Moments of ImpartED Joy

Social media has become a prevalent part of our lives, and for many of us, it's hard to imagine a day without scrolling through Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter. 

But have you ever considered how social media might be affecting your sleep?

For the past few months, I have been disturbed, like REALLY DISTURBED, by crazy + vivid dreams. I often wake from them and have trouble falling back to sleep - usually in fear that the certifiably insane dreams would continue.

There is growing evidence that social media use before bedtime can disrupt our sleeping patterns. 

Research has shown that the blue light emitted by our electronic devices can suppress the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates our sleep-wake cycle. 

As a result, using social media before bed can make it harder for us to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. That’s part of it.

But I believe there is more to the story.

a story to share - getting past the overwhelm + anxiety to see a fresh perspective.

moving beyond fear + expectations to a space of generous grace + positivity.

Mosaic patterns.

An art form.

They are all around us.

We may recognize them.

We may unconsciously neglect them.

But they are there, waiting to be discovered.

For me, patterns are expressions of comfort + contentment.

It’s like an organic discipline that just falls into place without much effort.

We strive to teach others to discover them.

Our students, our children, our friends + family.

The wonderful thing about a mosaic is that there is no template.

No step-by-step guide of specific instructions to follow.

Just curiosity + creativity.

It shapes the mind through original arrangements of sights + sound.

Consider patterns you’ve noticed around you.

There’s a meditative rhythm of a mosaic that beats softly as designs come to life anytime and anywhere.

Our lives are that composite mosaic.

A work of art created by imperfect pieces that are carefully fit together.

Made from the broken and irregular.

Some pieces sharp, others smooth.

They can shine brilliantly or remain dull.

A beautiful representation of our lives.

As the pieces are arranged, the mosaic becomes bigger.

Bolder.

More complex.

The pieces are empowered to tell a story and evolve with change.

They unveil a transformation that establishes joy.

Joy cultivated from heartache.

Joy refined from grief.

Joy enlightened from havoc.

Joy refreshed from having loved.

Joy inspired from strength gained.

What does such a mosaic require?

It’s different for each one of us.

That’s the beauty of it.

It’s nothing you can force or demand something from.

You trust the process that encompasses every part of who you are.

Commit to initiate a fresh breath with gratitude and begin to assemble the pieces as you see them fit.

Nothing will be wasted.

Construct your collage with patience, grace, and forgiveness.

Then take a step back and look at the orchestration before you.

A bird’s eye view, so to speak.

It won’t appear as a complicated mess.

It will continue to develop your voice as you move toward dreams with passion and purpose.

Pick up the pieces and compose a mosaic of joy.

spent the past week in a city that i had never visited before.

cincinnati, OH. half of the time for work, but then three days of exploring by myself.

i am NOT one who normally is all about being alone + seeking adventure.

but. this was my time. to step out of my comfort zone + embrace something new.

I’m a quitter. And I’m really ok with that label. In May, I walked out of my classroom for the last time, said goodbye to my friends, and left the profession of teaching after 20+ years. It was an emotional choice, but there was something inside of me that just knew it was the right time + space to give myself a new adventure. I wasn’t upset, disillusioned, or exhausted - actually, it was the opposite, I was finding that I had more to create + inspire in other areas by using God-given gifts to exercise.

We’ve all heard phrases like “don’t give up” or “never give in”

We’ve even chanted song lyrics like “I get knocked down, but I get up again, you are never gonna keep me down” by Chumbawamba.

We’re human, we’re supposed to glorify the tough fighter within us that parallels success with sticking to a plan no matter what. Honestly, that does not motivate me to reach any of my personal or professional goals, it actually sounds exhausting.

But what happens if we simply want to take the option to quit? Isn’t that ok?

Quit is not an unhealthy word. It’s not like resigning, retiring, stepping down, giving notice…those sound better.

I believe that knowing when to quit, and doing it more often, is an effective way to improve the balance of our personal lives + professional lives.

discounting the gifts + talents we have been given harms our self-confidence and value.

shift your mindset towards the positive. 

take it from me, i learned quite the lesson after finding myself wanting to discard a creative piece and would have missed an opportunity to bring someone else joy.

I was raised from a young age that it was best to stay within the firm boundaries of the rules that were laid out for me. 

And I pretty much complied. 

I did not want to risk losing the respect or love of my family, so I set up some pretty unrealistic expectations for myself as I grew older. Those led to creating unhealthy habits that ruptured into pathways of anxiety and stress.

Let me be completely clear in saying that I am the only one who created those expectations.

After years of putting myself through adverse emotional conditions, I decided it was time to reposition myself to accept peace and grace through flexible rules that would not dictate my success. 

It’s not a perfect blueprint, but it is one that is fluid and can be adjusted to meet the standards that I desire for my life.

do you know what i learned today? 

that we make an idol out of CERTAINTY. 

in addition, we chase after control, clarity, protection, + safety in all areas. 

we long for EXACT answers + for every detail of our lives to line up perfectly.

uncertainty + trust play a key role in developing our life's foundations.

yes, the ups + downs will always be there, sometimes very unexpected.

what I desire is ultimate HOPE + clarity for us all. 

a constant state of HOPE that permeates + saturates every area of uncertainty.

allowing our static souls to emerge with fresh confidence + expectation of what is to come.

common belief trap.

share your message.

that is what is REAL.

what awareness will you capture today as you look for intentional connections with your students + peers?

pause. seek. engage. with joy.

what threatens to steal your joy today?

uncomfortable with odd numbers.

take the 1...2...3...challenge.

no standard can be created for ‘different’. 

can we agree to concentrate on bravely choosing that different is better than good?

truth be told, we can trade our joy-debt in and seek to experience that internal hope that will bring us peace.

toxic words.

at all times. 

for all people.

‘not all storms come to disrupt your life, some come to clear the path.’ -unknown

one month. 

2020 will be a memory. 

what will you come away with?

what can you do to see fresh HOPE?

what joy looks like for each of us may be very different. 

embrace that fact today.

fourth day of school. 

it’s tiring. 

it’s hard. 

but there is JOY and hope.

what will your narrative with your students look like this year?

just a few moments to share how we can make an impact in our communities today as we plan to return to school.

how will you hold your NEW lens steady + optimally capture the next shot?

Be personal today as a warm demander. With intention + joy. #MondayMomentum

a simple introduction to my heart + voice. 

a space to share + instill joy in others.

share it.

infuse it.

JOY.