Cassan Ferguson, Author at 1Africa

Get some sleep

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September 15, 2016

Do you ever feel like you’re sleepwalking? I’m not talking about actual sleepwalking during the night when you’re asleep. I’m talking about zombie sleepwalking during the day while you’re “awake” desperately sipping on coffee as a means of “waking up”. Anyone else relate? Or is it just me?

Life stops for no man, especially in this day and tech age that we are living in. We are so busy trying to “keep up” with the hustle and bustle of life that we forget to rest, slow down, and prioritise our health. Then we crash and burn, because our bodies cannot keep up with our lifestyles.

We become stressed, anxious, and struggle to switch off our brains at night, and we end up waking up feeling exhausted and demotivated before the day has even begun – we end up carrying stress in our bodies, which in turn affects our moods. Therefore we need to be more conscious of eating healthier, taking vitamins, exercising, resting, and getting enough sleep at night.

Seasonal sleep

Depending on the season of life that we are in, sleep will look a little different for everyone. For example, when my son was a newborn with colic, we never slept. At all. Maybe three hours during the night if we were lucky. Those early days were such a blur – thank goodness for maternity leave. Now that our son is older, he sleep talks during the night and I often wake up when he does. This means my sleep patterns are inconsistent and I never get a full eight hours of sleep at night.

My problem is that as soon as my son goes to bed, I try to make up for all things that I could not do while he was awake, which means I go to bed late, and wake up early, and then wake up during the night to tend to him… which means I become a walking zombie during the day.

However, if we want to feel alive and less dead during the day we need to focus on prioritising sleep as best as we can for the season that we find ourselves in. Therefore, we need to be more mindful of creating sleep boundaries by investing in a good night’s rest.

Benefits of sleeping:

It improves your mood and emotions. You will feel less anxious, overwhelmed, and depressed
You will have healthier looking skin
It strengthens your immune system
It helps to prevent migraines and headaches
You will feel more focused and be more productive
Good sleep keeps your heart healthy and functioning well
It inspires creativity
Strengthens muscle stamina
Sleep improves your memory

Train your body to get better sleep

Unwind your mind before bed
Limit caffeine intake after 12 pm
Work out in the mornings
Sneak in a bit of sunshine during the day
Journal before bed
Make lists
Have a bath before bed
Sip on chamomile tea
Stay consistent with bed times
Take magnesium supplements
Keep electronics out of your bed
Use essentials oils like lavender in your room

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to merely make it to the end of the year. I want to still feel strong as the year draws to a close. If that means I need to retrain my body and brain to get a better night’s rest, then so be it. Here’s to better sleep!

Words that nourish the soul

Cassan Ferguson

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September 12, 2016

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Our words have the power to inspire, influence, encourage, empower, uplift, motivate, and strengthen. Yet, on the other hand, it can destroy, create feelings of anxiety, fear, stress, and depression, and leave us feeling helpless and hopeless.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits – Proverbs 18:21

Sometimes the very words that leave our lips root themselves into our hearts, affecting how we behave and feel. Have you ever caught yourself saying first thing in the morning, “Today is going to be a rough day”? Then almost immediately after saying that you feel down and overwhelmed, and you dread the day before it has even begun. The very words that we choose to speak over ourselves have the power to influence our mood, emotions, and physical behaviour.

Change your words by changing your mind

What starts in our minds, is expressed by our mouths (what we say), resulting in our actions (behaviour). Therefore, we need to continuously ask ourselves about the thoughts we’re entertaining. Are we focusing on negative or positive thoughts?

If you find yourself constantly feeling anxious, overwhelmed, fearful, offended, disappointed, insecure, or hopeless, then maybe it’s time to replace those thoughts with more truthful promises. We need to let God’s words and promises transform and renew our minds according to His truth.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will – Romans 12:2

God’s promises can be found in the Bible. The Bible is filled with His promises. Promises that bring restoration, healing, hope, and endless joy.

They are promises that continuously speak of God’s unfailing, unconditional love towards us. One of my favourite promises is found in the book of Jeremiah 29:11 and it has become a constant reminder and promise that I choose to speak over myself, especially when I feel anxious or overwhelmed. It reminds me that God is in control, and that He will always have my best interests at heart, which means I can trust in Him no matter the season, situation, or circumstance.

