Saturday, November 23, 2024
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Cassan Ferguson

Your value or self worth can’t be found in social media

I recently read an article written by a lovely entrepreneurial blogger where she spoke openly and honestly about how it frustrated her that she had let social media consume her. She went on to say, how at one stage it would bother her knowing or not knowing “who followed her, liked her posts, or commented on her social media posts.” How interesting that in this day and age, this is becoming the norm – finding our value and self-worth via what others think of us online – when in actual fact we don’t even know these online followers, so why should it matter to us?

We have become a bit consumed by social media. It lures you in, then it occupies most of your day – because we feel that it is our duty to post everything that we do online. Then of course, it’s great knowing that people ‘like and engage’ with your social media posts – as it makes you feel recognized, that in itself is addictive, and that is where the danger lies.

We now live in an era where young people grow up knowing this to be the norm, when we need to consciously remind them and ourselves that we are worth so much more than our phone, and our social media updates and engagement statistics. We are worth so much more than our so-called online followers, and we are worth more than the all the likes and comments combined.

Remember who you are, you are not your social media stats

Let me ask you this, if social media did not exist:

  1. What would you be doing with all that spare time that you would have spent doing social media stuff?
  2. Would you perhaps do things that you love?
  3. Outside of the social media realm, what do you love doing, do you even remember?
  4. Who are you outside of social media, or have you forgotten?

If social media has become a distraction in your personal life, so much so that you feel emotionally tied and bound to it, and you feel as if your worth and value is attached to it – may I encourage you to take a break from it. Go back to the basics, and remember who you are, who God created you to be, and know and remember what God says about you.

Social media is great to stay in touch with others, and for creatively expressing oneself, but be mindful of guarding your heart, when it comes to not letting it become an idol in your life. You are worth more than your phone, more than any social media stats or engagement! If you are finding your phone, along with social media to be some sort of distraction in your life, then maybe it’s time to have a social media ‘detox’ of sorts. You will feel so much better for it!

The battle of the heart versus the mind

Why is it that our hearts and minds are at constant war with one another? Often we find ourselves trying to overcome a way of thinking or feeling by confronting lies that have strong roots in our lives. Lies often sneak into our minds on the sly, often we hardly take note of them, yet, we still somehow entertain them and let them take root in our hearts.

Sometimes, with obvious lies, we can easily disregard them and dismiss them as being ludicrous. However, it’s those sneaky lies that slip through the cracks that we need to look out for.

These sneaky lies have a way of making us feel insecure – less than –  and also cause us to doubt and to lack self-esteem and confidence. These lies become a distraction, and cause us to feel confused and totally lost. You see inside all of us is someone longing to “believe, to have hope, to feel worthy, and courageous of our calling.” But when we have deceitful lies rooted into our being, our minds and all of the unhealthy negative lies shapes and controls our actions. It can be frustrating at times, because we want to believe in the best, but our thought patterns and negative ways of thinking emotionally  cripple us into believing something that is not true or not the case at all.

“You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind.”
― Joyce Meyer

Train your brain

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. – 2 Corinthians 10: 3-5

In the above Bible passage Paul is encouraging us to destroy strongholds with the help of God. Strongholds become mental blocks in our lives, that end up consuming and controlling us. Overcoming a negative stronghold means learning how to: identify a lie,  followed by learning how to overcome it by replacing it with Gods truth.

Here are a few helpful pointers to help you to overcome those sneaky deceitful lies:

  1. Be aware of the lie.
  2. Do not feed it and meditate on it.
  3. Replace the lie with a truth, and give yourself the benefit of the doubt.
  4. Find powerful truths in Gods word (the Bible) and make note of verses that speaks of God love, kindness, goodness and the good thoughts that He has towards you.
  5. Speak Gods truth out aloud of you, and declare it over your life.
  6. Surrounded yourself with loved ones who will constantly speak life, courage and hope into your doubting mind and heart.

If you feel like your mind and heart are constantly at war, making you feel mentally and emotionally exhausted, then may I encourage you to reach out to God and to ask Him to help you to be able decipher between lies and truth. Do not let the lies of the enemy trick you into living a life that is less than!

