If You Try Your Best

Feeling discouraged is not always a bad thing. Sometimes it just means you cared so much about something and you are upset with how it turned out..I feel ya, it really stinks when things don’t seem to go how you would of liked them too.

On my journey, I have met discouragement eye to eye many times. I have struggled with keeping goals, I have been drained from school and unmotivated, and I have not always been proud of myself..oh being discouraged has happened a lot in my teens and twenties. I just want to say though, being discouraged is normal. Feeling bummed out and confused happens to everyone at some point in their lives. It’s normal to have feelings of being unsatisfied with the current situation going on because you want better, or thought you could do better.

One thing my Dad always said to me (and still does) is “as long as you tried your best, that’s all you can do”. I carried that into multiple phases of my life. If I was trying my best and my hardest, I needed to be proud of that. For me, my biggest discouragement has always been school. I have never been the person that could wing everything they did and pass with flying colors. High school was not easy for me at all and I had to try in nearly every subject in order to pass, or not fail too miserably. It was discouraging to be in classes with kids that just seemed to get it and understand. I was always the person that would get a test back on my desk and not flip it over because I was worried who might see whatever grade was given to me. I remember hating school so much to the point where I didn’t know if I wanted to go to college. Heck, I didn’t even know if I would get accepted into college.

I believe one of the reasons I struggled so much in high school was because of my mom’s passing when I was a freshman. That’s a big weight on a 15 year old girl. It wasn’t until I was out of High School when I had realized I accomplished a really impressive thing. 1) I graduated highschool and 2) I got accepted into college. I was so hard on myself during those years and was so discouraged during those times that I could barely see my accomplishments and how amazing I was actually doing. I compared my life to others whose lives were completely unlike mine. I was not giving myself the credit I deserved during that time when I really should of. If I could go back and tell 15 year old me anything right now, it would be something along the lines of “girl, you are doing so much better than you think you are doing. Don’t give up, life will be so much more beautiful after this chapter.”

Fast forward to today.. if you’ve read my posts, you would know I still have times of complete discouragement, stress and uncertainty.. and that it’s okay. College has not been easy for me either, but unlike High School, it’s been easier for me to give myself that credit and see my worth. I still find myself in times where I compare my design projects to others, or compare my life to others, but in the back of my mind I always hear my Dad saying “as long as you tried your best, that’s all you can do.” And it’s true.. as long as you are trying your best whether it’s with school, a sport, a relationship, a job, health, fitness.. whatever it may be.. acknowledge that and be proud of yourself. Even if you are failing, or not doing as amazing as you would of hoped. You do your best and the rest with fall into place. I can’t tell you how many of my failures have turned into the biggest blessing and have been some of the most humbling and self reflective experiences for me. Feeling discouraged is not always a bad thing because it shows you care, but don’t allow discouragement to control your life and your thoughts about yourself. I guarantee you that you are doing a lot better than you believe you are doing. Don’t give up, try your best and be proud of yourself even if you fail.

Cass

Thank You For Closed Doors, God

I love spending my nights in a quiet space, book in hand and thinking about my current stage in life. Some people choose mornings to meet with the Lord, but my longing to hear His words always come at night. I reflect on my day and the blessings I was given. I think about the days to come and where my mind and heart need to be. I talk to God about my worries, my goals, my strengths and my weaknesses. I rest my anxieties on Him and my fears going into the next following days, weeks and months.

One of my favorite Christian authors is a woman named Annie F. Downs. She is a southern girl with a beautiful faith and her writing has always pulled at my heart. She is so relatable and each book I have read of hers has left me with wanting to make positive changes to my own life for my happiness and my faith. I am currently on day Twenty-Seven of her devotional titled 100 Days to Brave. There have been a few days where I have thought “oh I would love to write about this on my blog”, but never found the right words. Today, had a slightly different impact on me because it felt so connected to my current position in life.

