Y’all, there is so much going on in the world. So much hate, chaos and negativity. Lately, I have been wondering if I really want to still be here in 50 years. What would that look like? Would I be a survivor of some disaster? It’s a lot to think about.
However, with that being said, I cannot allow what’s happening in the world make me lose hope or faith in God. I know He is still in control and His love is everlasting. Better days are ahead. Better months, years, decades and centuries are ahead. I cannot give up hope. WE must not give up hope.🙏🏽♥️ ~Shaun
We must keep hope alive. We must make sure it’s seen and felt in every thing we do and through every contact we make. We cannot afford to let hope die.
I used to believe doing something nice for myself was self love. I would buy myself something nice, treat myself to a fabulous meal, get a massage, or spend the day doing either everything I wanted to do or nothing at all. That was my definition of self love. Now… Now, it’s more about protecting my peace and my holistic wellbeing with my spiritual and mental wellness being most important.
Here are a few things I have finally learned and implemented:
– Saying “no” to things I don’t want to do, and without feeling guilty (yeah…it used to weigh on me), is self love. “No” is a complete sentence. No explanation needed.
– Protecting my space (physically and mentally) is self love. I am so mindful of who and/or what I allow into my space. Discernment has been key.
– Receiving good things without feeling like I don’t deserve them is self love. Yes, I deserve good things. I deserve God’s best. I mean, I am His child! Smile
– Being nurtured instead of always being the nurturer is self love. Listen, once you have been on the receiving side you can’t imagine settling for anything less.
– Putting myself and my needs first is self love. I believe this has allowed me to love even deeper. It has definitely strengthened my relationship with God.
It took me forever to get here (decades). And now that I am finally here I have no intentions of going back to life as it was. I love it here. Smiling
Guess you could say this is life beyond Year50.
I pray you have found true self love. Believe me, it’s beautiful and so peaceful.♥️
What if I fall? Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?
E. H.
That was a quote I shared five years ago—January 14, 2019. Next is the caption that accompanied it:
Happy Monday! Wishing you a blessed week! Here’s today’s social media find. Take the leap. Yes, there’s a possibility that things won’t go as planned (been there); however, there’s also a possibility that they might AND exceed your expectations (been there, too). You’ll never know, if you never leap. You already know God is going to catch you– FLY!
During my adulthood, I have taken numerous leaps—mostly spontaneously. As I mentioned above, some things went as I hoped and/or exceeded my expectations, while others didn’t. Either way, I never fell or failed. Somehow I always managed to fly. All praises to God.
Lately, I have not taken any leaps (it’s been three years). I guess you could say I have been living a pretty quiet, unadventurous life—been playing it safe. Honestly, I am not sure if I am just tired or if the adventures have ceased. Hopefully, it’s not the latter. There just has to be more adventures and leaps in my future. Y’all, I’m too young to stop leaping now. Sighing
Why am I hearing Donald Lawrence singing, “The Best Is Yet To Come”? Shaking my head. My thoughts and their theme music. Even my subconscious mind has a sense of humor. My life… Laughing
Well, that’s all for now. I pray you have a wonderful day!
Here is what I shared earlier on my social media platforms:
God is forever working behind the scenes on our behalf. Our job is to be patient and trust Him while He works, even when we don’t see anything happening. Eventually, everything will work out in our favor, and it will be better than we imagined.♥️
On this date for the past two years, I have shared this same image with the caption “Trust the process.” I guess that’s the real message. Trust God’s process.
Moment of transparency…
Since the end of June 2022, I had been struggling to secure contracts as an independent consultant. Even applying for jobs did not work. Then, in August of that year, my mom had a stroke and I became her primary caregiver. Even though I was with her 24/7, I was still looking for work (even remotely) and nothing panned out. I kept hearing to rest and just spend time with her. That I had enough to sustain me. I did not need more.
Sadly, it wasn’t until almost the end of her life that I actually understood what was meant by resting and spending time with her. I am so grateful I eventually listened. I needed that time with her.
After she passed last May, seemed like nothing was working in my favor. Everything was just “blah.” And it was also during this time that I was experiencing the greatest spiritual pruning of my lifetime. I mean, I did ask for this side of 50 to be different. I just did not know what that entailed. Basically, patience, trust, faith, hope, and endurance. Lots of endurance!
By the end of last year, I had completely surrendered control to God because nothing I attempted to do was working—nothing. And that’s when things began to change. I started receiving job offers out of the blue. I felt like Celie in The Color Purple after she found Nettie’s letters. There were so many of them. Unfortunately, most were not a true match but I kept an open mind.
Fast forward to today. I just secured another contract as an independent consultant. God is so good!
Listen, even when things appear to be falling apart, they are actually falling in place. Most of the time it happens when we cannot feel or see God working. As I stated earlier, our job is to be patient and trust Him to work things out in our favor. Amen
Life is forever evolving and changing.Instead of crying over what was, smile because it was. Smile because you had the opportunity to experience it. Then, smile even bigger because you now have the opportunity to experience something even greater.
Facebook Memory: January 11, 2019
Happy Friday! Here’s today’s social media find. So, I’ve been reading old journal entries from 20+ years ago and reminiscing about the good old days (BTW: Today’s MJB’s birthday🎉). It’s amazing how time flies. If I could go back, I would definitely handle some situations and relationships differently. There were people in my past I wish I would have kept in touch with (grateful for FB reconnections 🤗). There were opportunities that I let slip away because I thought I was “oh so” brilliant 🤷🏽♀️ or because of fear. Either way, I lived and learned. One thing for sure, I can’t continue to look back on what could’ve, should’ve, would’ve, or might’ve happened. I can only look forward and enjoy the present ride.
I’m truly grateful for all of my wonderful experiences, whether they lasted for years or only a few seconds (that smile did something to me 😉).
Make the best of every moment. Don’t spend too much time thinking about how the story could’ve ended or will end. Enjoy the here and now.
Yes, it happened and it is still happening. Stay present and embrace the beauty of what’s happening now.
Just because a particular experience ended doesn’t mean something new is not already happening. God is forever working even when we cannot see it or feel it. Remember that every new day brings new opportunities and experiences. If we continue to dwell on what was, we will miss the beauty of what’s happening now. So, keep smiling. Our story is far from over. The best is yet to come!♥️
It’s Shaun’s World 
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