Affirmations for Combating Destructive Thoughts

Every single day, we are bombarded with less desirable realities and circumstances. Things like heartbreak, fear and anxiety compete for our attention and at times it can all be a bit much, am I right? In those moments when we are on the verge of a breakdown, the lies begin to creep in. We begin to associate our circumstances and the emotions we’re feeling with our worth. When we feel depleted of our strength, we believe the whispers of words like “weakness” and “lazy”. When we lose our grip on our lives, we fear we aren’t tough enough to fight back. When we find ourselves sobbing in bed in the middle of the day, we put ourselves down for not having it together.

Threads of Identity

Identity is at the very core of who you are. It’s what makes you… well, you. How you identify yourself shapes your personality, your “look”, and ultimately your heart. From a young age you have had the choice to become and grow into the person you hope to be. Of course, over the years your idealistic self changes and evolves. That’s natural, healthy even. Although, there is one thread of your identity that can never be pulled, ripped or frayed. This seam is strong and without give. The best part is, it exists within you and me.

Why God Must Be at the Center of Our Quest for Identity

Growing up, I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about my identity. I didn’t sit at home and ponder why I was the way I was. I didn’t spend much time contemplating my decisions or trying to be a certain way. I was just me. For the most part, I really liked who I was. But as an adult, I began to process my identity more and more. Why did I act a certain way? Why did people say hurtful things about me? Why did that situation bother me so much? Why was I the way I was? What was my identity?

Series Introduction: Identity

How many times have you found yourself lost in a search for who you are? Or, in the middle of a trying season, you look in the mirror and hardly recognize yourself? I think we’ve all been in and out of the “Who am I?” phases of life. This world is constantly trying to knock us down and wreck our spirits. It’s in those moments of barely hanging on, we can feel so far away from our true selves. When we talk about identity, we either feel confident and empowered or uncertain and fearful. Feeling good in our own skin makes us brave, while not knowing who we are scares the heck out of us. Maybe, for some of us, we are lingering in the space between.

How Can You Love What's Been Lost?

I’m at a loss. I really am. When I sat down to write this, I didn’t think there would be an issue. Self-love? That’s simple. There are hundreds of step-by-step articles on how to love the person you are. But, the more I think about it, the more I realize I don’t love me at all. This is my fourth attempt at writing something, and it’s a struggle. Respect, admiration even, is felt, but I do not love the woman I see in the mirror. Everything about me has changed since becoming a wife and mother, and I’m not sure who I am. I’m not sure what I look like without my husband and son. I feel as lost as I did the first time I went blonde in middle school. My hair was mustard, and I was blindly searching for identity. I have wandered so deep into my roles at home I’m almost certain I’ve given myself away.

Series Introduction: Self-Love

When I look back at the girl I was in high school — no let’s be real, sixth grade — my heart breaks for her. She had absolutely no love for herself. Eventually, I grew up and found room in my heart for the woman God created in me. Now that I’ve gotten to know her, I’m never letting her go. I admit, I still find imperfections in menial things, but nevertheless, my cup overflows with self-love. As we step into February, a month dedicated to overly romantic acts of love, I feel it’s important to remember to shower ourselves with affirmations — and, while we’re at it, chocolates and flowers too.

Series Introduction: Ambition

We are only a few days into this new year and I don’t know about yours, but my social media feed is consumed by cliché resolutions and novel-length reflections of the year gone. Sure, I’ll appreciate the idea of a fresh start as much as the next girl — but so what? Setting goals to better yourself and pursue your passion is great, but at the end of the day it’s not enough. The bottom line is: you cannot have ambition without action. Period. End of story. So, if you’ve set a resolution for yourself in the new year, then you’ve got ambition, girl! That’s the first step.

Current Blog series: Purpose