For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future – Jeremiah 29:11

Speak words of life

Once you have identified and recognised the negative thoughts and words that you speak, take them and turn them into positive, wholesome words that will nourish your soul. Speaking words of life, love and courage lifts our spirits and stirs our faith to embrace every day and season with an overcoming spirit.

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body – Proverbs 16:24

If you are struggling with negative ways of thinking and speaking, may I encourage you to seek God in those areas. Ask Him to reveal to you on a personal level where you struggle with regards to negative thinking and speaking. Then ask God to reveal to you verses and promises in the Bible that will speak life and favour over you. Let His Word and very presence transform your mind and nourish your soul.

Starve your distractions

Cassan Ferguson

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September 7, 2016

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I recently stumbled across this quote: “Starve your distractions, feed your focus.”

After reading this, I couldn’t help but think to myself: What distractions are currently occupying my time, or stopping me from staying on course and focused on whatever needs to be finished or completed?” It’s a good question to ask ourselves every now and then, as it helps us to put things into perspective , redirect, and reroute ourselves.

When distractions steer us off course

Distractions have a sneaky way of catching up with us when we find ourselves in busy or stressful seasons. We allow distractions in, because, well, it distracts us from feeling anxious and overwhelmed, and because distractions can be fun. But in the long run distractions take us off course, and it stops us from being efficient and focused. There is only so much distraction that one can entertain until it all eventually catches up with you, and you end up feeling worse than when you first started off.

What are possible distractions?

Possible distractions could be just about anything really, especially in this day and age where just about everything is a distraction. Advancing technology and social media connects us, yet it also disconnects and distracts us from the here and now. Distractions can look different from person to person. What one may think is refreshing, another can find distracting. Look at your life, and look at areas where you allow distractions to come in and steal from time and stop you from being productive and fruitful.

Do your thoughts distract you? Does emotional eating distract you? Does shopping and spending money distract you? Does social media and series watching distract you? Do you remain busy all the time as a means of distracting yourself?

Stay the course by staying focused

There is time to work, and there is a time to rest and play. Life is all about learning and mastering the fine art of balance. When we have a vision for our lives, we make daily decisions (big or small) that will lead us towards achieving our goals and vision. Vision propels us, inspires, motivates, and drives us. When we forget what the vision for our lives is, we end up feeling unmotivated, distracted, and even overwhelmed by trying seasons.

Know your distractions, then starve your distractions by looking ahead, and by staying focused on your vision. Feed into those things that propel you towards achieving them.

You can’t please everyone

Cassan Ferguson

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September 5, 2016

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We can’t please everyone, as much as we would like to. People may feel disappointed or even offended by us from time to time when we did not even do anything wrong. But how others choose to respond is out of our control, and we need to be okay with that. Therefore we can’t simply say yes to everything, or behave in a certain way as a means of trying to please everyone.

People-pleasing steals our joy

Sometimes we try our best to please everyone as a means of avoiding offending or disappointing others. Then we do things out of obligation or out of fear of what others will think or feel towards us. And let’s be honest, it can be totally exhausting trying to please the entire world. The simple truth is that we do not need to please everyone at the expense of losing our personal joy.

Understand the why

If you struggle with people-pleasing, maybe stop for a moment and ask yourself, “Why do I want to please everyone? Do I worry about what others will think of me? Do I only make decisions based on pleasing everybody else ?”

Heart motives

Understand your motive behind trying to please everyone, and understand what propels you to act in that way. Are you motivated by love or by fear? When we start to understand that our identity is found in God, we soon realise that we need to focus on pleasing Him. His love will refine our character, and it will propel us to do and say things out of love. If you struggle in this area why not pray and ask God to guide you in this area. He will give you the wisdom in this area, which will help you to let go of trying to please everyone.

If this post encouraged you or you would like to know more about being in a relationship with God then may I encourage you to click on the banner below.

