Tag: Sunday

Categories
Believe Blessings Christian Faith Healing Hope Lessons Life Motivational Opportunity Perseverance Perspective Positive Strength Sunday Thankful Thinking Thoughts

A Think Piece on Sunday #4: If I Told You One of Your Biggest Blessings was a Rejection, Would You Believe Me?

Photo by Download a pic Donate a buck! ^ on Pexels.com

Written By:  Preston Thompson

What is a blessing? The best definition I found comes from Vocabulary.com where it defines a blessing as “…a prayer asking for divine protection, or a little gift from the heavens” (https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/blessing, 2022). In the Bible (NIV Version) 2 Corinthians 9:8 reads, “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

We can never receive enough blessings. Just being alive and well is a blessing we should never take for granted. But what if I told you one of your biggest blessings in life did not come in the form of money, acceptance, or healing, would you believe me? What if I told you one of your biggest blessings once came in the form of rejection? Yes, REJECTION! Let me spell it out…R-E-J-E-C-T-I-O-N.

Rejection is not wanted, but it is a part of our lives just as much as acceptance. No one applies for anything hoping to be rejected. If we knew the outcome would result to this, the odds of us applying would be exceptionally low. Each one of us have been rejected from something in our lives. A relationship, friendship, job offer, promotion, school, anything that helps better our lives. Receiving a rejection often triggers sad and regretful emotions, the feeling of not being good enough especially at the time it happens. It can linger in our mind for days, weeks, months, even years wondering if our worth is qualified to move on to the next level in life. We put our best efforts into getting an acceptance only for rejection to tear our hopes and confidence down.

Take it from me, I have had my fair share of rejections in life even when I needed the acceptance more than the others applying for the same position. Growing up in a hometown where “who you know” had more value on receiving an offer than your skillset and character, I wondered if I had bad luck when it came down to getting offers to better my life and increase my experience. I could not get a job as a teenager despite applying to countless jobs throughout the county, I ran for leadership positions and lost by landslides, not making the cut to join teams to build teamwork experiences, etc. I started to question if I really had what it takes to make it in the corporate world. Then I graduated college only to struggle to find a job during the recession era of America. I had the experience and did everything advised to avoid being unemployed after graduation, but none of that experience helped me during that time. Rejection letter after rejection letter, I began to question if my college degree was worth the years put in since I was not receiving the benefits of earning a degree. I even questioned if I did not do enough in college. Despite the hardship of rejection, it molded me to become a stronger person. I learned valuable life lessons from the experience that high school nor college taught me. I gained skills and character that not only helped me receive a job offer, but also learn how to maintain the blessings from acceptance.

Switching gears here. Rejection can be disguised as a blessing that comes in the form of protection tying in our faith. Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV) reads, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This means faith is believing something good will happen although you have no clue if that good will come. If good does not come, then faith will convince you that good will eventually come. It may not come how you envisioned it, but the rejection can protect you from the unseen dangers the acceptance never told you about. It is optimism about the future on overdrive. Protection is minimizing the chances of a tough situation that may cause hardship, hurt, or harm physically, financially, and/or mentally from happening in the future by understanding the dangers of a current event based off evidence in the past.

Like a devasting storm that destroys a town. After the storm does its damage, there is a cold period that follows. A feeling of loss and confusion looms over the town wondering how they can recover after the storm, and what will it take to improve the infrastructure. Suddenly good people come to aid of the town after receiving news of its devastation. Before you know it, the town has rebuilt itself better than before the storm. Should another storm happen, the people are more prepared than before. Rejection works in a similar matter when we take the time after it to heal and learn from it. It hurts at those moments and may leave you feeling lost, confused, and down, but there is an unexplained peace that follows.

That is why we must be very mindful of each acceptance. You ever applied for a job, worthless got the acceptance offer, started working the job and a few months in, the job does not satisfy you as it did when you originally started? At some point the money does not matter because your happiness does not align with the job. You find yourself stressed and angry about your job now that you know the truth about it. Anything that goes wrong on the job amplifies your dissatisfaction. Before you know you are back on the hunt for another job. What happened to that good feeling you had when the acceptance first came?

