When You Start Showing Up Fully In Your Life, You Stop Caring About Who Might Be Better Than You

The way we see other people is often a reflection of how we see ourselves.
In fact, it is our most extreme reactions to other people that are often the most revealing. When we are intensely jealous of someone to the point of hatred, there is usually a reason. When we cannot stop comparing ourselves to someone else, there is usually a reason.

That reason is that there is something about them, or their lives, that we secretly aspire to have.

We might deny it, we might try to hide it, we might villainize them and victimize ourselves in order to feel better about it.

But in the end, when we are totally preoccupied about who is better than us, more attractive than us, more successful than us, or happier than us, it is always because there is a huge, gaping hole within us that we do not yet know how to fill.

We fill it with action.

We fill it by showing up.

We fill it by no longer neglecting our true desires and our deep needs.

We fill it by going after the life we really want.

We fill it by rising to the challenge, adapting to the competition, and becoming the absolute best version of ourselves.

Do you know what happens when you start showing up fully in your own life? You stop caring about who might be better than you.

When you think you look the best you possibly can, you stop caring that someone might look better. When you think you are doing the best you possibly can, you stop caring that someone might do better. When you think you are being the best you possibly can, you stop caring that someone might be better.

That insecurity almost always comes from our subconscious awareness that we are not doing all that we are capable of, and that person is. Instead of pointing out our own fault, we project it onto them, shaming, belittling, or trying to make them seem to be less than what they are.

This is not effective.

This does not do anything but make us seem petty and small.

Throwing shade at someone else’s light does not make you shine brighter, it only reveals the darkness within you.

The truth is that you don’t actually want to be better than other people, you just want to feel like you are enough, and you are never going to feel like you are enough if you aren’t showing up and trying to do what you truly want to do.

Worthiness is both something we are born with, and yet, something we must prove to ourselves over time. Nobody wakes up with profound confidence, it is something they build by getting out into the world and showing themselves that they are capable of what they desire.

The same is true here.

Someone else’s beauty does not make you less beautiful, someone else’s success does not make you less successful, someone else’s well being does not make you less healthy.

There is enough shine for everyone, there is enough success for everyone, there is enough goodness for everyone.

Instead of fighting to have someone else’s taken away, it’s time to start chasing your own.

When you really start showing up as the person you want to be, you’ll never again fear that you aren’t measuring up to someone else’s standard, because you’re measuring up to your own — and that’s all you really want anyway.

This is a guest post from Briana Weist.

What I Wish Everyone Knew About The Reasons Why Being An Introvert Is Your Best Asset.

I have heard it, too.
“You are so shy!”
“You’re like church mouse over there!”
“Oh… you wouldn’t like it… you have to talk and meet new people.”

Here is the thing – we are living in a society in which extroversion is glorified. It seems as if all those who are successful and have it made are the ones who easily and effortlessly put themselves out there and make themselves heard. While there are those great attributes of those who are extroverted, introverts have some great characteristics tied to their quiet, poised nature. This quality is one to be proud of – even celebrated. In fact, here are 6 reasons why being an introvert might just be your best asset!

1. You’re calm nature is inviting to people

Whether you realize it or not, this does not go unnoticed. Being the one who “takes it all in” in an upbeat environment is very calming. This invites people toward you, and subliminally they remember it about you as well.

2. Less talking = more observing

It seems to be so simple, yet it is so valuable. Speaking less gives your mind the ability to take in and process what is around you. Taking note of little details someone else might have missed. Being more present with someone, living in the now – it’s incredible just how much someone can miss by being lost in their mind and thinking about what to say next – instead of just being.

“Silence is a source of great strength.” – Lao Tzu

3. You get to know yourself more

This (and I cannot stress this enough) is important. Self-awareness is the key to serving yourself, giving your body/mind/soul what it needs. Spending more time with your thoughts – really thinking and understanding what you are perceiving will benefit you. It takes time to know yourself to a high extent. It is something to be proud of, because not everyone can say they truly know who they are.

