Life After the Storm

Everyone has trials in life; and if you don’t, then I’d be hesitant to applaud you for never having a trying time in your life. But, again, it sounds like an exciting life.

For those of us who have experienced any type of negativity in our lives, knows that at times it is hard to accept that those things are like natural disasters. You can see the warning signs brewing, or sometimes it hits all at once with no warning. You try to take precautionary measures, you try to have an emergency preparedness plan for times like these; however, when the storm hits, nothing can prepare you for it.

As you’re holding on to whatever sanity and calm you have left, while the storm works overtime to try and take you up in its grasp, you do whatever it is you can do to bear down and weather the storm. The storm has immense power, it has the ability to destroy many things in your life; however, you feel you are strong enough to survive it. There are even times when you feel you may succumb to the storm and let it take over, but there is something very tiny and discreet within you that says “don’t give up.”

So, you have done all you can do, braved the storm, put your all into surviving the shit; and finally, it’s done. The dust settles, the smoke clears, and all you have is you and the remains. How do you pick up the pieces? How do you regain control? How do you find the happy again?

You take it one day at a time. You wake up each day, take a deep breath and appreciate life and that you survived a tumultuous disaster and are still standing. You give thanks where they’re due, and you keep on going. Eventually, things start to look clearer, the sun begins to peek out from behind the clouds, the air is a little crisper. The world is ready for you to resume being great and living life. Life is ready for you to remember that there is life after the storm, and it can be an even more beautiful scenery than before.

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Whitney C.1 Comment

Been a While.

So, a lot has happened since my last post. Good things, but things nonetheless.

So, I moved. I fled the nest that I’ve known for 27 years of my life. It was very scary at first, and I don’t really think my body and mind have settled into the anxiety, but I did it and I’m ok with it. I am truly out in this world. Luckily, I moved close to my sister, and my dad, so I am not completely in this big state by myself; however, I still feel a level of independence from the world I have known my entire life. So far, I have been the “new kid” for about a couple weeks now and I’m itching to become a “regular”, but I know, all things in due time, lol.

It was shockingly bittersweet to say good-bye to my hometown; something that I thought would actually be easy to do, since I felt I had outgrown the place years ago. But, somehow, when I pulled out of my driveway on 6/21 for good, I felt a little down for a while. The place where I had made so many memories was now in my rear view. I was off to make new memories and make my mark in a new town; one I would hopefully plant my fully grown self and make a life. It’s definitely an adjustment, from living a few hundred feet from your parents, to now hundreds of miles, but I think it is for the best. It was high time for me to move on and spread these wings of mine, but I also feel that when it was time, I was put in the right position to move to the next chapter in my life.

So far, I am about 2 and a half weeks into my new job, which isn’t much different than my last job, except things feel a lot more relaxed here. I am currently doing training, which are a little redundant (especially because I know the basic structure of child welfare work, this is more like a 6-year refresher). There is not a lot of authoritative pressure and (dare I say it) bullying. I won’t get into that negative period in my life though; I’ve moved on, lol. So far, I’ve developed quite a bit of a routine that I am pleased with. I’ve joined a new gym (go Gold’s!) and gotten back into my lifestyle routine and I am happy about that. I think at this point, I’m just cruising and still getting to know my new place. So far, I have no complaints, and although the thought of how huge my county is, I think I’m up for the challenge now.

Look out NC, here I am.

Whitney C.1 Comment

Be Magical AF.

I have to take this time to shoutout the #SelfishBabe app because it is truly inspirational. I’ve never dealt with an affirmation app that was so blunt and real and truthfully, this is needed in my life at this current time.

I need small reminders that I have greatness in my soul and I refuse to let anyone dim the light that shines through me. I’m committed to growing and glowing and like the picture says, the world is dealing with a magical MF!!!

If you need daily doses of realness and inspiration to be the lit ass individual you are, download the #SelfishBabe app and get your entire life!!!

Whitney C.1 Comment

A Rant; To the Working Millenial That is Fed Up

It’s difficult to wake up every morning, and prepare to report to a job that is not satisfying in the least.  I’m sure we have all been in a position where the stress and constant disappointment continues to mount on you, until eventually, you snap.  You have towed the company line for a long time, done what’s needed to be done, over-exerted yourself beyond a point of relief, and sacrificed the all-knowing “work-life” balance, for more work and less life. What do you do when you find that you are becoming a bit claustrophobic; you’re stuck in a box of professional conformity, and how the hell do you break loose from those conditions??

When you think long and hard about it, you want to find a new passion.  You want to develop a new career path, but you’re so burnt out from your current job, anything you think about turns to mush.  So, how do you ignite new passions, or even re-ignite passions you thought were long gone?

Before you know it, you’ve lost your steam.  You’ve lost the idea of even enjoying any job you seek out.  How do you bring yourself out of a professional hole?

I write this, in hopes of touching someone who is in the same boat as I am.  Someone who’s suffering from the same issues professionally as I experience.  It’s time to stop settling for the convenience of professions, when they do not appreciate or support you in the long run.  It’s time to find what you’re passionate about, take the leap and do it.  No more thinking or wishing you could do something better with your life when you have the potential and the ability to do so.  Do not sell yourself short and do not play small.  Find what you’re passionate about, and do what it takes to make your dreams and goals a reality.  Find the professional freedom you seek.

Stop existing in a lifestyle that brings you nothing, and live with a life that gives you everything.

Whitney C.2 Comments

Being Available for You

How many times do we clear our calendars, shuffle and scramble to make room for others, but when it comes to our own personal availability, we do not show the same effort?

With jobs, children, significant others/spouses, family, etc., it is very hard to say that you want to carve out time for yourself, when you have so many competing priorities in your life.  So how do you find the time?

You make the time and you commit to yourself.  It’s easy for us to make commitments to other people, even ones that may even be unrealistic to attain, but when it comes to putting forth that same attitude towards our own lives, we tend to draw back and say “no, I don’t need to.”

YES, YOU VERY MUCH NEED TO!  2018 is the year that we are all saying we are “living our best life”, and we all need to actually start doing that.  We need to start making ourselves priority number one.  If not, how can you even try to make time for anyone else to be a priority?  How will you have the energy, the determination or the dedication to put your best foot forward for someone else, when you cannot even show that same energy towards your own life.

I personally get it; I have a husband, a child, nephews, family, and a very demanding job.  I understand fully what it means to put forth all of this energy towards these other things and leave me on the back burner.  My one example of that was when I was working out.  Between all of the other things going on in my life, I neglected the one thing I loved doing, working out.  For six months, I made excuses as to why I was not taking out the time for myself to go to the gym like I should have been, and I suffered greatly for it.  It wasn’t until March when I realized that in order for me to be my best self, I need to make time for myself.  That is when I got my motivation back to go to the gym consistently, and I am seeing major results from it.

Now, I can still manage to give to those who need me most, but I start my day off in the gym, so I am committing to giving to myself first.

For the second half of 2018, we should all adapt a mentality that says that we need to make more time for ourselves.  We need to remember that priority number one is our health, well-being and mental stability; because without those things, how can you do anything or give 100% to anything else in your life, when you refuse to give 100% to yourself?

-Whit C.

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