Living with less

Cassan Ferguson

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August 31, 2016

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Society sells us this constant lie: We need more. More clothes; more toys or things for our kids; more random objects; more techno gadgets; more, more, more… So much “more” that we don’t even know where to put everything. We are struggling to live, let alone breathe, in and amongst all of the things that we collect. We try to hide everything, shove it into boxes, or onto our shelves, because we want (need) everything to “just fit”.

Our lives become cluttered, which in turn starts to negatively affect our day-to-day living.

My husband and I, along with our toddler, live in a two-bedroom home. It’s hard to keep things clean, neat and simple, especially when we are always on the go. Then, when we come home to things lying everywhere, we end up feeling emotionally overwhelmed and exhausted by the overflow of things. However, when we make it a habit to throw out unnecessary things and become aware of constantly packing away toys and clothes, and washing dishes, life at home feels more relaxed.

Our homes (every facet of it) should be our sanctuary – a safe place where we can just relax after a stressful or busy day.

I have become mindful of following a “less is more” approach: less things and more moment-building activities. As we all know and sometimes forget, “things” do not bring long-term inner happiness.

“Minimalism is asking the why before you buy.” – Francine Vay

Five ways to live with less

If you want to live a decluttered lifestyle, then maybe start off by slowly looking at simplifying the following areas in your life. You don’t need to feel the pressure to do it all in one go, but rather take your time and slowly get rid of things that are merely filling up unnecessary space.

1. Clothing: Invest in key items that that you can ultimately dress up and down. Clothing items that can easily move from day time wear into evening wear. Also, note if you haven’t worn all of your clothes in the last three months. If not, then maybe it’s time to toss it out.

2. Toys: Let’s be honest, kids accumulate loads of toys. Most of the time children end up losing interest in their toys. Then they want new ones, and we end up buying more toys. It becomes a vicious cycle. This ultimately means toys are everywhere, and then your house looks like total chaos. Maybe it’s time to donate old toys, and keep toys that engage your child for longer periods at a time, that also inspire and nurture their imaginations.

3. Decorative: Often we collect things in our homes that do not hold any sentimental value, but we keep it anyway and then it just takes up unnecessary space. Keep decorative elements that fit in to your taste and lifestyle. Let it flow with your environment and let it remain personal to you.

4. Furniture: Furniture can be practical and it can be decorative, and yes, it too can take up unnecessary space. Sometimes people collect lots of furniture that fill up a small home – to the point where you can hardly move around comfortably in it. Others may have big homes, and have this constant need to fill it to the brim because a little bit of space scares them. Then their homes look visually busy and cluttered with more things. Look at your home, and look at it in context. Do your furniture items flow together, and fit into your home and connect with your lifestyle? If not, then maybe it’s time to donate old, unwanted furniture pieces.

5 . Declutter shelves: I think most people have “that drawer” that they just shove everything into. It’s like an abandoned old treasure chest filled with junk. Trust me when I say that you need to go through that black hole and throw away useless stuff that you don’t longer need or use. Start organising your space more efficiently.

The key to minimal living is to ask yourself whether your particular items and belongings bring you lasting happiness. Do you buy things merely to fill some sort of void or space in your life? Start investing in a “less is more” approach, and you will soon note how simple, minimal living will make you feel happier.

Don’t rush it

Cassan Ferguson

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August 29, 2016

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Do you ever find yourself eagerly trying to rush through meetings, rush through work, rush to finish projects off, rush to eat your food, rush to fix things, or rush to do things in general?

All the constant rushing, short-cutting through to quick, temporary fixes, ultimately leads to things never fully maturing or being complete. Then we wonder why “things are falling apart” or not enduring in the long term. It’s a hard lesson to learn: to slow down and not rush to finish things – especially in today’s microwave world, where things need to be fast, quick, and easy.

However, if we learn to pace ourselves wisely, and learn not to rush through life, we learn to master things with excellence and maturity.

When we learn to slow down, and tackle our work and life with sturdiness, we allow ourselves to grow and mature in character. It benefits us not only personally, but mentally, physically, emotionally, and – most importantly – spiritually.

WHEN WE DON’T RUSH….

We allow ourselves to grow and develop in character.

WHEN WE DON’T RUSH….