Stay connected with friends even when life gets busy

“What do you mean it’s been almost a year since we last caught up, I’m sure it’s only been like a month or so?!” Have you ever caught yourself saying that to friend when you are trying to schedule in a date for a catch up? I know I have!

When I was younger (college) days, I felt like I had all the time in the world to hang out with my friends. Then fast forward a few years down the line, and I am married, a mother of a toddler, and I am freelancer. Life feels busy, like I need to be everywhere all at once. When a friend says to me; “I haven’t seen you in ages“, I feel bad because: A) it’s true – I haven’t seen them in ages, B) because time moves to quickly, that I feel like I can’t keep up with it.

Time takes on a new meaning with age, we want to invest our time wisely, because we realise how precious it is to us during busier seasons.  Hence, we need to be intentional and a bit more proactive when it comes to staying connected with friends. Staying in touch, and making the effort to stay connected places value on the friendship and it nurtures it to endure all seasons. We cannot do life alone, therefore, we need to make sure that are looking after friendships.

Stay connected

Here are a few fun tips that can help when it comes to the nurturing and sustaining of healthy long-lived friendships:

  • Create a group chat either via email or on your phone. In that way you can all share quick updates and stay in the loop and in the know about what’s going on in your friends world.
  • Plan and diarize a catch up date for the two of you to commit to well in advance.
  • Do a monthly dinner date catch up.
  • Plan a Skye meet up, especially if they live far away.
  • Plan an annual road trip.
  • Start a book club, or watch a series together.
  • Send a fun gift parcel, or a hand written letter.

Our friends after all are there to encourage us through life challenges, to laugh and cry with, and to celebrate seasons with. Therefore, if we want thriving friendships that go the distance, we need to invest in them by being a good friend regardless of time and crazy schedules.

How to keep a relationship strong after having a baby

I was recently asked a question by friend : “does your marriage and relationship change after having a baby?” Short answer: Yes, yes it will change. Whether it changes for the good, or for the bad, is completely up to you. Some married couples fear the changes or potential challenges that a baby will bring to the relationship.

Some individuals within a marriage may feel nervous about being a parent (which is normal), some may worry about financial pressure a new baby may bring (which is also normal), and some fear that a baby will mean that they will live in their baby’s shadow whilst the marriage takes a backseat. Once again, I will say; “whether a baby changes your relationship for the good or for the bad is completely up to you as a couple.” If anything a baby can bring you and your spouse closer together, and it can make you stronger as a unit, but it ultimately relies on the parents to both be hands on and committed to making the marriage and family dynamic work. A baby cannot fix problems, but the two people within the marriage can work together to fix, overcome and build on all lifes challenges together.

Choose love, choose one another

When I first found out that I was pregnant with my son (now three going on four years old) my husband and I were slightly nervous about what it meant for us as individuals and as a couple. We feared the possibility of parenting changing us, and as we know, change is not always easy to embrace! None the less, we took a leap of faith, and we were determined that this new adventure of becoming parents, would be one in which we do together, no matter the cost.

We wanted our relationship to always have a strong foundation, so that no matter what life threw at us, we stay united in love and supported one another through the different seasons of life. When our son Malakai was born, it was a bit of a shock to the system. We fell madly in love with our 3.85kg baby boy, we never knew a love like this before. However, with the excitement of adding to our little family, came with it a bit of challenge, which meant a bit of stretching in character. Choosing to love and work on a marriage when you are sleep deprived and lost in the throes of parenting is by no means an easy task!

However, regardless of the hormonal post baby tears, the frustration due to a colicky-no sleeping baby in those early days – we reminded ourselves to always choose love, respect and kindness. It’s important to always work on a marriage, especially when children enter the scene. As one day our kids won’t be little anymore, they will eventually move out of home and live their own lives.

Think about this for a moment: When your child, or children, leave the house one day to do their own grown up thing, will you and your husband feel like strangers, or will you still feel like best friends who continue to love each other deeply? I don’t know about you, but as much as I love my son, I never want to neglect or forget my husband and our relationship. Therefore, choose to lovingly invest in your relationship, and let your foundation be rooted and strengthen in love!

