Hannah Spills the Tea - H (Birthday Post!)
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| Photo via Pitnerest |
Hello beautiful people! I hope you're ready because I'm about to spill some MAJOR tea.
Okay so last Friday (February 8th) was my birthday, for those of you who don't know. I turned 19! 🎊😁 I feel both old and young at the same time. It's a strange sensation, but we're rolling with it. 😂👌
I don't know about you guys, but for me, birthdays are a day of looking back as well as looking ahead. I always like to do a little sit-down review of the past year in my life, looking at what was bad, and what was good, and what I can change for the better in the future. So basically just a little self-audit. 😂
Anyways, for those who don't know, the past year in my life was probably the most difficult year for me to date. I've been through a lot of crap (pardon my French) to say the least. And all this bad stuff that happened has given me one heck of a life lesson in growing up. So I thought I would just take a moment to share what I learned with all of you: for the sake of posterity, if nothing else. And naturally I decided to put it in the form of a list. 😂 Some things never change.
10 Things God Taught Me in Year 19
1. Let yourself change.
Change is scary, but change is life. I know it's scary; it's downright terrifying. But even when my whole world was crumbling around me, I took refuge in the singular permanent thing in my life: Jesus. He alone will never leave you or forsake you, so hold on to Him with all your might, friends.
Over the past year of my life, I changed a lot. Sometimes it was because I wanted to; other times it was because my environment forced me to. But let me tell you this: one of the most dangerous things you can do is try to resist change. It's all part of growing up.
I have been very hurt in my life by people who said "This isn't you, Hannah. This doesn't look like you." Let yourself change, and let others change. Don't restrict the growth of yourself or of anyone else. And yes, sometimes change brings pain, but let us not forget the words of the great orator, Kelly Clarkson: "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Sometimes pain is necessary in order to eventually be the best person you can be, darling.
2. You can't compare hurts. You just can't.
Cue the photo that changed my life.
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| Photo via Imgur |
3. Have patience.
Please try to take your time. I think one of the most unhealthy habits I have is trying to rush through life, always looking ahead to the next thing. But life is not tomorrow, or in two weeks, or next year. Life is right now. It's here, and it's happening now. Don't miss it.
Live your life on God's timing, not your own. Each day He's giving us little blessings in disguise. Just go with the flow, baby. He's the One with the Plan, and trust me when I tell you it's better than anything you or I could come up with. 💖
4. Appreciate the little things.
One of the things I love most in the world is to see a flock of birds flying by. The way they are all so in sync with one another, riding the breeze as if sailing on a sea. Just one of God's creations living its best life, doing what it was intended to do.
Another thing I love to see is the sky. No matter what weather or what time of day, I'm constantly in awe from the sheer majesty of the sky. I like to think it's God's little gift to me each day, to see and appreciate His daily artistic creations. It makes me happy.
The other day I was having a very hard time. Even now I can't remember why I was upset. I won't deny that I was blaming God for the bad in my life. And as I was driving home, the most extraordinary thing happened . . . "Love Like This" by Lauren Daigle came over the radio, a flock of birds flew by overhead, and the sky from end to end was an artistic masterpiece from start to finish. The song lyrics said,
I cannot earn what you so freely give,
What have I done to deserve love like this?
I'll admit it; I just started bawling right there in my car. Even as I was blaming God for all the horrible things in my life, He gave me the gift of two of my favorite pieces of his creation at once: the birds and the sky. I was hating Him, and He just kept on loving me. What a testimony. What a testimony. It still makes me tear up. 😭
5. Dancing makes everything better.
Okay, now that I'm done listening to "Love Like This" and crying, we can move on. 😂
For those of you who don't know, I was a student of ballet during high school. Before I took dance, I was not very body confident. I felt I could not move gracefully, and so I always tried to make as little movements as possible. But then my mom put me in dance, and suddenly I was in control of my body in a way I never had been before. Dance gave me the confidence I needed.