4. You know how to listen

Hearing someone is one thing; listening to them is another. Active listening is proper, fully engaged and observant listening to not just the words they say but the way they say it, their body language, it all ties into true active listening. The whole reason someone might be talking to you is to get an idea or feeling across, but so much can be missed just by needing to get a word in. Introverts have the active listening trait in the bag – which is likely the reason so many of us are the people our friends and family vent to when they just need to be heard.

5. You can be independent

Value your independence, introvert! For many of us, working alone was never a negative thing. From a young age in the beginning of grade school when the teacher would say, “work independently or with a partner” I happily went right on my way to completing the work all alone. It is from that start that we are able to train our “independence muscle” that so many people lack. Now, as a 22-year-old working girl, I can handle large projects by breaking them into pieces, working them out and then presenting it to my team. I am observant and insightful when learning new things. Another thing to be proud – not many can say the same.

6. It is attractive

Being an introvert, most of us will seldom boast about our accomplishments. That modesty is such an attractive quality, but it is often brushed under the rug. This modesty is likely why many us us thrive in human services fields – working for a cause, not an applause. But think about how often you hear someone going on and on about what they have done, what they are doing and what they are going to do next. While it is great to celebrate those achievements, keeping some things on the down low is such an appealing trait to have.

Rejoice introverts! Your nature is something to be proud of, and it is just how we are wired. Of all the successful introverts in the world (i.e. Albert Einstein, Rosa Parks, Bill Gates) YOU are one of them. Embrace these qualities and accept them whole-heatedly .

Your introversion benefits you in more ways than you would think.

I will like to know what you think about this topic today. Drop your comments.

I want to appreciate Rachel Snodgrass as a guest on this piece from daily positive.

Facts About Vogue.Xpress: The Netflix Of Fashion In Nigeria That Will Blow Your Mind.

This is a sponsored post.

CEO Vogue.Xpress ( Miss Deola Adegoke)

With the recent corona pandemic that affected the world, ideas are formed and new businesses are born. The stay at home period wasn’t meant for sleeping and playing, but to restrategize the way we think and plan.

In Nigeria, we now have a netflix of fashion called “Vogue.Xpress.” It goes like this. You pay a small fee monthly and you get your fashion items delivered to you. If you live in Lagos Nigeria, it’s free delivery, but every other part of the country attracts a delivery fee on discount.

You don’t have to pay at once on every fashion item you purchase. You can spread the payment and get quality items.

Watch the video below for more information.

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IG bio: @vogue.xpress

Twitter: @vbydee

Thank me later!

Prayer Is The Motivation We Need Right Now

Dear Father,

Thank You that we get to be a part of Your global Church at this moment. Thank You for the opportunity to spread Your love and hope to a world living in darkness and despair.

Your Word says that if Your people humble themselves, turn away from wickedness, and call on Your name, that You will answer them and heal their land.

So we, Your people, are asking Your forgiveness for the times we’ve chosen not to love the people You put in front of us.

Allow this season to strengthen Your Church and to remind us of how much You love this hurting world.

Please heal our land and use us to meet the needs of others. Grow our faith as You grow Your global Church.

Come, Lord Jesus, and do what only You can do.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Let us spread Faith and not Fear.

Covid19: Motivating Yourself While Working From Home

Studies have shown that working from home can increase productivity; however, without proper checks & balances put in place, it can spiral into a lonely and weird feeling that might lead to a Lack of Motivation. Here are a few tips to motivate yourself and increase your productivity while working from home.

Have A Dedicated Workspace

Within your home, find your concentration zone and make use of it each time you intend to get some work done. As much as possible, avoid working on the bed, playroom, and the living room except you can prevent or control any distraction caused by people around you or your environment.

Get Dressed Like A Professional

Since the mindset for work has been accustomed to a semi-professional dress code, being too casually dressed can hinder one’s brain from getting set for some serious task, so get out of those pyjamas right away!

Set Boundaries for Family and Friends

Depending on the set up of your home, friends and family are more likely to see you around more often. Make them understand that you are not on vacation and would be grateful if they left you to work at certain hours of the day. This also means that you should resist the urge to invite guests to your house during this period.

Create An Activity Schedule

Working from home demands concentration and dedication; therefore, you should create an activity plan or task schedule to help you remain organised and productive. Set up automated reminders for important tasks, online meetings, and deadlines; decide ahead how you’re going to proceed each workday.