Dear new parents or parents to be, just know…

  • Do not fear the change that parenting brings – instead embrace it!
  • Do not think that a baby will fix problems, or make your marriage great – that’s up to you as husband and wife.
  • Do not criticize one another’s parenting styles, instead always encourage and support one another in love.
  • Communicate in love any insecurities you may be feeling when a new baby is introduced into your family.
  • Remember that at the end of the day you are both on the same side – do not let division take root within your marriage.
  • Try not to fight when you are feeling sleep deprived, due to a newborn baby’s sleep schedule. Know when to let go of the small stuff.
  • Remember to not take yourself so seriously as newly parents – remember to have fun and to laugh when and wherever you can!
  • Make time to feed your soul as an individual, then also make time to do things as a couple, and as a family. It’s not always easy to schedule it in, but it is so worth it – as you’re making your marriage a priority and you’re placing value on it. Which will have positive long lasting effects that will carry you through challenging seasons.

May your marriage and love for another flourish, thrive, and endure through all seasons of life. May it leave a long-lasting legacy behind for your children to look up to and follow in its example.

How to let go of an offence

We live in a day and age where it’s so very easy for us to feel offended by what others say and do. Someone may look at us funny, and we feel offended, or someone may speak to us in a certain tone that rubs us the wrong the way, or maybe someone on social media offended us with their absurd opinions.

Sometimes, we may even find ourselves reading into things that aren’t even there, because we make assumptions, and informal judgements without having all of the facts. Then, there are times where some people go out of their way to deliberately hurt others, through what they say and do. They make a point of making you feel like you’re not welcome, like you are not good enough, or that they do not like you. Some people may treat you poorly on purpose due to their insecurities, and it ends up eating away at you. So much so, that it builds and turns into resentment and anger.

On the other hand sometimes people may say or do things that hurt us without ever knowing because maybe it was never their intention for us to feel hurt. However, we walk around carrying an offense, and it ends up eating away at us, and crushes us in spirit.

Choose to let go of your offence

I know for me personally there have been times where someone would offend me by either something that they had said or had done, whether it was their intention or not – I chose to hold onto the offense in my heart. Which made me feel really down and miserable all of the time, as I would constantly relive the offense, and replay it over and over again in my mind. Instead of letting it go and moving forward, I held onto it and relived it. It was emotional torture!

When we choose to hold onto our offense, we remain chained to our offender and to the offense. However, the simple truth is that we have a choice to either hold onto any offenses, or we can let it go, forgive and moved forward. It sounds doable, it may even look easy on paper, but to put it into practice is a whole other story on its own.

God graces us to forgive the offender

I used to struggle a lot with the letting go of offenses, whether small or big, I just did not know how to let it go, and move forward. I had to get to a place in my life where I surrendered all of my cares and concerns to God, and let Him grace me as I chose to forgive my offender and the offense. This is something that I am conscious of doing every time I may feel overly sensitive, or feel offended by something or someone. Instead of choosing to remain offended, I choose to take a deep breath, go to God about it, and ask Him to heal my heart and to help me to let the offense go and to forgive those that may have hurt me.

Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. – Proverbs 19:11

Before letting offense root itself into your heart, take a step back for a moment and chat to God about it. Ask Him to give you the grace and courage to forgive and to move forward. Do not let any hurt, un-forgiveness and offense cause you to live a life filled with bitterness, resentment and emotional torture. God has more in store for you, let Him carry and grace you to move forward into a life of wholeness and fullness!

Lies we believe as parents

It’s hard to always feel confident and secure when it comes to parenting. Parenting has a way of making you feel more self-conscious and vulnerable, if not just plain insecure. The reason is that life isn’t just about you anymore, it’s about the well-being, shaping, guiding and leading of our little people. Parenting has an interesting way of exposing our own insecurities, which in turn can either positively, or negatively influence the way we lead and parent within our family. We are so quick to focus on our shortcomings as parents, that we overlook all the good that we do bring to the table.

The lies we believe as parents

Here are a few not-so-little lies that we tend to believe as parents. These lies often have a way of making us feel like we are failing, and they often causes us to doubt who we are as parents. Don’t let these lies control or deceive you any longer.

