, one you never knew you had.

Your perspective on things matters. More than you know. This, I have learned the hard way. Embrace the changes that are coming. Know that God, the universe, whatever you believe, has got your back. Pray, meditate, burn sage, sing, dance, or write, whatever you need to do to get your happy back. Put a big smile on your face and know that amazing things are coming your way. Most of all laugh. Not just a chuckle, the deep belly laughs. Those remind you that in all the chaos, life is still good. Shout out to my kiddo who reminds me to laugh and to never stop believing in the unexpected.

As always share some love, we could all use a little more love

XOXOXO

Casey

Choose Forgiveness.

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Forgiveness. Such a big word that packs so much meaning. It is the act or process of forgiving or being forgiven. To forgive is to stop feeling angry or resentful toward someone for an offense, flaw, or mistake. Forgiveness can sometimes be one of the hardest things to do, depending on what the other person has done to offend you. 

I have been mulling over this forgiveness issue for a while lately. I have often forgiven people for things they have done (even when they didn’t realize they did anything wrong). But how do you know when you have truly forgiven someone?

  • Time – one thing for sure, forgiveness takes time. There have been a few times where I said I have forgiven people, but honestly I hadn’t yet. I needed more time to feel, to work through whatever the issue was, and to move forward on my own time. Time is important.
  • When you can talk about what happened as a point of reference and not a point of pain – When talking about the issue no longer causes you hurt, you have reached forgiveness.
  • When revenge becomes a non-issue – If you reach the point of no longer trying to get back at someone for what they did to you, I would say you have reached forgiveness with them. 
  • When the lesson has been learned – sometimes when things happen, we don’t sit in the pain. We brush everything under the rug and go on with life. Then the same situation happens again and again, over and over. In this type of situation, learning through forgiveness allows for new boundaries to be set up. Boundaries, I have recently learned, are a very healthy thing to have. (Don’t worry, I have another blog on boundaries coming!)
  • Helping your offender – If something arised and the person that has hurt you needed help and you were able to help them and feel okay about it, you have probably reached forgiveness. 

Not only is forgiveness good for you emotionally, but there are some health benefits to forgiveness as well. Some of these include; less anxiety and stress, improved mental health, lower blood pressure, and improved heart health. 

Some hold on to grudges for ages, but think about what all you are missing out on. If you are so tied up being angry with someone else, you are missing out on all the good that is going on around you. I get it, you are probably saying, “Casey, you have no idea what they did to me”, but I bet I can relate in a small way. I have been through the abusive relationships, the liars, the cheaters, the people who take advantage, and raising a child on my own. I also understand that we as humans make mistakes, I know I have made my fair share. I have chosen the route of forgiveness, whether people have apologized or not.

Life to too short to constantly be hindered by something that happened in the past. Take the time to learn to forgive. It may take time, but I bet your heart will feel much lighter and happier. Choose Happiness. Choose Forgiveness.

Share some love, we could all use a little more love.

XOXOXO

Casey

Choose Joy.

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I was recently watching Grey’s Anatomy and in one of the episodes, they were talking about happiness and joy. Looking for joy and finding some happiness or doing things that made you happy. The looking for joy, really hit me.

It is all about our mindset and how we choose to view things. I could wake up in the morning and be annoyed or irritated at work. I could be frustrated with my commute. I could just be an unhappy person to be around. Frustrated with my circumstances, finances, the way the world is going.

or

I could wake up and smile. I could feel the happiness. I could look for things throughout my day that bring me more and more joy. Did you know that when you smile, it helps your mood?

I recently started smiling when answering the phone and my overall mood on the phone is happier. Customers seem to be happier too. Talking with a smile on your face seems to help lift any mood.

All of this sounds so grand and easy. Wake up and be happy, choose joy. We all know it isn’t that simple though. There are going to be days that no matter how hard you try, it is hard to see the joy. You are going to wake up on the wrong side of the bed and not be able to fix it. There will be days where nothing seems to go right and there will be days where it all seems to fall apart. This is okay. The important part is that you keep trying. Every day. Keep trying to find ways to choose joy. Keep working on being kind to your neighbor. At a certain point, you won’t have to keep trying, it will just come naturally. I am on the path of trying, everyday, trying to be better than I was the day before. Choosing Joy. Choosing Happiness.

Just remember, joy doesn’t have to be some grand gesture or experience. It could be someone complementing your glasses or opening the door for you or complementing your shoes! It is the little things, they matter the most. While you are on the outlook for joy, don’t be afraid to show kindness to others. If you like someone’s outfit, tell them. Imagine the world we could live in, if people started paying attention to others and were nice. For my introverts, this is harder to do trust me I am right there with you. The more you do it, the easier it gets. You never know how much you can brighten someone’s day by complementing them though.

Choose Joy and Share some love, we could all use a little more love.