I believe that when God wants you to grow, He makes you uncomfortable. BABYYYY, I was so uncomfortable i wanted to jump out of my skin. 

This past year was nothing but a big transitional phase for me. I made the decision to be single after almost 7 years of being in a relationship. I moved into my own place (I had NEVER lived alone before this). I started a new job. I went back to therapy… Sooo many changes.

I had been unhappy for a while. I was uncomfortable with where I was in life. I didn’t feel seen or heard. I wasn’t happy with who I had become. I was slipping in and out of depression. I was just a whole mess y’all!!! I always pray, but most of the times my prayers were pretty generic. (I prefer more of a conversational relationship with God.) But around the beginning of 2021, I began to pray specific, intentional prayers.

I prayed for happiness.. growth.. guidance.. strength.. self-love.. acceptance. I prayed for all that and more… and I received it all.. but not instantaneously. It was HARD! It took (and still takes) A LOT of work on my part.

For starters, living alone for the first time forced me to do a lot of dealing and healing. Solitude forced me to deal with a lot of my thoughts that I couldn’t really focus on before and begin my healing journey. Not to mention, ya girl was broke after paying all my bills each month. Ultimately, the first few months of living on my own, I cried quite a bit. I felt like I was failing at life/adulting because I had nothing saved and their were times I had to ask my parents for help. But now I realize how I blessed I am to be able to go to my parents still if I have to.

I’ve also realized that if you aren’t going through growing pains, you’re not really advancing in life. Growth and elevation are often never easy. It seems to be even harder when you’re trying to do things the right way. It can often feel like you can never get ahead in life.. because you know, “nice guys finish lasts”.. but if you ask me, that’s bullshit. If/when you’re experiencing growing pains remember these few things—

1. Don’t give up! Your breakthrough is often on the other side of one more push/effort to do, be, or have better.

2. Keep your faith. If you’re familiar with my posts, you might be aware that my favorite Bible verse is Matthew 17:20. Nothing is impossible without your faith!

3. Give yourself grace. You’re growing into a place that you’ve never been before. How can you not give yourself grace when trying to navigate a new territory?

4. Surround yourself with people that not only uplift you, but hold you accountable with love. Having a supportive circle of people that love you is vital, but it’s even more important that they are able to hold you accountable in a way that you can receive their criticism without seeing it as an attack or put down. As friends, we should learn each other’s love languages as well so that we can give/receive these messages effectively.

5. Enjoy the journey. No one is saying you have to have it all figured out when you’re transitioning. Have a plan and a backup plan, yes.. but if you have to wing it.. fuck it! 99% of us are all just winging it anyways!!! I have found that with growth comes a lot of mistakes.. and that’s okay. Take time to just soak it all in. You’ll probably pass the wisdom on to someone one day.
   

The whole point of my long ass Ted Talk today is this— Growth is a part of life! If you’re experiencing growing pains, push through! Pressure makes diamonds baby!

Until next time; Be YOU. Do YOU. LOVE YOU 💜