Coffee Bean And Tea Leaf The Giving Journal
As I have stated before, I have been a collector of The Giving Journal from the Coffee Bean And Tea Leaf since 2016. A planner or a journal serves as the book of my life for a particular year. It is something that I look back on as to how my mindset was previously and it is also making me look forward, at the same time, to how I’d want my year to turn out to be. Basically it gives me an account of where I have failed to accomplish and what I was able to go for as well. Giving me a clear glimpse of my strengths and weaknesses. So, what I a was not able to complete last year will move to this year. Yadda yadda yadda.
Health and Healing
One of my biggest goals this year is to go back to making a conscious effort of always choosing a healthier lifestyle. I need to slim back down. The Quarantine made me succumb to stress eating. A lot of my plans vanished for 2020 and up to now CoViD is still around. But, I will still make plans for this year and just move things around if need be. I still need to write the book of my life no matter the circumstances around me. And part of health is healing. This is to develop my mental and emotional being. The pandemic is not totally a bad experience for me. It has opened my eyes to so many things, including the wounds (not yet scars) that I’ve been keeping inside of me.
So, let me expound a little bit. I have now discovered the source of my short fuse. Imagine this, I have a load of hurts and pains that I have been carrying around with me for so many years now. But since I dealt with them by not recognizing their existence, I’ve been carrying a heavy load that I was numb to. Meaning, I am not aware of the full weight of my issues and so when a current issue comes up, I easily explode. It’s not because the present problem was so big, each one of them just becomes a trigger factor since every experience adds to the weight that I am already carrying. And just like an elevator, it screams overload. And so, I have to unload by leaving the situation because I cannot carry any baggage anymore.
I’d just like to add that my healing process now involves: forgiving myself and others by the very reminder that none of us are perfect, letting go of the hurt and pain that I had experienced whilst learning from it, and making peace with myself or the other person but only if necessary. Making peace with myself is the only non-negotiable here.
The Bible
In my search for truth, purpose, and meaning lately, I have finally decided to buy the Book Of Life. This is an ancient writing that is still, surprisingly, relatable in the modern world. Full of wisdom and morals that we often overlook in our busy world today. When everything goes wrong, we can always read what is right from this very book. It has so many authors, but all of them have the same experience with a Miracle-Making God. This is one of the steps that I am taking on my path to full healing. It’s just like talking to a very good mentor, guru, or life coach.
I’d also like to add that the ESV (English Standard Version) Premium Gift Bible is so pretty. It helps in having the desire to read the book more and more. Though appearance and the feel should never be the only reason why we open our Bibles. Never ever judge this book by its cover. Its wisdom is bottomless and universal. It’s ageless.
What To Do When You Don’t Know What To Do?
Well, read a book with the same Title. Read your Bible. Write your own book. Write your own life. The irony though is that our lives are already written in the stars by a loving and amazing God. However, what also makes life perplexing is that we are also given the gift of free will. So, it’s a bit confusing to know that my life was already pre-planned by God but He also allows me to make choices and decisions on my own. So the probability of making mistakes is quite high. But then again, if you will read His word, He has been telling us to look and seek for His guidance. He wants us to ask and look for Him. And need Him in our lives. Just like how we are. We want people to choose us, to choose to love us and want us and need us in their lives.
So when you don’t know what to do with your life, ask Him. Just as simple as that. Or is it really?
This is such a lovely post! It is sometimes so hard to know your next step, but it is good to know your time is coming.
This looks like a great way to set healthy goals. I too find inspiration reading the bible
This is an absolutely amazing read. Thank you for giving me ideas on what more I can do with documenting things in my life. Writing has always been a good outlet. It is important to see how your mindset changes through days, months, and years.
Thanks for the ideas. I feel the same too. I need to get back to healthy lifestyle due to the global pandemic. It’s stressful but yeah, we need to get back to our normal life and it will start to do mind and goal setting for the year.
I need to set goals, i’ve never done it before and i know that is not healthy! I definitely need to do it.
I am loving the idea of the Giving Journal and would love to check that out for myself. I use a Gratitude Journal although I have been and about using it of late… but it is perfect for setting your mindset first thing in the morning to positive… which starts of your day on the right note 🙂
Love what you’re doing! I need to get back to a healthy lifestyle, too. It’s been really difficult to due with the pandemic and all. But we will get there!