Other parents are doing a better job than me

  • Often when we feel overwhelmed, exhausted and simply look like a mess most days whilst dropping our kids off at school, we tend to notice the other moms in the parking lot that look in control and may feel like they look like they have it all together. We may make false assumptions by comparing ourselves to other parents, when in actual fact we don’t really know what is going on behind the scenes. There is no perfect parent, or perfect family – that is not real life!

I’m a failure as a parent

  • There will be days where we either rock at parenting or we completely mess up and make mistakes. It’s normal, because we are human. Again, there is no perfect parent, just humans learning as we navigate through life. Mistakes help us to grow, therefore, do not wallow in despair when you make a mistake. Keep going, learn from mistakes and move forward with your head held high.

Who I am, and what I provide for my family is not good enough

  • Again, there is no perfect parent. Yet, we constantly put unnecessary pressure on ourselves to be perfect and provide some sort of perfect ideal to our family. When in actual fact, who we are is who they need. The best things we could do for our children is to work on our weak areas, be real and honest with who we are as people. Be confident in who you are, and celebrate that with your children. Remember that your best (in who you are and what your provide) is enough for them.

It’s my fault if my child fails

  • I think as parents we want our children to always succeed at whatever they put their minds too. We cannot bear the heartache of knowing that our children feel heartbroken or disheartened due to making a mistake or failing at something. Yet, we forget that as much as we can lovingly prepare or try to even prevent disappointing moments for our children – that it will happen, and that it’s a learning curve that they need to experience and learn from. Their mistakes or failings do not reflect on us, we should encourage them to see mistakes as an opportunity to learn and grow from, rather than seeing it as something that could negatively define or impact them going forward.

Money will fix everything

  • Money could make life easier, more comfortable, but it will never substitute or have a long-lasting impact like love, and quality time spent together as family engaging with one another. Our children won’t look back thinking “Ah mom and dad, why didn’t you buy me more things?” They will remember how we made them felt, every single day in our care.

As parents we are quick to come down hard on ourselves, and we forget to celebrate and focus on all the good that we do, and provide for our family. Acknowledge and celebrate whenever you note or realise that you are trying your best, and that who you are and what you do is exactly what your family needs.

There are no perfect parents, and there are no perfect children, but there are perfect moments along the way. – Dave Willis 

Married people, stop worrying about your single friends!

I have been married to my husband for almost ten years, and we have been together as a couple for almost twelve years. In that time, I have watched as some of my single friends have remained single for quite some time, others for not so long, whilst there are still the odd few who are still single, and are happy as can be.

I will be honest, there were moments where as a friend I would worry, if my single friends were truly happy, or if they perhaps felt lonely, left out, or like they are just waiting on the shelf collecting dust. Please hear me out, my concern came from a very genuine, and sincere place. As I just wanted to know that my single friends were happy, and hoped that they would find “the one” that they could call home. My husband and I would sometimes try to host little get togethers at our house, and take on the role as cupid’s little helpers, and invite some of our single friends, in hopes sparks would go flying between potentials (don’t judge) but alas, nothing – not even a tiny sparkle. Again, this all came from a good place.

Finding love cannot be rushed or forced

However, when I think about how my husband and I met many years ago – it wasn’t via an orchestrated blind date, it wasn’t via a dating app, it happened when I wasn’t even looking for love, it happened naturally, and out of nowhere and took us both by surprise. Which served as a reminder to me, that love will happen when it needs to, and at the right time for my single friends. Some friends dated a few frogs, before finding their prince, whilst there are some still waiting, and that is perfectly fine too. I don’t think there is a specific timeline for finding and nurturing love, I truly believe it happens when it should.

Married couples try to give advice, and practical tips to their single friends on all the things that they “should or shouldn’t do” whilst dating, and again – they all mean well. But we should remember that what worked for us, our personal love stories may not work for others, and that is okay. Instead of worrying and placing unnecessary pressure on our friends that are still looking for love, we should be encouraging confidence, joy, hope in the season of waiting. After all , they are still humans, they are not projects, and being single is not a life threatening disease.

Be a good friend to your single friends

Instead of trying to play match maker to your single friends, rather place your focus and energy on just being a good friend to them. That may mean listening without trying to problem solve, or without judgement. This may mean encouraging them to have some fun, and to celebrate who they are. This even may mean not talking about dating at all, and talking about things that makes them who they are. Things that they are passionate about, things that they enjoy, and love. Not every conversation has to be about dating and love!