Get The Right Tools and Facilities for The Job

Especially in Nigeria and some other developing countries, working from home requires certain facilities which you always enjoyed at your office, such as internet service and electricity supply. Endeavour to find out what quantity of data will be adequate for your work as well as what network works perfectly in your residence. Try to make the best use of times when you are supplied electricity by the power company and get an alternative source of electricity if you can afford it.

Adopt Apps To Control Your Social Media Usage Each Day

Social media interaction and entertainment has been a major distraction over the years, even at workplaces; working from home could further aggravate the distraction rate if it is not intentionally controlled. It is therefore important to research and invest in getting tools that can help you manage your time on those platforms. Moment; App-detox; Stay on Task; Break-free & Stay Focused are some of the most commonly used Apps for this purpose.

Avoid Procrastination

Do not give room for the postponement of any task that can be completed immediately. Do not derail from your daily schedule and avoid the urge to do house chores during your working hours; instead, schedule an appropriate time to get them done so that they don’t interfere with your work.

Take a Lunch and Walk Break

While working at home, time tends to move very quickly, especially when you aim at completing scheduled tasks. Indeed, you can sometimes forget to eat or change your sitting position for hours. Do not neglect the need to go on your usual lunch break like you would do if you were at the office; furthermore, take a few minutes to walk around, it helps you stretch your muscles and makes you feel refreshed. For every 55 minutes of work, you can indulge yourself in about 10-15 minutes of break to grab a cup of water or just get some fresh air.

Reward Yourself For Good Behavior and Concentration

For productivity sake, promise to give yourself a treat at the end of the day or after completing a strenuous task. When you feel satisfied with what you have achieved at the end of the day or week, put something together to reward your diligence and commitment.

Plan To Interact With Others At Specific Times

Staying at home to work can sometimes be mentally stressful and breed the feeling of loneliness; therefore, while practising self-isolation during this crucial period, endeavour to often interact with people living with or around you, just like you would with your colleagues at work.

Finally, working from home demands a lot of discipline and commitment on your part; however, you might not fully enjoy its benefits until you have been fully immersed in it. One last task which must not be overlooked while working from home is to Workout or Exercise regularly during the day. This helps your muscles to relax, improve your breathing, boost your immune system, focus your energy on what matters, and sometimes, inspire solutions to a task that has been proving difficult to solve.

In the midst of the virus outbreak, we are all advised to work from home, especially those who are career oriented. Let’s obey the rules as it will help stopping the spread of this pandemic virus.Be Safe!Source: Big Field Digital Ibadan Nigeria.

Video: A Very Important Prayer For Everyone

This too shall pass..

You are covered by the blood of Jesus.

Whoever is affected right now, I decree and declare speedy recovery in Jesus name.

Be Safe!

Why Rejection Doesn’t Scare Me Anymore

The word ‘rejection’ terrifies this generation because we assume it means that we failed or we’re not good enough. We assume it means that we can’t win the game or get what we want. We assume that it makes us look weak, bad and inadequate.

But the essence of life is change and adapting to the things we can’t control including the things that rejected us and the things we couldn’t get. It’s not a direct reflection of our own shortcomings but it’s just a natural part of life and it happens to everyone. And I mean EVERYONE.

But we never look at the other side of rejection, at the possibility that maybe we wanted something that wasn’t going to be right for us or we wanted someone who wasn’t going to treat us right. We never try to understand what rejection is trying to tell us. It’s trying to tell us that we’re knocking on the wrong door. We’re going the wrong way. We’re trying so hard for something that could cause us so much pain.

I always look back at the times I was rejected from something and how it always led me to something better. I look back at the times I thought someone was great or irreplaceable only to discover that they were not genuine or kind. Sometimes we don’t see the obvious truth because we’re fixated on the word ‘rejection’ and how we can literally do anything to avoid it, even if it means destroying ourselves and forgetting our worth. I eventually found something better and wondered why I can’t learn to embrace rejection and take it as an opportunity to grow.

You might not get the things you want but you will get the things you need. You might not get the person you love but you will end up with the person who adores you and shows you a different kind of love.

