The Happy Feed

You’re responsible for your behavior today. 

You can’t blame your parents.

Or your circumstances. 

You have to heal.

And try to make the best choices you can given everything you’ve learned so far.

Let go of the excuses and be accountable for the life you want to create.

You told me to give up.
But I won’t.

You promised that I would fail.
And I might this time.
But I promise I will keep trying.

You questioned my vision.
But thankfully, I know I was designed to do this work.

I will show up even though you’re constantly nagging me with doubt.

Because this is my passion.
This is my purpose.
This is my chance to make a small dent in the universe.

I am loved.
I am worthy.
And I will press on.

It won’t be perfect the first time. And that’s okay.
I will get better. It will get easier.

Fear won’t stop this progress.

xo Justin

Journal Prompt

Write a letter to your biggest stumbling block right now. It can be fear or envy or shame–anything you can think of. Name the way you feel and counterbalance it with a positive spin. 

You are no longer limited by the “truths” you accepted in your childhood. 

Just as your body has grown and your mind developed, there are some things you’ve learned along the way that you also must let go:

• A mindset of lack.
• The fear of abandonment.
• That voice in the back of your head that tells you you’re not enough.

You have permission to be something new.

You have permission to rewrite your story.

And that starts today.

This is your chance to make room for the good that is coming with a mid-year reset. Here’s how you get started:

For many of us, this year was a year of new beginnings.
A year of transition. 
A year of finding our next normal. (whatever normal means now at least) 

But now that we’re six months in and halfway through this year, it’s time to reflect and reset. 

1. Make a list of things you’ve accomplished so far this year.

Celebrate the tiny victories and the big wins. Writing it out on paper is a useful tactic to help you feel proud of how far you’ve come this year.

2. Analyze your vision board and goals you created at the beginning of the year and see if they are still relevant.

As the year progresses, your priorities will shift. It’s okay to remove or recalibrate your goals. Your mid-year reset is your chance to get back to the goals that matter most. If your vision board is totally out of alignment, you can always build a new one. Taking the time to sit with your new goals will help you be more likely to achieve them this year.

3. Make a plan to achieve the goals from your mid-year reset.

While 6 months have already passed, there’s always the opportunity to continue to build the life you want to lead. Take the steps today to align yourself to the new you need. This includes breaking out those goals into an action plan that you can achieve. Start with the big picture goal and then break it down into the tiny steps you can take to reach that goal.

4. Give yourself grace.

If you’re behind on a goal or need to readjust your expectations because reality set in, remember that you’re human. And sometimes just showing up is enough.

We have the individual responsibility to teach people how to treat us. Setting and sticking to your personal boundaries is a necessary skill to build meaningful, healthy relationships. But it’s also hard. 

Many of us were taught that we should be nice at the expense of being clear. 

Or we’ve gotten used to ignoring our feelings. 

And worse yet, some of us don’t think our needs are a priority. 

This is your friendly reminder: You have permission to define your limits around personal space, emotions, communication, possessions, time, and energy. I’m not saying it will be easy. And any act of self-love can be at least a little bit messy. But here are the steps:

 1. Understand how you’re feeling and establish your personal boundaries.

 2. Have the conversation, even if it’s awkward, as often as necessary. Consistency is the key for any long term change.

 3. And remember, it’s okay to make yourself a priority. You are in charge of your choices. And that means sometimes you might have to walk away.

 It might make you feel guilty. You might feel like you’re being a little selfish. But setting appropriate boundaries is an important step in the self-care process.

 This post was inspired by reading this article.

Just because you carry heavy burdens with grace, kindness, and a loving spirit, doesn’t mean you have to hold on to that extra weight.

You have permission to let it go.

You have permission to give yourself a break.

That might mean having a difficult conversation.

But it also might just mean changing your expectations.
Changing your situation.
Or most simply, moving on.

There’s so much darkness in the world.
And we see it on the news,
We scroll past it in our social feeds,
We talk about it in our group chats.

But humanity is not all bad.
There is pain, sadness, and destruction.
And also there is good.

There is love.
There are people that are making the best they can, in a world that’s incredibly challenging.

We are supposed to love big.
We are supposed to demand for justice.
We are supposed to be someone else’s peace.

The world needs your joy,
Your smile,
Your kind words,
Your good deeds…

To balance out all that other bullsh*t.

In those moments where you feel the most rejected,
remember that you are loved.

In those moments where you feel like giving up,
remember you are worthy of success.

In those moments where you feel the most alone,
remember you are a part of something big and meaningful.

Your imperfect self is continuously learning and growing.

That’s all that matters.