Sometimes acceptance can be fabricated to lure you into a trap. “Accept this job offer. You will earn a livable wage, have a great work/life balance, work with a wonderful staff, and become a valuable member of this team.” That is all you may read before signing the offer letter but read a little deeper and you may discover what is promised may not be reality. Sadly, you may not discover it until you are working at the job. And that is how acceptance can be. An outsider looks at acceptance as a better opportunity from what they currently have. Acceptance will convince you everything will be better, and you got it because you were the most qualified. If we fail to investigate what we are signing up for, we may miss signs that this acceptance is something you should pass on. Before you know it, your acceptance may cause more hardship than what the opportunity was worth.

I am not encouraging rejection. If offered an opportunity in something you worked hard for, I recommend taking the chance. What I am writing is rejection does not always mean failure or giving up on our dreams. We always see rejection as bad; it can be a blessing in disguise. Remember, a blessing does not always come in the form of money, health, or good fortune. Oftentimes, it comes to use as protection. Not just protection from harm and danger, but protection from unseen dangers that may present itself in the future or even protection for our own wellbeing. Sometimes we take on opportunities when we were not prepared and end up more stressed than before the offer was made. Viewing rejection as “God knows what’s best for us” will save us from opportunities that cause more harm than help and life lessons. Allowing rejection to work in our favor can open doors we never knew we were capable of walking through. The main goal is to not allow rejection to make us feel like we are unworthy to success. We should use it as a learning tool to understand why this opportunity that did not work is good and to learn more about ourselves and what we are capable to manage.

Advertisement
Categories
Beach Blogging Family Getaway hotel Sunday Thoughts Travel Vacation

A Think Piece on Sunday #3: We All Need a Weekend Getaway

Written By: Preston Thompson

My family and I went on a weekend vacation to North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and let me tell you…it was a much-needed vacation. Daily life is very demanding and routine. Wake up. Get ready. Commute to work. Work 8 hours or more. Take an hour lunch break. Go back to work. Go home. Cook. Clean. Get the kids in bed. Clean again. Go to bed. And repeat. Before you know it Monday turns into Friday, and Friday becomes the weekend. Suddenly, that two-day weekend is over before it truly started. Then we repeat the same routine. The hustle and bustle of the workweek can take a toll on our physical, mental, spiritual, and self-health. Trying to cram in what little time we have for ourselves during an 8-hour workday can be impossible especially if one’s life is filled with other activities outside of work hours. We are constantly living for the weekend only to find ourselves getting ready for the new work week that follows.

                Before I tell you to take a PTO day (that will come in a later blog), I must ask this one question. Does your life feel routine even on the weekends? If the answer is yes, perhaps it is time for a weekend getaway. A weekend where you take yourself and/or your family and friends on a vacation away from your home, apartment, town, and city. As soon as you get off work on Friday, get your clothes packed and getaway to another town or city and do not come back until Sunday. It does not have to be far or expensive. Just a change of scenery. Trust me, it makes a difference and will make you happier.

                There is nothing wrong with a weekend staycation at home but think about it. You go to the same home every time you get off work. Your home/apartment is demanding because it needs to be upkept. You know where everything is and that can become boring in time even if you rearrange your home during spring cleaning season. Same goes to getting away to the same city you live in or nearby. Its many activities can become boring due to the fact its in the same city.

                If it is possible, go on a vacation to a place you have never been to for just a weekend. Or revisit a different town or city and do things there that are different for a new experience. A change of scenery is what we all need to getaway from our routine lives.

Categories
Blog Blogging Hope Lessons Milestone Opportunity Perseverance Perspective Positive Sunday Thankful Thinking Work Writing

After 20 Post

Hello readers! I took a little time off from writing to be even closer to my family and friends while working at my primary. June was a month of celebrations for us, so taking a step back from writing blogs happened naturally.

I got this notification a few weeks ago thinking to myself “Me reaching 20 post? Can this be real?” And to answer my own question, yes!

What this new milestone taught me was my writing to posting evolution and producing quality work. When I started this blog I may have been too structured, meaning I only wrote and posted what I planned for. Writing a blog on paper one week, proofreading then typing to posting within a month. Calculating every step from the brainstorm beginning to the post ending only to realize when life happens, it often caused delays. Blog post kept being pushed back to later times in order to satisfy some of life’s demands and failing to meet my own dates more times than what I anticipated. Then more topics to blog about would surface in my brain. Before I knew it, I had all sorts of ideas that remained as thoughts only for some to make it to paper while others never had its title written down.