Why can’t we see the blessings in rejection? Why are we only looking for the instant gratification of the word ‘yes?’ Given that many times ‘yes’ broke our hearts too and left us with nothing.

We contradict ourselves because we keep saying that if something is meant for us, it will find us, yet we can’t seem to shake rejection off, we can’t stop it from crippling us when it comes to taking risks and loving ourselves.

Rejection is also fate telling us that some things are not meant for us and if they were, we wouldn’t have been rejected. Rejection is another word for redirection.

Rejection sucks by all means and no one likes the bitter taste of the word ‘no’ but it’s also preparing us for something bigger than what we wanted for ourselves. It teaches us that God’s plan will always be better than ours and sometimes that’s all the faith we need to get over the fear of rejection and actually learn how to embrace it.

Guest post from Rania Naim.
Originally posted on Thoughts Catalog.

Photo credit: Pinterest

7 Basics For Getting Your Life in Shape: Bruce Lee

If you haven’t been living under a rock for the last 30 years I’m pretty sure you know who Bruce Lee was. 😊

If you have, then you may be interested to know that Lee was a very famous martial artist and actor who sparked the first big interest of Chinese martial arts in the West in the 60’s and 70’s.

But besides being an awesome fighter and iconic figure Lee also had some very useful things to say about life.

Here are 7 of my favourite fundamentals from Bruce Lee.

1. What are you really thinking about today?

“As you think, so shall you become.”

Perhaps the most basic statement of how we work. Think about what you are thinking today. What do those thoughts say about you? About your life? And how well do they really match your plans for your life and your image of yourself?

It’s easy to forget about this simple statement in everyday life. It’s easy to be quite incongruent with what you think on an ordinary day compared to how you view yourself and your goals.

A simple external reminder such as a post-it with this quote can be helpful to keep you and your thoughts on the right track.

An brilliant and beautiful expansion on this thought can be found in James Allen’s “As a man thinketh”.

2. Simplify.

“It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.”

“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.”

If you want to improve your life then it’s tempting to want to add more. One problem with this may be that you don’t really have the time or energy to do more though. And so your efforts to improve become short-lived.

Adding more and more just creates more stress, worries and anxiety. Removing clutter and activities, tasks and thoughts that are not so important frees up time and energy for you to do more of what you really want to do. And as the clutter in your outer world decreases the clutter in your inner world also has a tendency to decrease.

This has the added benefit of making it easier to actually enjoy whatever you are doing even more while you are doing it.

Adding more thoughts and thinking things over for the 111th time may create a sense of security. It’s also a good way to procrastinate and to avoid taking that leap you know you should take. And the more you think, the harder it gets to act. Perhaps because you want to keep that comforting sense of security and avoid the risk of wrecking that feeling.

Thinking has its place. It can help you plan a somewhat realistic route to your goal and help you avoid future pitfalls. Overthinking is however just a habit that will help you waste a lot of time. It’s more useful to replace that habit with the habit of just doing it.

3. Learn about yourself in interactions.

“To know oneself is to study oneself in action with another person.”

The one person that is the hardest to get to really know may be yourself. Studying yourself while you are alone may result in some insights. But it’s also likely to produce a lot of made up thought loops and doubts in your mind.

A good way to really learn more about yourself is study yourself in interactions with other people. How people react and act in these interaction can over time teach you a lot. And what you think and how you react can perhaps teach you even more.

What you see, feel and hear in other people may be a reflection of you. The things you learn by thinking this way may not always be pleasant, but they can be enlightening. They help you to see yourself and also how you may be fooling yourself.

And these powerful insights can be very valuable for your personal growth. So, in interactions with others, try asking yourself: what is reflected?

4. Do not divide.

“Take no thought of who is right or wrong or who is better than. Be not for or against.”

This is a very useful and powerful thought. It is also one that obviously is hard to live by. Why? I believe it’s because the ego loves to divide and find ways to “add more”� to itself. It want’s to feel better than someone else. Or more clever. Or prettier. Or cooler. Or wiser.

How can you overcome this way of thinking and feeling?

To me it seems to boil down to not identifying so much with your thoughts or feelings. That doesn’t mean that you stop thinking or feeling. It just means that you realize – and remember in your everyday life – that the thoughts and emotions are just things flowing through you.