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans”

–Proverbs 16:3

This devotional talked about how we could be walking through our lives, praying and doing what we feel called to do, feeling as though we are in alignment with God’s will and come to a closed door. This closed door could be anything. Maybe it’s something you really wanted. Maybe it’s something you planned for yourself when you were younger and now you’re hitting that age you thought you would have it all together and you don’t. Maybe it’s related to money, or a family crisis. Closed doors can be discouraging and it can be confusing.

In the devotion, Annie says, “you can be brave because you can trust God. Brave people commit their work to the Lord and trust that His plan for their lives might not look the way they planned. And that’s okay..be brave enough to walk through the doors that the Lord leads you through. Even when they are unexpected or feel scary.”

While I have walked passed many closed doors in my life, God has always had open doors waiting for me. He has seen my pain and discouragement over the things that weren’t meant to be, but He has also allowed me to feel the happiness and excitement over the the things that were. To remain patient with God is not always easy. To find the beauty during times of closed doors can be hard as well. I am not one to be able to preach about patience, because I lack it most often than not, but I do know that God is constantly working on my lack of patience every day in the hopes that I trust Him fully and His perfect timing. What has yet to come can be intimidating. The uncertainty of the future leaves my stomach in knots most days. But as i’ve kept moving through life with all of its high high’s and low low’s, I have told myself something that I want to share with you all that relates to this devotion and another message I am going to share. Closed door’s may be scary to think about. Failure, sickness, changed plans, or uncertainty can all be scary to think about, but with closed doors there are also open ones. There may be failure, sickness, changed plans and uncertainty, but there could also be success, health, better plans and certainty. Keep living your life despite the fear of closed doors. Keep moving and hanging in there and working towards everything you want in your life, despite what may be holding you back. If its not meant to be, it won’t be, but keep moving in case it is. Trust God and lean on Him even if you feel discouraged about where your life is. There have been so many times in my life where I felt like God’s timing was just never. There were points where I had no idea when good things would start happening to me, but once I started to accept the closed doors in my life, new ones opened in beautiful ways.

I wanted to end this post with a message I took from another book that I read during a very difficult time in my life last year, feeling uncertain about my life, as well as God’s timing and plan for me. This is a prayer written by a woman named Mandy Hale, taken from the book Beautiful Uncertainty.

Sometimes, my writing isn’t just a message for you all, but one for myself to reflect on to keep on pushing through the hard times.

You’ve got this,

Cass♥

MAKE TODAY COUNT

Today is Thursday, January 11th..

And today will be the best day of your life.

Why?

Because despite what may be going on in your life today, you are alive. You woke up today to go after a dream, a goal, to love someone, to overcome, to learn, to create, to inspire others, to take a second chance, to improve, to succeed, to be forgiven, to forgive, to care, to keep moving forward even when life gives you so many reasons to feel like you can’t.

Today, will be the best day of your life

Even if you’re hurting, scared, stressed, anxious, weak, unappreciated, lonely, nervous, depressed..etc

It will be the best day of your life because you were given this life to do and become anything you could possibly want to. This life is yours. You have the power to wake up this morning and say, “I’m going to live today like it is the best day of my life because I am not guaranteed tomorrow.”

What makes you smile? What makes you happy? What do you enjoy? Who do you love? Who makes you laugh? Who encourages you? What makes you feel your best? What will you do today to make this one count?

 

 

Cass♥

** The sign in the picture above sits on a table in my apartment. It’s goofy, but encourages me to keep on movin’ and to keep on workin’ hard. **

LETS TALK ABOUT SLEEP

Hey guys,

At some point, we’ve all had trouble sleeping. Whether it was anxiety keeping us awake, stress, depression, busy lifestyles, not being able to relax, thoughts, children/people, unable to break away from social media, medications…the list goes on..

We all know some of the downfalls for not being able to get a full nights rest. When I can’t seem to sleep, the day after is usually me being super unproductive and lazy. I suffer from anxiety and depression like many people in the world do, and being able to feel well rested is pretty critical for my happiness and productiveness. So in this blog, I really wanted to share some of my tips for sleeping, staying well-rested, and positive with something that can be super frustrating at times.