I noticed most bloggers I follow post at least 3 blogs a month or more, some one a daily or a few a week. I asked myself how can I post more? I cannot make blogging my primary at the moment, but I do want to maintain momentum in writing and catch every open opportunity to enjoy my hobby. I have an audience, no need to sit on blogs if I am trying to grow. That’s when I started to skip physical writing on pencil and paper, and started typing my blogs when I felt this think piece need to get published in a short amount of time. Free of the structured restraints I set myself up for I started to see post published within a week. Then life happens, and those free writings would stay saved on my laptop longer than I originally planned. Some of those writings would later be deleted because I found myself missing the time I wanted to post. The topics only worked for trends, i.e. something that happened during a certain time where if I waited too late to post about it, the world and my audience moved on from what was trending, and I would be posting about it when it’s no longer interesting. Aww, the struggles of juggling different lives while maintaining a little free time for myself is no joke.

Which lead me to an even quicker time of blogging that I call bypass blogging. Yes, bypass blogging (I hope no one else thought of this name although I am sure the majority of writers and bloggers do their work like this). We take our smartphones with us everywhere, right? With family and work time in addition to trying to stay healthy while getting a good night’s sleep I do not always have the time to sit down and write a blog. So when I notice I have a little free time I work on my blogs from my smartphone. I can be on lunch break at work and complete a few paragraphs of a blog, save, and finish later. Or, I can be at home or in another town without having to carry my laptop everywhere. My phone is quick and easy, and the app is there for me to type. I found myself starting a blog, completing, and posting on the same day. Quick and easy, just like how society wants everything to be nowadays. I would bypass pencil and paper just to post a quick blog

What started out as structured, by the book writing-to-blogging evolved into different styles of how to post a blog in a timely manner while living my life. I am still learning as a blogger to improve my craft. I take a free course from time to time to improve my writing skills so I can present quality blogs to this blog site. I even seek inspiration from other bloggers when they post improvement blogs for new and experienced bloggers. If I had it my way then blogging would be pencil to paper, editing to typing, final reading to posting type blogging. The process of writing on paper to publishing means more to me than a quick post. I value the time it takes to create a good quality blog rather than posting a large quantity of blogs

Here’s to 20 post! Whether I started a blog from scratch or created a quick blog in a day, I am proud of the blogs I post. More blogs will be posted in the future. Before I close, I leave this advice to anyone starting out in blogging or doing any type of work. Whether you can create 20 products in a month or a year, work at a pace that will benefit you. Sometimes we look at other’s work and become intimidated when they produce faster than we can. It will cause us to question our own work efficiencies especially when others begin to criticize our work or say we could be more productive at work if we did this better, faster, or work like their top worker. Like a wise co-worker once told me,:

“There will always be someone who works faster than you, and there will always be someone who works slower than you. There will always be someone smarter than you, and there will always be someone not as smart as you. But the most important thing you can control is you, and that’s all that matters.”

What this means is faster and smarter does not equal work proficiency. You can be the fastest worker on the job making the most of your time, and still produce poor results. Or you can be the fastest on the job and still make costly mistakes, and vice versa. Your quality of work has no correlation to the work quantity (volume) you can produce. So, work at a pace that works best for you and focus more on producing good quality work.

Categories
Anxiety Blogging Healing Health Mental Health Strength Sunday Uncategorized Writing

A Think Piece on Sunday #2: Mental Health Awareness for Those with No Known Mental Health Issues

Written By: Preston Thompson

About a year ago, I was working out on a home elliptical and came across an iFit fitness series by iFit Trainer Dr. Jarrod Spencer called “Anxiety: Work It Out.” In the series he talked about his career as a sports psychologist and how he helped athletes overcome anxiety now focused on helping others understand anxiety, learn triggers, and how one maybe able to help loved ones minimize anxiety episodes. He explained what anxiety is from a science and general standpoint while telling ways to manage it. Before this series I was aware of what mental health is because it gained more national attention over the years. I began to study it more during my free time through search engines and reading articles from people who shared personal testimonies of their own struggles with mental health.