You are not them though.

You are the consciousness observing them.

When you realize and remember this it enables you to control the thoughts and feelings instead of the other way around. It also enables you to not take your thoughts too seriously and actually laugh at them or ignore them when you feel that your ego is acting out. When you are not being so identified these things you become more inclined to include things, thoughts and people instead of excluding them.

This creates a lot of inner and outer freedom and stillness. Instead of fear, a need to divide your world and a search for conflicts.

To learn more about this I would recommend Eckhart Tolle’s books like “The Power of Now” and “A New Earth”.

5. Avoid a dependency on validation from others.

“I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.”

“Showing off is the fool’s idea of glory.”

The ego wants to add because it thinks it’s not enough. One way of doing that is by craving validation from others. We want to feel smart, pretty, successful and so on. And the validation makes you feel good for a while. But soon you need a new fix.

And the problem with being dependent on validation from other people is that you let other people control how you feel. This creates a rollercoaster of emotion in your life.

To find more emotional stability and to take control of how you feel you need to get your validation from to a more consistent source. Yourself. You can replace the expectations and validation of others by setting your own expectations and by validating yourself.

And so you validate yourself by thinking about how awesome you are. You don’t sell yourself short. You appreciate how far you have come and the positive things you have done. You appreciate your own value in the world. You set goals and you achieve those goals. This builds confidence in yourself and in your abilities. These things will help you to build a habit of inner validation.

Now, showing off. Why do we do that? To get validation from others. However, this need for validation often shines through and that is why a thing like bragging seldom works. Instead of seeing the cool and successful person you are trying to project people just see the insecure and needy person looking for validation. And your bragging falls flat.

6. Be proactive.

“To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.”

It’s easy to get locked into a reactive mindset. You just follow along with whatever is happening. You do what the people around you do. You react to whatever is going on.

And so you get lost in your circumstances. This way of thinking doesn’t feel too good. You tend to feel powerless and like you are just drifting along.

A more useful and pleasurable way of living is to be proactive. As Bruce says: to create opportunities despite the circumstances around you. This feels better and provides better results (no matter if that with your blog or business, while dating or when it comes to your health). But on the other hand it’s also more difficult. It’s easier to just drift along in the reactive stream of life.

And if you want to be proactive then you may have to take the lead quite often. And that can be scary.

Still, living proactively is so much more rewarding and exciting.

7. Be you.

“Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.”

Just being yourself is a hard thing to do. You may do it sometimes. And other times you may forget or fall back into old thought patterns. Or you may imitate someone else.

And that comes through too. And it may work.

But I believe that being the real you will work better. Because there the genuine you is shining through. Without incongruency, mixed messages or perhaps a sort of phoniness. It’s you to 100%. It’s you with not only your words but you with your voice tonality and body language – which some say is over 90% of communication – on the same wavelength as your words. It’s you coming through on all channels of communication.

So I’m not saying: “yeah man, you should just be yourself because it’s the right thing to do etc”.

I’m saying that I think being your authentic self – the one where you do little dividing, the one that needs little validation from others, the one where your ego is not running the show and trying to get something from someone – will give you better results and more satisfaction in your day to day life because you are in alignment with yourself.

And because people really like genuine and people really like authenticity.

Image credit: Pinterest

Source: Positivity Blog.

Single’ Is A Status, Not An Identity

Hey guys!

Normally I don’t post on relationships but a friend of mine triggered this that made me to share this piece. Being single is not an identity nor being married. It is a status that will eventually change in the course of time.

You are single. And whether that’s because a previous relationship didn’t work out, someone left, you messed up, you haven’t found your person yet, or you’ve never been in anything serious—this is the simple truth about you—you are (gloriously) on your own.

But this is nothing to feel shame about.

Being single is something to celebrate. Because the word does not define you. Because you are in a place where your thoughts, decisions, actions, and choices directly influence and benefit you. Because you are able to pursue whatever makes you happy, excited, passionate, or wild without anything or anyone holding you back. Because you have time, and there’s no need to rush. Because finding someone to love isn’t, and shouldn’t ever be the central focus of your life.

Because when someone looks you in the eye, they don’t see your relationship status as a label of who you are. Because ‘single’ is a description—not an identity.

