THE FRAGILITY OF LIFE

Sooo it’s been a while but I’m back. Life has been super busy with school and work but I’m trudging forward. 

These past couple of weeks and all of 2020 has taught me one thing for sure: Life is fragile. You can be here and think you’re doing fine one day and gone the next. My pastor often tells us we are not living from day to day but rather from second to second. I believe this to be true. This year has taken with it so many beautiful people who were important in our lives. The crazy thing is that many of these unexpected losses were not directly due to the pandemic or complications of COVID. I can truly say although thousands have succumbed to the complications of COVID, many deaths were truly just God’s timing. I don’t quite understand why it was God’s timing or His Will, but I’m choosing to trust it nonetheless. 

Seeing so many people who had plans for the future not be able to fulfill those plans, has ignited a fire in me to do every possible thing I can to enjoy my life to the fullest. Here are five things I am actively doing to make sure my life is one of joy and peace. 

I choose not to have regrets.

The shoulda, coulda, woulda’s take the joy out of life. It makes us stress over things we cannot change. The past is the past. Learn from it, grow from it and move on. That’s all you can do. Don’t spend time overthinking the big or small things in life once they have passed by. I’ll never forget what Rafiki told Simba in The Lion King: “The past is the past.” You can’t change the past so stop looking back. 

I’m also choosing to forgive.

Holding grudges just adds stress to your mental, emotional, and physical health that doesn’t need to be. I want to be free so I refuse to hold things against people or Lord their mistakes over their head. Forgiving them frees me, so that’s exactly what I’m doing. If I survived it, that means it’s not worth wasting my time holding a grudge or being angry. 

I choose to love, and be loved.

Every chance I get I’m going to show love. The people in my life are not always guaranteed to be here. I need to ensure they know just how much I love them. As a matter of fact,  I love you! I am showing my gratitude for my loved ones here and now. Hate benefits no one. Love without limitation. It’s the one thing you can never give too much of. I also realize that I deserve love. When someone wants to love me, I’m going to let them. I used to think letting people love me made me vulnerable, but I realize it makes me strong. The love I’m given feeds my soul and gives me the strength to overcome tough times.

I choose to have joy and be positive.

There are so many stressors in everyday life. It’s important to me that I make an active decision to be optimistic in the midst of adversity. Positivity keeps me upbeat and helps me maintain the joy that my Father, God has given to me. I will not allow the petty situations of life to steal that from me. The Bible speaks of having life more abundantly and that’s my plight. I will have life more abundantly…in every capacity. 

I choose to live. 

Living your life for others can be so easy when you desire to gain the approval of others. You want them to be proud of you and not necessarily happy for you. I have in the past sacrificed my own happiness for what others think. Not anymore. If it’s something that I want to do I know the time is now. I live in the moment. Take that trip, explore that new career, learn a new hobby, go back to school, enjoy that new relationship. Whatever it is, live your life. Be satisfied with your own decisions even if you make some mistakes along the way. Simply live! 

My hope is that every one of you out there establishes something you will do moving forward to enhance the quality of your life as a whole. Remember, don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today. Tomorrow is never promised. 

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month this post is dedicated to all of the breast cancer survivors and those that have gone on. Special dedication to my Aunt Arlene Bynum who is gone in the flesh but still lives on through the legacy of her beautiful family. Thank you for being the first person I confided in about my teasing growing up and the first person to tell me that I can accept my plus size body and live fully. You shared your own personal experiences with me on the matter and it served as a testament that I could overcome. Your wisdom, humble spirit, and beautiful smile are missed so much. Love you always! ❤️❤️❤️

Check out this song that has encouraged me through this season https://youtu.be/Yjfy80DXbMs

If you want some good tips on maintaining your peace in this pandemic, check out my last post http://thecoronationblog.com/2020/08/11/maintaining-peace-in-the-pandemic/

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