Now I dance everywhere. 😂 When I'm happy, when I'm sad. In the store, at college, in my kitchen. When I'm down, it's the one thing that cheers me up, to make a beautiful movement for the Lord. When I'm happy, the joy just spills over from my heart and into my body. And I dance.
I sing a lot more too. Isn't that funny? I never used to sing; like I said, I just wanted to be as small and unnoticeable as possible. But as I grew into myself, I discovered I just love to sing! Mind you I'm not very good, but I can definitely make a joyful noise unto the Lord! 😂 When I'm sad, when I'm happy--whatever I'm feeling, a song always makes it 10x better.
And I think that's so important: to have something that you can do to praise the Lord no matter how you feel. Something that just lets you relish this life, no matter your age or your place in life. Sometimes you just need to sing, you know? Sometimes you just gotta dance.
6. Take a minute. Just a minute.
If you're witnessing something beautiful (whether it be God's creation, a birthday party, or fireworks) take just a minute (just one minute) with no photos, no videos. No Instagram stories. Nothing else . . . just look. And see.
7. Love IS sacrifice.
Okay, prepare yourselves, because this is something that gets me really riled. 😂
One time I read an advice column, and it said "love isn't sacrifice." Hold up, hold the phone, what? No ma'am. No sir. Forgive me, but if love isn't sacrifice, then we're screwed. Because that means what Jesus did on the cross is meaningless.
Love IS sacrifice, 100%. Look at Jesus on the cross--that was the biggest display of love in the history of the world (!!) and He was literally sacrificing His life for us! So don't let anyone ever tell you to not go the extra mile for someone. Jesus went TO HELL AND BACK for you, and we're supposed to be reflections of Him. (And for the record, He went to hell and back for that person who hurt you too . . . just think about that for a second.)
8. Taking care of yourself does not make you a bad person.
Direct quote from a post I saw on tumblr: "Taking care of yourself does not make you a bad person!! Selfishness is putting your WANTS in front of others' NEEDS; self respect is putting your NEEDS in front of others' WANTS."
For so long I tried to harmonize this with myself, but it was only after I saw that quote from tumblr that I truly understood where the line is between selfishness and self-care. Take time for you. Take time for others. You can do both and not be a bad person! You know what I say: balance is the key to life.
9. Keep it simple.
If I could have anything tattooed on my forehead, it would be those three words: "Keep it simple." Because Lord knows I need that reminder every single day! 😂 Sometimes I get so much anxiety just from stressing about the future. About upcoming assignments, about moving out on my own, about my future career--you name it, I've probably worried about it. One time my mom told me, "If you see ten problems down the road, nine of them will disappear before you reach them" and that hit me right between the eyes. Oftentimes, we worry for no reason. And more importantly, we worry about things that are out of our control.
The way I calm myself down when I worry is by keeping it simple. Focus on the now. Just focus on the next task at hand. If you're having anxiety about finishing all your homework, just focus on one assignment. First, write your name on the paper. Next, open your book to the chapter. Then start with one paragraph . . . then one more . . . then one more. Break it down into little bits and pieces, and before you know it, you're tackling this monster that only moments before was about to bring you to your knees. You can do it, love. Keep it simple. One day at a time. One hour. One minute.
10. "The brave do not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all." - The Princess Diaries
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| Photo via Google |
Wise words from a little dog! I don't know about you, but I would rather live a life full of memories than a life full of regrets. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. To me, never trying is worse than having tried and failed. So try, and fail. Make mistakes. And try again! One day you'll look back and realize that all those times you took a chance were the moments that made you the best you can be. Because even if you failed, you had the courage to try.
And that's all I have for you guys today! I hope you enjoyed my ramblings. 😂 Honestly there is so much more I could say: year 19 was a year of learning for me. And I'm so grateful to everyone who taught me those lessons, as difficult and painful as they may have been. As Ariana Grande would say, "I've loved and I've lost, but that's not what I see. Look what I found, look at what you taught me." It's all about growth; I've learned a lot, but there's still so much more to discover! And I'm so excited for it . . . and more importantly, I'm ready for it. 😊💕
Here's to the future! 😁
Much love and God bless,
H ✨💘
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