Sometimes it feels like the world around you is caught up in connections. You look on social media and you’re flooded with images of happy couples, of marriages, of weddings, of beautiful families with babies. You open your mailbox and there’s another invite to so-and-so’s shower. You walk down the street and watch couple after couple canoodle, hand-in-hand.

Sometimes you can’t help but wonder if there’s something wrong with you, if you’re the one who’s messing up every relationship you fall into, if you’re ever going to find real love.

We’ve all been there. We’ve all wondered, doubted, frowned at our reflection in the mirror. We’ve all questioned whether or not we’re the one to blame, worked on ourselves, got back out there, failed and tried and failed and tried again.

The thing is, sometimes we get so wrapped up in where we stand that we forget who and how worthy we are. We’re so focused on what our relationship status is that we forget the importance of just being, and just being who we are—an entity, all on our own.

We worry whether we’re ‘enough,’ whether we’re ‘too much,’ whether we’re on the right path. We worry about when on the timeline of our lives we’ll fall into our special someone, or if they even exist. We worry about how we look to the rest of the world, if we’re making the right decisions, if we’ve already found our person and just don’t recognize him or her.

But all that worrying does nothing but push us away from the positivity that surrounds us. If we’re so consumed with falling short, we’ll never believe we’re worthy of the love that might naturally fall into our laps. If we’re so focused on all the past relationships that have failed, we won’t appreciate a good one. If we can’t let go of our pain, we won’t make room for new people, new experiences, new chances.

The truth is, none of us have this ‘love’ thing figured out. We’re all navigating, all searching, all trying to find someone whose mess mixes with ours and love them, choose them, fight with and for them as we grow. We’re all failing around, trying to learn who we are and can be alongside someone else.

But the most important thing we must remember is that being ‘single,’ is not an identity.

Sure, you can celebrate your singleness. Sure, you can focus on yourself and keep your distance from connections if you’re simply not ready. Sure, you can be a healthy version of selfish. Sure, you can prioritize your own happiness before engaging with someone else.

But don’t allow your relationship status to define who you are and will become.

You are worth far more than a label that limits you. And who you are as a person is not defined by whether or not you’re loved, or loving someone.

As you live your life, as you work, as you chase dreams and desires as you let go of your past and begin again, as you learn to trust, as you smile and laugh and pursue what feels right—don’t forget this simple fact: Your singleness is a status, a moment in time, a description, not a definition.

Video: The Best Definition Of Salvation And Evangelism – Justin Bieber 2020

This guy owns my internet for now. He’s my #PersonOfTheMonth and I’m glad it’s in my birth month all this is happening. Happy for his salvation and evangelism style ☺ And his wife @haileybieber, a sweeeeeet gal! I vote his documentary #Seasons & this interview with @zanelowe BEST USE OF INTERNET 2020! Thank You Jesus!

How Do You Lead A Simple Life?

We live in such simple times, yet finding happiness is much more complicated.

How can this be, when looking at our everyday lives, we have literally the entire world at our fingertips. We can search how many centimeters are in a mile, how to spell correctly, how to cook; heck there’s even a WikiHow tutorial on how to kiss.

Yet, we aren’t satisfied.

We throw our phones when they crash. We throw a fit when the internet’s down. We flip off the person carefully driving. We groan when the printer’s too slow. We roll our eyes when there is “nothing to eat,” because apples, milk, and cereal don’t count as food. We swerve through traffic. We don’t hold the door open. We don’t thank those who hold the door open for us. We briskly pass past the men in the red aprons that read “Salvation Army” in white stitch: we’re just trying to get our groceries and get the hell home. We snark hellish things, just to get a good laugh from a crowd of people we don’t care about.

Yet, we continue to ask ourselves, “why me?” We desperately search for the answer to this devastating question by drowning ourselves in everything any podcast, book, or youtuber titles as self-care or self-help. We meditate, journal, list five things we’re grateful for daily, read, find new creative outlets to express ourselves, cut out any toxicity in our lives, drown ourselves in work, drink more water, eat healthier, start working out, take days to ourselves to reset. We start to shut out friends once they’ve wronged us and we declare them “toxic” because our self help book told us that’s the only way to grow. We leave our spouses or girlfriends or boyfriends and friends because a podcast said we “deserve better” which translates into not wanting to communicate because we feel a sense of entitlement. If not, then the reason is that they “no longer serve a purpose.”