We allow ourselves to rest and recover and we learn to pace ourselves.

WHEN WE DON’T RUSH….

We focus with better clarity.

WHEN WE DON’T RUSH….

We are more present and open to letting things grow naturally.

WHEN WE DON’T RUSH….

We learn to master the art of our skills with excellence.

WHEN WE DON’T RUSH….

We let go and trust in God’s perfect timing.

So the next time you find yourself rushing off, stop and ask yourself if the rushing is helping you to flourish, and if it’s adding to your life and growing you in character. If not, then be mindful of slowing down and pacing yourself; after all, slow and steady wins the race. If this post spoke to you and you would like to know more about being in a relationship with God, then may I encourage you to click on the banner below.

Should we support our local brands?

Cassan Ferguson

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August 24, 2016

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Have you ever heard someone say “support local?” and then thought to yourself: “What does that even mean?”. Or maybe you have heard of the phrase and thought to yourself, “Why should I support local brands and businesses?” Or maybe you love supporting all things local to your country as a means of supporting small businesses.

What does it mean to support local?

Supporting local basically means buying anything that is made or grown locally to where you live, as opposed to buying products or food that is sourced from another country.

Why should we support local?

Supports and strengthens small local businesses.
Encourages job creation and the sustaining of jobs.
It grows local investments.
It encourages creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Encourages better quality of products.
It encourages us to be more patriotic and supportive of our country and its produce.

What is local to us?

Depending on where you live, you can easily identify what is local to you. For example here in South Africa our local products are marked with a logo in the South African colours with the words “Proudly South African.”

There are also many other locally made or grown products that can be sourced either online or at your local market or store. Now, obviously we can’t buy everything that is locally made, as it depends if it is an option for you in your country. But I do think we can become more aware as to what is locally made in our countries, by doing some research and then taking the time to invest in our local businesses and supporting our country.

What are some of your favourite locally made or grown products in your country that you simply cannot live without? I would love to know!

More than words

Cassan Ferguson

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August 22, 2016

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Our words have the power to influence, inspire, and encourage others. Not only do our words hold power, but our actions and how we choose to live out our words in our day to day holds even more significant power.

Have you ever met known someone who says one thing but behaves the opposite? They tell everyone how to live and how to do things, but they themselves do the opposite? Or maybe they tell people they love them but never truly show it with their actions, making their words empty and meaningless? Sometimes we too can fall into this trap quite innocently. We might have all the right things to say with the purest of intentions, but in actual fact we are not living them out practically or authentically.

It’s good to press pause and truly reflect on what we believe to be true, and to ask ourselves the tough questions. In that way we can make practical changes by reevaluating where our minds and hearts are at, and challenge ourselves going forward on how to make positive changes.

More than words

Do your words line up with your actions?

When unpacking this question, maybe we should first understand and know what it is that we truly value and truly believe in at the end of the day. Then we need to question ourselves to see if what we say to ourselves and to others match up to what we practically live out.

As the saying goes: “We are what we do, not what we say we’ll do.”

Do you believe wholeheartedly in what it is you are saying?

When you say things to others, do you truly believe in what you are saying? Do you live it out in your day to day? If so, then well done to you, but if not then maybe reflect on this and think of ways to make it more personal and practical for yourself and for others.

Do you let love lead?

When love leads, we let love shape us mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Understanding how to love sincerely and unconditionally is not always easy, as most us come from broken backgrounds that have shaped how we perceive and show love towards others. The best way to truly reflect and show love, is to allow God’s unconditional love to take hold of our hearts. When we let God’s love transform us, we let authentic love lead from our thoughts, words, and practically in our day to day. We are then capable of showing unconditional love through our actions.

“Let us not love with words or speech, but with actions and in truth.” – 1 John 3:18

If you want to know more about God and His unconditional, unwavering love for you, then why not reach out to Him right now wherever you are and let His love transform you.

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The power of sowing

Cassan Ferguson

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August 17, 2016

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We have all heard the saying “What we sow, we shall reap.” We are familiar with these words, but we often forget the significance and the simple truth that it holds. Then, when things take a negative turn in our lives, we are left asking: “How did this happen?”