Maybe on the third, fourth, or fifth workout of the series, Dr. Spencer asked a question that stuck with me to this day. I believe it was during the perfectionism and anxiety workout which may also be the title. I remember in the workout video he was walking on the beach sand as waves splashed against the sand in and out. As I pedaled on the elliptical with a resistance setting of 9, he asked, “Have you, the person who is caring for someone with anxiety and mental health, been taking care of your own mental health? Have you sought help to make sure you yourself do not become a victim of your own anxiety?” Of course, this isn’t word for word. I began to slow down my workout just to process the question he asked. I never thought about mental health for those who don’t have it or for those who care for others with it. Anxiety, in particular, seemed to always be a focal point of mental health, but I never thought about it for those who don’t normally suffer from it.

So I began to ask myself do I have some anxiety I am not aware of? Do I stress about some things more than others? Considering we were all still in a pandemic, social injustice being a daily topic on the internet, racial tension, mass shootings in the US, job losses, inflation, debt looming over all of our heads, uncertainties about the financial stability of our workplaces, supply shortages, all while keeping up with the demands of daily life, what am I doing to take care of my own mental health?

As Dr. Spencer explained although we may not have known mental health related issues, it is good to check our own mental health while helping others. This can happen by talking with someone like a trusted friend, family member, professional counselor or spiritual leader about the problems you face. Even if you have no major problems that can trigger stress and anxiety, just openly speaking with someone you trust or a professional counselor can make a world of difference in your mental well-being.

Think of it this way. The doctor and nurses aren’t professionals you visit only when you don’t feel well or health is declining, you get annual checkups to ensure you’re healthy. If test results reveal something abnormal about your health, you become aware and will work towards improving it. Same goes for physical fitness. You don’t turn to physical fitness only for competition or to lose weight. Physical fitness and a healthy diet is something you do to also maintain your physical health. Even routine maintenance and inspections help keep your car running longer to minimize the damage caused by long-term use. Your mental health needs to same initial care from time to time no matter how mentally strong you are.

Since the month of May is Mental Health Awareness Month, why not take some time to invest in your mental health even if you don’t have any know issues. Like going for a routine checkup, our brain also needs primary care to perform at its best. There are so many resources out there to help in today’s society you’d be surprised just how healthy your mental health really is. And if you are the strong friend who’s always listening and supporting your friends during a mental health situation, an anxiety attack, and/or a personal conversation, your mental health could use some strengthening, too. Bearing the weight of someone’s mental health can take a toll on you. Oftentimes, it can become a burden on your mental wellbeing whether or not you recognize the triggers your brain is sending. It’s ok to be mentally strong and feel down from time to time, your body does it when you’re too tired to keep going. Just know there’s no shame in admitting sometimes you need help replenishing your own mental health, too.

So as we recognize May as Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s not forget mental health is not only for those who suffer, but also for the friends and family who have it all together.

Categories
Blogging Reading Sunday Thoughts Uncategorized

A Think Piece on Sunday #1: Focus Less on Monday When It’s Still Sunday

If you work Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm then we may have something in common…clocking out of work on a Friday. It’s the start of THE WEEKEND, BABY! Whatever unfinished work can “Wait for Monday!” Running out the building before the manager sees you, walking through the parking lot to your car, getting into your car, starting up the engine, and playing your favorite tunes and/or radio station on the way home! What’s not to love about it? Rewind for a second. Maybe you ran into your favorite coworker to chat and pass time before leaving for the weekend. While at work on a Friday, you mentally go into Weekend Mode daydreaming about 5 pm and the weekend.

Now it’s Saturday and all is well with the world you live in. Waking up by your natural circadian rhythm instead of an annoying alarm clock makes the body feel well-rested. (I’m sorry fellow parents if this does not apply to your type of weekends. Just hang in there, a break is coming). No sitting in the office looking at a computer screen or making telephone calls for the business. No scrolling through work emails for hours. It’s just you and the people you love. You got plans to perfect your craft, but catching up on TV shows takes precedence. You can eat a lunch made by Chef You or someone in the house with no 30-minute break forcing you to eat within its timeframe. For the college and grade level students, there are no educational restraints holding you back from freedom because class is dismissed on the weekend. You ask yourself why can’t I get paid to do nothing like this everyday?