Yet, after all this searching, we find ourselves still not happy. We look around us, and we’ve shut out all of our friends, our significant others, and even family. We’re frustrated and confused thinking, “I’m doing everything this book/podcast/youtuber said.”

Imagine if it wasn’t this complicated.

Well, it isn’t. We just have to look. If we focus on the microscopic things, we’ll only set our sights on the negatives. Yet there’s so much to be happy about. We get to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. We get to drink water. We sleep in a bed, under a roof. We’re able to get jobs. We can walk. We can talk. We can communicate. We can see. We can hear. We can drive. You have a phone, tablet, or computer that you can read this article on with internet. Happiness can be found in the simplest things, and it’s when we overlook them that we aren’t happy.

This beautiful post about positivity and happiness in our daily lives is inspired by Jaelyn Decena.

Ways To Share The Love This Valentine’s Day

Whether you’re single or attached Valentine’s Day presents an opportunity for all to share the love with those special people who make life shine.

While February 14th is traditionally associated with lovers, it is also a time to show affection and appreciation for family, friends and even pets.

It might be your boyfriend, wife, grandmother, best friend, sister or cat who want to remember on February 14 – or all five.

And you don’t need to spend a fortune on gifts of red roses, expensive perfume and luscious chocolate when a simple card will do.

Is there someone out there who has won your heart, but you are too shy to tell? Here is the perfect chance to let them know how special they are. You never know what the giving of a simple card could lead to…

Know someone who needs a hug? Let them know you are thinking about them on this special day.

Send your grandad love and cuddles through these cute and cuddly bears. Valentine’s Day isn’t just for lovers. Everyone needs a reminder of how special they are from time to time. There range includes a similar one for Grandma too.

Celebrate and share love today!

Happy Valentine’s day to you my wonderful readers and community.

How We Can Use a Secular Holiday to Celebrate God’s Love: Valentine’s Day

There is no right or wrong way for Christians to conduct themselves on Valentine’s Day that is different from any other day of the year. There are, however, attitudes and actions that we should adopt in honor of the day of love.

You can find the internet littered with articles and entries on the origin of Valentine’s Day: who St. Valentine was, or if he inspired the holiday. Those are trivial details. As it is today, whether or not it was ever religious, Valentine’s Day is a secular holiday for which Hallmark sells a lot of greeting cards, candy stores sell a lot of chocolate, and florists sell a lot of bouquets.

It is not important that you support, condemn, or ignore the consumerism associated with Valentine’s Day. It is important, however, that we, as Christians, consider how and why we should celebrate Valentine’s Day rather than restrict our views to the romantic exploitation of the secular world.

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:27.

On Valentine’s Day, if there is a void in someone’s life where love should be, that emptiness is magnified by expectation. Think about your widowed grandmother or your divorced uncle. Seek out those who don’t have a home or a family or those who are caught in a cycle of poor decisions. Take the time to express love to those who feel unlovable.

Be thankful in all circumstances. 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

Valentine’s Day is a reminder of how we have been loved and who has loved us. Let your parents and grandparents know that you are grateful to have them as examples of how to love your own children and spouse. Call your friends to tell them how much you appreciate the love you’ve shared through laughter, shopping sprees, Harry Potter marathons, and sleepovers. A faithful source of love is precious, and whether it is familial, platonic, or romantic, it has the capacity to inspire, encourage, and heal.

I have found the one whom my soul loves. Song of Solomon 3:4.

Celebrating Valentine’s Day with your significant other is not wrong. I hope that I have not given you that impression. Romantic love is a gift from God, and he wants us to revel in the love that He shows to us by giving us another person to know and love in a holy, intimate way. Yes, Valentine’s Day can be a cheesy time to celebrate your relationship. I say go ahead and cheese it up.

Too often, we ignore the opportunity to share Christ’s love through the simplest actions. Our faith sends us into the world to love unconditionally, but if we are not exhibiting that love, how are we going to make disciples in His name? Let Valentine’s Day serve as a reminder of God’s love and the command He has given us to show love to others.

