Just Be Held

Life is a series of peaks and valleys. There are moments of pure joy and moments of deep suffering.

And if I've learned anything it's the ability to LEAN IN and accept the loving arms of our creator. To know that God's got this. To be held by a loved one. The world can wait... but today, let's agree to accept comfort when we need it.

I know what it's like to feel invisible, to think it's too late to become what you've always wanted to be. You feel like it's too late to have more life. I felt that way too. But when I lost my brother to cancer, he made me realize I have way more life to live. And I discovered the choice was mine to live it or not. I know you want to become confident and empowered, and you deserve to step into that life you are yearning for. I'm carry the and I get it. There is more greatness to come in your life. And I know you can feel it. I've made a choice to live my big life.

Now it is your turn, to be empowered, and step into the life that has always been yours. It's time for you to step off the sidelines and into your own life, the one you were created to live, it's easier than you think. I believe in you. In fact, I am your biggest fan. So let's get started. The year 2021 is upon us. Have you thought about your foundational pillars going into the new year? Instead of setting up a an age old? I'm going to lose weight this year? How about if we focused on a pillar?

How about if we declared a pillar for the new year?

And how about if we made that pillar, gratitude, being grateful for everything that is in your life now, looking around you and practicing gratitude for what's already present. Practicing gratitude can change your life, it will change your life It will radically improve everything. When you focus on what you're grateful for. I feel so strongly about this, that I created my 30 day guide to gratitude journal. I challenge you for the year 2021. Grab a copy of this journal for yourself and everyone in your household, your friends do it together. Why not embrace gratitude in a whole new way, and make 2021 your best year ever? I dare you. Link is in the show notes. I don't know about you. But this year has been a little challenging. It's different from anything I've ever experienced. And I'm guessing it is for you as well. And if that wasn't enough, life still happens. life in general, despite a pandemic, life still happens, things come at you. And you don't quite know how to navigate life around these things that are happening around you. And it can be so frustrating. And it can be so despairing. It's the crush the weight of the world. And it feels like sometimes it's just going to take us down. So what do we do? I was thinking about this the other day, just going through some personal challenges in our lives and thinking okay, now what?

Now what do I do, I feel like I just want to, I want to stand up and prove to the world how strong I am I can do this. I'm I am so empowered that I can just weather any storm. And while that's true, it doesn't mean that there aren't times where you really need to pull back and rest. Pull back and let somebody hold you. Life can be heavy, it can be a struggle, it can feel relentless sometimes. But allowing yourself to sink into the arms of someone who will just hold you is so imperative for us to learn how to do. A couple of weeks ago my husband and I visited Sleep Number beds and we did a test drive on the Sleep Number 360. And they take you into this special place where they they set your sleep number and then they take you around on the mattresses and you lay on them and they push your sleep number. So when you get on this mattress, it's just a hard regular mattress and then they push your sleep number and you can feel your body melting like butter into the mattress and you don't want to get up it feels absolutely amazing. because your body is being held and when you turn the mattress adjusts and it holds you a little more perfect sleep, being held cuddled swaddled, if you will. There's a reason they swaddle newborn babies because it brings them comfort to be swaddled like that they're being held the way that they were held in utero, they're being held. That's why swaddling works so well. Sometimes we need to be swaddled.

Sometimes times, we need to just be held. I think about it like this, when you're holding a, let's say, a toddler who is sick, and they and they're whimpering in your arms, and you're rocking them, and they're just, you know, they're hurting, and they're fighting against that hurt, and they, they just want to feel better. Let's say they've got a cold and their nose is running, and they're coughing, and they, and they just, you're holding them and they're struggling, but they look up at you. And you look down at them, and you pat their back and you say, It's okay, it's already got you, and they melt into your body.

Then when they start to struggle, again, you just push against them a little bit more, and they look up at you with those eyes, and you just hold them in a little bit harder. And finally, they fall asleep. They fall asleep in your arms, while you're holding them tight. Because they know, they need to just be held. That needs to be held never goes away. We just think that throughout turmoil and struggles and difficulties and everything that we call life that comes out us at us, we think we need to just stay strong and we need to just keep plowing through Listen, it's okay to admit, today, I need to just be held. Today I need to be swaddled. Today, I just need to melt into someone and be comforted. That is not weakness. That is strength. That is admitting that you're human. Life has ups and downs. Life is amazing. things come in that that we don't quite understand. And someday we may understand why these things came into our life. It is okay to not understand them. It's okay to even say, Gosh, I don't really like this piece of the puzzle. But it's a piece of my puzzle and I'm going to embrace it. While I'm embracing this piece of my life that I really don't understand, I'm going to allow someone to hold me to hold my hand and say I've got you have got this. We're going to get through this together. This week, there were so many things going on.

My faith is strong, I believe in God is my Creator. And I could just envision myself in the middle of the night I would wake up something would cross my mind and it would almost catch in my throat when you know when you something you think about that is so crushing your soul. And you're just and it would wake me up. And I would just look up to God and whisper a name a person that I was so worried about. And I would whisper the name. And I could just feel God wrap his arms around me and say it's okay, got this. I got this. Just lean into me. Just let me take care of this one. You rest. And every time I did that, all I had to do was look up and feel the arms holding me tight. Knowing he got he has this one. He has this one. I also listened to music that was feeding my soul.

Usually I'm listening to very upbeat music while I'm working. It gets me in the groove to get things done. But this week, I just needed a little extra support. I just needed that sound to soothe my soul. I was intentional with my time this week very, very intentional. I invited God into my day. I do that every day. But I asked for extra strength. I asked for extra strength and he absolutely gave it by way of holding me tight. But if I had kept fighting against the arms, if I had kept fighting against his strength, then I would not have gotten through this week. I'm convinced of it. I needed those arms.

Often I will go to someone I trust and just sit down and say I just need you to hold my hands right now.

I just need to feel and I just need to rest. We don't do that enough. newborn babies love to be swaddled in keep those swaddled all day long.

Just because we're adults now doesn't mean we don't need to be held like that. We absolutely do. Life is a series of peaks and valleys. And sometimes sometimes it feels like it's just so overwhelming. Stop fighting it. lean in to someone you trust, lean in and accept the comfort, accept the help, except the soothing words, we don't need answers. I didn't need anybody to bring me or to lecture me on a solution I just needed to be held. And so I was careful with my time, careful with the energy that I put out in relationships. And I absolutely leaned into the arms of God and just let him comfort me with I've got this. I've got this. To me, it's it's as if he's gently calling me reminding me that we're made. To not just know him, but to know that he loves us. lean in. Don't be afraid to accept the loving arms of someone, a higher power who is there to hold you when times are rough. A good friend, a good friend is not just there in the good times, to celebrate with us on our wins big and little. But they're there to hold us when we're struggling like that, like holding a toddler who is sick, who just needs to melt into you. The world can wait.

The world can wait. While we comfort our little ones. The world can wait while we comfort our friends and the world can wait. While we are ourselves comforted. It'll be there when we get back. But today, let's just agree that we are going to take the time to lean in and accept love and accept comfort when we need it. I guarantee you life will get better when you take the time and allow yourself to feel those loving arms of a friend of your higher power.

Just be held.