Also, another side note don’t ever try to make out like they are missing out on life because they are not married, or don’t down play marriage, and never ever talk about it. Sometimes, your single friends want to know about marriage, and learn from you. Most importantly, just act normal, and be the friend that you were when you first met, love and encourage one another regardless of the seasons you find yourself and your friends in.

We don’t need to fix everyone

You see yet another wounded damaged soul, someone who is ready to go to war, someone who needs you to fight on their behalf, let’s not forget you’re also their spiritual parent, counselor, mentor, their main go-to problem solver, and fixer of everything. Sound familiar ?

You are the world’s greatest fixer, and you simply don’t know how to stop yourself from fixing everyone or everything! You smell a problem, or see something broken in someone else and you feel compelled to fix it or to fix them. You feel a sense of purpose when fixing everybody else’s problems, and brokenness that you often end up neglecting to take care of yourself. Because all you do is fix, you are a fixer that makes the broken feel safe and welcomed. It’s rather bitter-sweet, because fixers like myself, naturally empathize with hurting souls, and we immediately want to help wherever we can. Often at the expense and detriment of our own well-being.

Fixing others can be exhausting

I have always been a little bit of a fixer, a helper to others who haven’t always had the best life. Because I am intuitive and read people well, I naturally make others feel welcomed, loved and safe. Which are all good things, the danger lies when I let it become something that it shouldn’t. For example fixers, like myself want to naturally help others, so much so that we will feel burdened  by someone else’s pain, which can lead to enabling (or overlooking) others weaker areas, or blind spots as opposed to challenging or correcting it, because we feel emotionally responsible, sensitive, and therefore tread cautiously around said people.

Let God be the hero

I have also found that when I have tried to be the superhero to every need and crisis, I always end up feel anxious, exhausted, overwhelmed and emotionally drained by it all. As I am so busy helping everyone else with their problems, that I am not taking care of myself.

A few years ago, I had to learn to be okay with the notion of not being everyone’s “little helper, or fixer, or personal super hero.” I was getting in the way of what God wanted to do and therefore I was becoming the distraction to others by playing their hero. Yes, people need to know that we love them, and that we want to encourage them, but God is the one who ultimately heals all brokenness, who restores and refreshes a weary soul. He is the one that gives peace that transcends all understanding. He is the one who has all of the answers, the right answers.

If only we would step back, trust, and let God do what only He can do in the lives of the broken, and in us. We would see many miracles, and many breakthroughs in the lives of others. We can help to encourage those in need, we can pray for them, and we can cheer them on as we see God bring them to their miracles. Instead of worrying about everyone else, and feeling the constant urge or need to fix, rather give it to God and let Him do the healing and fixing.

The organized mom

Motherhood is not for the faint hearted, and it can really knock the wind out of your sails on most days. And yes, being a mom is the greatest honor and we all love our little people dearly, but man, oh man there are days where is swallows you whole. What’s more is if you are not on top of your game, you will feel like your drowning in the trenches that is motherhood.

I am mom of a busy toddler, plus I teach drama twice a week and then freelance write. Which means each day looks a little different for me, yet I need some sort of structure and schedule to work to, or otherwise my life will be a complete mess, and I will feel rushed, anxious and all over the place.

Because I am creative, I sometimes tend to let my emotions and feelings lead the way. Which isn’t always a positive thing, as some days (or most days) I may “feel” like I don’t want to cook, or clean, or prepare for my classes that I need to teach – which leads to complete disarray. Because life is very busy and there are a few things I need to juggle, that means I need to be more organized in order to juggle and balance everything that I do well.

Tips for being a more organised mom

Being more organized can help you with time management, which means you won’t feel rushed or stressed, plus you will feel more focused and competent when it comes mapping out your roles and responsibilities within your home.

Here are a few simple tips to try out, and hopefully it will make you feel more organized and on top of your game.