You Can’t Please Everyone: Live Your Life

I used to be stubborn to change. Back then, if it’s “not like me” to do something, then I just wouldn’t do it. However this mindset held me back from growing and evolving like we should be.

People will say shit like “you’ve changed,” but isn’t that something we should all be doing (for the better)? Obviously the 21 year old you will have to approach life differently than the 12 year old you did.

I feel like if you want change to happen in your life, you’re going to HAVE to do something out of your comfort zone — or something that will eventually break you out of your normal routine and tendencies. Eventually your new habits and perspective will make you seem like a different person, but I just like to view it as someone who grew and learned. Some moments in life may require you to be that 12 year old you. Other moments will need you to be the 21 year old you. Either way, you can’t expect to please everyone with your personality. You’re the one living your life, not them, so ya do what ya need to do to succeed.

God’s Approval vs. Man’s Approval – Which Matters More?

Most of us are quick to answer this question with “God’s approval”. But is that really the truth? Man’s approval can challenge our hearts.

God has a great call on each of us to achieve a unique purpose during our lifetime. However, I believe that many of us have no idea what this call or purpose looks like for us. Today I can help give some clarity in this. Are you ready? The first step in understanding your unique purpose in life is to set your focus entirely on gaining God’s approval. It is that simple!

If you decide in your heart that your focus is to be pleasing toward God and you care about His approval above all else, He will begin to lead you into the purpose that He has for your life!

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. – Jeremiah 29:13

What I’m sharing in this post sounds simple so far, doesn’t it?

Seek God’s approval and follow Him above man’s approval. Then, in turn, He will show you your purpose! Truthfully this isn’t extremely difficult to understand or to apply. However, where the challenge comes into play is when people get brought into the mix. Family, significant others, friends, managers, pastors, and others can unintentionally get in the way of us seeking God’s approval first.

Due to the influence these individuals have in our lives, we often begin seeking their approval above God’s approval. The moment you shift your priority from seeking God’s approval to focusing on man’s approval, you will step further from God’s purpose for your life.

Yet at the same time, many even among the leaders believed in Jesus. But because of the Pharisees, they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear, they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God. – John 12:42-43

The desire to be loved and noticed is within each of us. When we are seeking God’s approval above all else, people see where we are going and often want to help, or they want to acknowledge how well you are doing, or even push us in the ‘right direction.’ Often this leads us to want more of man’s approval. We enjoy the attention. I completely understand this, and it is a battle that we all face. (Please note: The solution is not to avoid people altogether; people are part of every believer’s calling. Mentors and an inner circle of friends are from God to lead us to our purpose.)

How can I seek God’s approval above man’s approval?

When we get around the people that God has placed in our lives, we need to remember that, above all, we are first seeking God’s approval for our lives. If we have the right people close to us in our lives, they will encourage us to seek God’s approval above theirs.

But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak. Not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. – 1 Thessalonians 2:4

Let’s each decide to seek God’s approval above the approval of men so we can continue to walk in His calling and fulfill the purpose that He has for our lives. You may be rejected by some, but if you are accepted by One, you have all you need. Stay faithful and seek God’s approval above man’s approval. As a result, you’ll step more into the purpose that God has on your life.

NB: I normally say this to my friends and followers, you don’t need a large crowd to be aware you doing well. You just need one person and you good to go. This year is a year of pleasant surprises, let’s keep seeking the approval of God over the approval of men in our lives. When God steps in your life, He changes everything and it’s permanent, but when men steps in, disappointment is sure to happen.

Right now I want to give you the opportunity to come to our Lord Jesus Christ if you haven’t given your life to Him. He is the only one that will step in to your life and change it for good. Please say this after me:

Lord Jesus, I thank you for your love and mercy over my life. I believe you came to this world to die for my sins and gave me the gift of salvation. Today I accept you as my Lord and Saviour in Jesus name Amen.

If you just said this words, I welcome you to the family of Christ. Expect uncontainable blessings and favour in your life in Jesus name.

Happy Sunday!

Lots of appreciation and credit to Alex Sanfilippo.