The simple truth lies in understanding the seed of what we initially sowed. Was it a good seed , and was it being nurtured in a healthy manner? Or was it a bad seed that was left unattended and neglected?

For example, if you find yourself without friends, the truth may lie in the very fact that you did not sow into good friendships. If you are always running out of money before the next pay cheque comes in, maybe you’re not sowing into being a good steward of your finances.

Sowing into something means giving of your time, being intentional with it, and consciously investing in it. If we want to see and experience healthy fruit in our lives, that means that we need to be intentional about sowing the right seed.

If we want to feel less stressed, then that means exercising more, eating healthier and going to bed earlier. If we want our personal lives and families to flourish, we need to be intentional about investing our time and love into those areas.

If you had to take a closer look at your life, would you say that you are flourishing in all areas, or are you stagnating and hardly producing any healthy fruit? It’s a good question to reflect and meditate on, as it allows us to gain fresh perspective and helps us to readjust our focus so that we can flourish.

Why not pause for a moment and write down a list of things that you feel you may need to readjust and do differently. Everyone’s list will look different. Look at your life, and look at what you place value on (in terms of family, friendships, your career, creatively, spiritually, physically, and emotionally). Know your values, understand the vision for your life, acknowledge the unhealthy fruit, and make fresh changes so that you can sow the right seeds into those areas. Sow the right seeds, nurture them well, and you’ll see your life flourish beautifully.

The power of resting

Cassan Ferguson

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August 15, 2016

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If you’re like me, the word “rest” may seem a bit foreign to you. I struggle with this word. I struggle to say it with a sense of ease, as I always tend to feel guilty when I am supposed to be resting. Anybody else feel like this?

What I have come to realise is that if I do not rest, and rest wisely, I end up suffering in the long run. Let me explain. I tend to live a lifestyle that is always ” go, go, go”. I run my own business; I am a mom, a wife, a friend, a daughter, a creative, and I freelance as a writer. Therefore my brain is constantly active, and my days are full-on. The problem is in doing everything without letting myself breathe or rest for a moment, I end up physically ill and feeling overwhelmed emotionally and mentally. Anybody else relate to this?

I am now in a new season of life of “intentional rest”. Why? Because my body and mind are currently not coping and keeping up with my lifestyle. Now, I am teaching myself to slow down more often, to rest, and to be okay with the idea of resting. It is not easy for me – like I said, I tend to feel guilty for slowing down. But if I want to enjoy my day-to-day, and be a happy and healthy individual, that means I need to take better care of myself. I don’t want to just endure life; I want to enjoy it. If that means I need to pace myself and take better care of myself, then so be it.

THE BENEFITS OF RESTING

In this season of rediscovering rest, I have found the following to be true. Maybe these thoughts will inspire you to think of ways of creating and incorporating more “resting” moments within your lifestyle.

Rest allows you to let go: Let go of the issues that consume you; let go of things that you want to control but simply cannot. Letting go allows you to let things be, and to let God take care of it.

Rest refuels: Take a moment to just be, and to just breathe. This will allow you to bring yourself back towards yourself. You will be able to think clearer, and your perspective will change. Your mind will feel rested, and your heart will be at peace. This in turn will refresh you, and inspire you as you move forward into the next season that awaits you.

Rest allows you to think clearer: When we let our minds rest, we allow ourselves to sift through thoughts and feelings that consume and overwhelm us. Have you ever heard the phrase “My brain has too many tabs open?” Well it’s the same with living busy lifestyles – often we feel as though there is too much going on in our heads. We need to pause, ponder, reflect, sift, and sort out all the thoughts that are taking up brain space. Once we do that, we will feel a sense of calm, a sense of peace, and a deep sense of focus.

BEST PLACE TO FIND REST

The best place to find internal peace and rest is in the presence of God, our Father. All we need to do is be still in His presence, and let go of all that burdens us and trust in Him to do only what He can do regarding everything that concerns us.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
– Matthew 11: 28-30

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Cassan Ferguson

Five ways to live with less

THE BENEFITS OF RESTING

BEST PLACE TO FIND REST

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