  1. Plan a weekly/monthly supper roster, then shop accordingly.
  2. Have a family calendar (Hard copy, or Google calendar) filled with weekly events for all family members, so you can plan around it.
  3. Plan your house cleaning days, and schedule in daily time dedicated to a mini clean – even if it’s 10-15 minutes of neatening up and packing things away.
  4. Get your clothes, and work things ready the night before. The same goes for prepping and packing your little people’s lunch boxes and school bags.
  5. Carry a note-book with you, so you can quickly jot down important things that need seeing to.
  6. Have a weekly and daily “To-do” list. Always revise it and know what needs to be done for the next day the night before, so that when you wake up you have direction and focus for the day.
  7. Invest in little moments in your week where you have a bit of down time, where you can be still, rest and recharge. Resting will help strengthen you mentally and emotionally, and it will make you feel like you are on top of your game.
  8. Be mindful to clear out excess things that clutter up your shelves and house in general.

Organising is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up. ~ A.A. Milne

 

Surprising habits that encourage anxiety

Without realising it at times we can entertain certain things that feed and fuel our anxiety. Which in turn can make everything else feel more overwhelming and stressful. Some people tend to have more of an anxious nature, and therefore need to make sure that they have systems in place that help to sift and manage their anxiety as best as possible. For example, they may need to invest in activities  and down time that helps to alleviate pressure and stress. However, if we are not mindful of doing and implementing this, we may fall prey to entertaining things that enhance and feed into our anxiety.

Habits that encourage anxiety

Keeping anxiety at bay means being aware of the details that will help aid in minimizing anxiousness. If we aren’t intentional about working on the following habits, we may end being a slave to our anxiety. Go through the following list below, and see if you identify with any of the following – become aware of your habits, so that you may feel empowered to overcome them in the days to come.

Overworking

When we work without a momentary pause, we never let our brains rest. Which in turn affects our mood, as it may make us feel tired, moody, if not completely drained and miserable. Make or schedule time in to your day where you allow yourself to catch your breath. You are allowed to rest, you are a human being, not a robot after all!

Not sticking to a schedule

Often leaving things for last-minute can leave one feeling on edge, and rushed. Which in turn encourages more stress and anxiety. When we are more organized and planned, we feel more relaxed and in control of our time and day.

Not getting enough sleep

Now there is a catch with this one, because clocking in less sleep due to working late, can leave one feeling anxious and stressed. Which in turn makes one unable to sleep due to stress, which can turn into a negative cycle. Learn to encourage healthy sleeping habits at night.

Watching very stressful, action packed movies or series

I love watching action packed drama movies or series, however, if I watch it before bed I tend to feel like my adrenalin is pumping. Like I too need to prepare for battle, when in fact I need to prepare for sleep. Try to avoid watching things that elevate your stress levels before bed.

Isolating yourself

I know for me, when I am struggling with anxiety, I try to remove myself and hide away from the world. When in fact, I need to be around people who love and support me. There is a time to withdraw to recharge, but there are times when we need to lean on others and let them help us where they can.

Over thinking or thinking the worst of every situation

Often we can get caught up in a negative habit of over thinking or over analyzing something to the death. We assume the worst, therefore, we focus on the worst or the inevitable. Man, oh man is that head space an exhausting head space to live in! Breaking this habit needs to be an intentional act that is practiced daily, if not hourly, until you feel calm to reason and have the confidence to trust in the unknown.

Checking social media too often

Checking social media has become our norm – we do it first thing when we wake up, during our day, before bed, sometimes during the night! It’s addictive, and to be honest with you, it’s not healthy when it becomes all-consuming. Every now and then try to have a social media detox, or limit your time on it, and doing something soulful like: reading a good book, listening to music, or journaling, or go for cup of coffee with a friend.

Drinking too many energy drinks or having a high daily caffine intake 

As a mom I justify surviving the day in my ‘zombie-sleep-deprived’ state, by consuming coffee, sometimes by the bucket! But the caffeine causes my adrenalin to pump, then I crash towards the end of the day. I am learning to limit my caffeine in take, and rather find other more natural and healthier ways to stay refreshed and recharged!

Be in control of your anxiety, do not let it control you. Take action by identifying trigger causes that make your anxiety flare up, and do small things to help counteract it. If I can do it, so can you, after all we are in this together!

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