Firstly, my problem isn’t really going to sleep, but staying asleep. This morning is actually a very good example. I woke up at 5:25 am.. its currently 7:30 am..cool 😦 …This was the last morning I had to sleep in before my life gets busy with my college job and school, but that didn’t happen. I was frustrated, but I totally did it to myself..I did what everyone tells you NOT to do right when you wake up..yes, you guessed it..I LOOKED AT MY PHONE. That thing will totally kill your sleep. Because I am on winter break right now, I haven’t done all the usual sleeping tips I’m actually going to be sharing with you.. so lets pretend I haven’t taken a month,or so break from these…BUT, this is me getting back into the swing of things! I’m gonna try to keep this as short as possible, but here are some tips I find helpful!

1. NIGHT SHIFT ON: I have an iPhone, so this may not apply to everyone, but during the work/school week I always make sure I change my brightness settings to this feature. It adjusts the display of the lighting on your phone to a warm light so that when it’s night time, the usual brightness of your phone isn’t as bright. That blue light smart phones give off can really affect your brain, especially when it comes to sleep. For me, when this feature is on my phone I have such an easier time of returning to sleep even if I do wake up in the middle of the night, or early. Its also smart to not be on your own before bed.. but I’ll preach that one when I actually can do it myself.
2. WHITE NOISE MACHINE/FAN: I used to think my Dad and sister were so weird to need a fan in their room’s that only produced sound, but as I’ve reached adulthood and I have had more issues with sleep overtime..this is amazing. It drowns out outside noises you may hear at night like cars, trains, planes, or in my current situation.. loud obnoxious college kids. It helps set the tone for sleeping and really helps me to relax at night.
3. ESSENTIAL OIL DIFFUSER: I know, I know.. These can get super annoying for people to talk about and the people selling essential oils all over Instagram and Facebook really (really) don’t help..but along with the White noise machine I have, it’s extremely relaxing. I have a lavender essential oil that targets relaxation and sleep, put a few drops in the diffuser and turn it on before you go to sleep. I usually turn mine on about 20-30 minutes before I plan on going to sleep. A candle is also a really great alternative to this. My family will tell you that I am the Candle Queen, which is absolutely correct. They relax me so much. It really can set a nice calm tone to a room and make it a little easier to sleep.. remember to blow it out before bed though cause..well..the obvious.
4. LAVENDER SLEEP SPRAY: I feel like this one is a tad extra, but I’ve used it for years and anyone I’ve showed/given this stuff to seem to really like it. It’s simply a lavender mist you spray on your pillow/sheets/bedding that helps you to relax and fall asleep. Im not positive in saying it actually makes me fall asleep, but it for sure makes me want to lay in bed forever.
5. TEA: I hated tea for 23 years of my life. Unless it was sweet tea, I wasn’t drinking it. In October of 2017, I got really sick with strep throat and was told to drink tea to help ease the pain in my throat. Every since, its just become something I do now..so atleast it’s healthy. Personally, I love peppermint and lemon tea’s the best. It’s just another thing I add to my night routine to relax and calm down. I usually do this about an hour, or so before bed. Definitely don’t wanna be drinking it without giving your body some time..if you know what I mean.
6. NIGHT RITUALS: So all of these sorta fall into that category, but I believe being on some sort of routine really helps your body to get used to sleeping. I find that routine’s are very positive to your sleeping schedule and do more good than harm. A routine isn’t attainable for everyone, but if you know you have a very consistent day schedule where you do the same things everyday.. please look into doing this for yourself. I have pretty early classes so I try to get myself in bed by 9:30 pm monday-thursday. At about 7:30 is when I start the relaxing process. This is where I sit down, read, drink tea, maybe take a warm bath, light a candle, put on comfy clothes, listen to music..etc.
7. SLEEPING MEDS: I dont always like turning to this option, but if I’m really struggling to get to sleep on my own MELATONIN is my go-to. There are so many different kinds of sleeping medicines, but this one has always worked for me and not given me side effects. Everyone is different when it comes to medicines and medications. If I can feel myself struggling, or know that I had a tough night getting to sleep the night before..I’ll take melatonin about 1 hour – 45 minutes before I go to bed. They also have Melatonin infused tea’s, smoothie drinks that may be nice to try if you don’t like taking pills!
8. DARKNESS: This somewhat goes with the first one, but I am so much more likely to go to sleep and stay asleep in a dark room. Getting blackout curtains for my bedroom was such a great investment. Light affects my sleep more than sound does and I have met a lot of people that say the same thing. If you find yourself waking up when the sun comes up and not feeling well rested, or unable to go back to sleep..buy yourself some blackout curtains. My freshman roommate Abby used to laugh at me for this one, but I used to wear a sleep mask to bed. That thing was my saving grace at times and I still have one I bring with me when I travel so that I can get good sleep in a bright room. Don’t knock it till you try it.
9. WORKING-OUT/HEALTH: I genuinely find my body on a better sleeping schedule and more likely to feel well-rested when I workout and eat on the healthier side. I try to workout in the morning, this works for me because my medication gives me a lot of energy. If I workout in the morning and go about my day, 7:30 pm really is the time I start to feel tired and looking forward to sleep. Working out is just another thing I add to my list of daily routine..well..maybe not daily, but when I do get off my butt and do it, I feel great and it helps me to feel more productive. As for eating healthy, it just makes you feel good in general (atleast for me). Drinking water helps with my headaches/migraines I get from time to time, which in turn helps me to feel better mentally. Working out and healthy eating does go hand-in-hand with staying energized and feeling good about yourself. For me, working out and being healthy is where I feel the most positive about myself because its something I have a big amount of control over.
10. READ SOMETHING POSITIVE: Again, this is something that really helps me with having a positive mind and more likely to feel relaxed and at ease. Anxiety affects comfort, sleeping, relaxation, mental state..etc. I chose to read devotions/writing down my thoughts at night so that I am not carrying all the weight from my anxieties into my next day. Reading books after a long day help me to be more accepting of where I may currently be with my life and to look at situations in a more positive way. I’m telling you right now.. sometimes I am a real Negative Nancy. It takes me sitting down and reading, or reflecting at points to not take what I have for granted. When you have a more positive mind, or outlook.. you’re gonna be more likely to allow yourself to not get so worked up, or to focus on the things you cannot control. Believe me, I may be the Candle Queen, but I am without a doubt The Worry Queen. Anxiety trumps everything else that may affect my sleep. If you suffer from anxiety and thoughts keeping you up at night..YOU ARE NOT ALONE! This may, or may not work for you, but before bed try to do something that you personally know will positively affect your feelings/thoughts/mind.