And then there’s Sunday. Whether you are waking up from a night of partying or from the hours of sleep you missed from the weekdays (once again, fellow parents, I do apologize), Sunday is here! You get up for worship service and meet up with friends for Sunday brunch shortly thereafter. Or, you skipped/don’t attend service and go to Sunday brunch instead. For others, Sunday is a lounge around day or a day of doing laundry. Then comes the Sunday afternoon naps a.k.a. the best naps of the week! Your bed turns into a cloud that massages you while sleeping. Those two hours pass by just in time for Sunday dinner. All is well in the world you live in…until reality sets in.

The thoughts of that dreaded Monday takes you off your weekend bliss. You don’t know what Monday has in store, but it isn’t going to be like the weekend…Let’s picture Monday like a large, dark thunderstorm cloud spotted afar off heading in your direction. You are at some park having a weekend getaway picnic, and all is well in the world you live in. The Sun is shining bright, and the weather is just right. Suddenly, you feel an unusually cool wind blowing. The smell of ground kicked up from heavy rain (in the country, we use the term, “I smell rain”) fills the air, and the echo of thunder sounds from a distance. You look to the sky to see flashes of lightning from the dark cloud, its light sporadic flashes in spots. As the cloud slowly approaches, it begins to cast a shadow on the park and everything else in its path. The sunlight begins to dim as the dark cloud covers the sun. The last ray of sunshine is phased out by the dark cloud. In your mind this storm is unavoidable. A sprinkle of rain hits your head, while the smell of ground becomes stronger. It’s time to pack up the picnic and get back home as soon as possible because there is no telling what this thunderstorm is capable of doing.

And that is how anticipating a Monday on a Sunday can feel like. The party is over! School is back in session, and work reopens first thing Monday morning. Suddenly, the enjoyment of the weekend is over. You began to anticipate waking up to that annoying alarm clock, and the commute just to get to work. What about the children? Are they prepared for school? That work you left unfinished on Friday has been sitting there waiting. You can take a quick PTO day but decline because you may need it later. Call in sick, maybe? What if karma gets you back? You are nowhere near retirement, so don’t go looking at your 401K and/or Roth to see if you and your family can live off it until you become eligible for social security. And even if you start a get rich quick scheme, that money does not hit your bank account overnight.

So, what do you do? I have an answer. Focus less on Monday when it’s still Sunday.

How come? You are missing the beauty of the remaining hours of Sunday by anticipating Monday. Monday is unavoidable. It cycles around like every other day of the week. Now is not the time to start stressing over Monday when you are still living in Sunday. Worry about that day when that day is here. Then do the same for Tuesday and so on.

Make the most out of your Sunday. Relax and enjoy Sunday. A quick tip that eases some of Monday’s stress for me is to start preparing early on a Sunday rather than before bed or the morning of. By making this one change, I am not scrambling to get ready for Monday at the last minute. I can get decent hours of sleep and scratched a few task of my mental Monday list. It makes Monday flow a little more smoothly. Overall, don’t lose a joyous Sunday because you’re too stressed and worried about Monday. If you tried everything to relax on a Sunday and nothing helps you not stress about Monday, then maybe it’s time to identify the stressor and make some changes so it doesn’t become a repeated cycle. The weekend will return, but in the meantime manage each day on its day.

Categories
2022 Easter Easter Eggs Family Friends Resurrection Sunday Sunday

HAPPY EASTER SUNDAY 2022!

Hello followers and viewers,

I am very thankful for life and doing what I love as a hobby! I am thankful for God, my family (wife, son, parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, in-laws, distant relatives, all, etc.) and friends. It’s too many to name.

I just wanted to take the time out to wish each and everyone of you a Happy Easter Sunday 2022! To my fellow Christian bloggers and followers, Happy Resurrection Sunday for He is Risen!

Enjoy this Easter Sunday stress free. Enjoy your family and friends. Enjoy your hobby. Enjoy whatever that makes you feel happy. Most important, enjoy and take care of yourself. With so much going on in the world today, now is a great day to celebrate you and those around you.

Once again, Happy Easter Sunday 2022 and Happy Resurrection Sunday to my Christian family and friends. Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Preston A. Thompson

Owner, CEO, President, Writer, and Editor