 

I know this wasn’t a short read, but I hope that this may help someone. If you have any more suggestions for better sleeping, or want to share what you do with me I would love to read your comments!! I am linking down below some of the things I talked about.

Cass♥

WHITE NOISE MACHINE

ESSENTIAL OILS

LAVENDER SLEEP SPRAY

PEPPERMINT TEA

MELATONIN

April 12th 2016

This morning I woke up with so much anxiety. Worried about my future, school, my career choices. This is actually very normal for me, to wake up with my emotions overflowing in my body. My body wouldn’t allow me to remain calm. Sometimes it’s like I am screaming on the inside, like I am drowning in my own worries and I can’t break it.

I prayed in bed, “God, please just help me to be calm and focused. Please direct my life and guide me on my journey of not knowing what is to come. Your plan is so much better than mine.” It’s true.. His plan is so much better. He has a plan for my life. He has watched me grow into a woman. He has supplied me with knowledge and strength and compassion. He knows where my feet will go and where He is guiding my heart and I have absolutely no idea what is in store for me.

In Jesus Calling today, April 12th, it was the most perfect devotion and definitely fit how I was feeling today. Trusting in Him.

“Stay on the path of Life with Me, enjoying My Presence. Choose to trust Me in all circumstances.”

Stay with God and trust that He will direct your path if you choose to put your trust in Him always, not just when things are going well and not just when things aren’t. Always.

Cass♥