Twenty-Nine

So, yesterday I had a mini-melty. Life is funny. About six months ago, I made a mental note that I had 6 months until my 29th birthday. I failed to continue to add an additional month as time progressed. So essentially, I’ve been walking around thinking to myself that I have 6 months until my 29th birthday. Right up until yesterday, when it actually hit me.

I don’t have six months. I’m right right inside of one month. And I’ve spent the last 24hrs. trying to figure out how I feel about that. On the one hand, it will be a blessing to see another year. On the other hand, 29 is a totally loaded year for me.

To say the least, I spent the earlier part of my twenties assuming that I would be married by 28, so my vision of the time period was built around my future family (even if that was just me and my husband) in a very abstract way. See the theme here?

So there’s this whole idea that people don’t plan to fail, it’s that they fail to plan, and I guess my retort for that is where does God fit into all that?

See in theory, yes, I could have had a plan. A freaking air tight, knock their socks off kind of plan, professionally, personally, spiritually and so on. But, there’s still the reality of God’s good and perfect plan. A plan that may not add up to the timeline you or I have preset. So I ask, how does it all work? lol

I’d love for this to be a post that was the reflection of some incredible breakthrough, but the truth is that I’m literally going along for God’s ride at this point, and if nothing else, I can honestly say that that has been the most beneficial change in mindset I’ve had up until now.

That’s not to say that I don’t still have a vision of what a happy life looks like or that I haven’t set goals for myself. It’s just that it’s exhausting trying to figure out the answers to questions that maybe aren’t meant to be answered yet.

Picture your season of whatever it is you’re waiting for as a college course. You go to class two times a week. You receive a lecture, projects, etc. from the professor and then midway or at the end of the semester you have exams.

The only thing that matters more than showing up for the exam, is the preparation that goes into, right? If you never read the syllabus, never went to class, never exchanged ideas with fellow classmates, showing up for the exam would almost be a waste of time –short of luck and favor, and trust me, I’ve been the beneficiary of both on many occasions haha

Nonetheless, that concept of the course is the root behind my overall outlook these days. The professor does not consult with the students about the syllabus prior to putting it together. They just do it, and if they decide to make a change to the curriculum there’s a high probability that once again the class will be informed of the change and expected to abide accordingly.

People always say be careful what you ask for, and I think it’s for good reason. What if you got that awesome opportunity, or met that once in a lifetime person prematurely? It creates a bit of a pipe dream, but there might be something to be said about trusting that everything is working together for the good of God’s timing, even if the reality of it may frecken’ suck.

That job, significant other, breakthrough, or whatever, may be the equivalent of the professor standing up in front of everyone the second week of class to announce that you all would be taking the final exam that day. (God forbid. GOD FAHBID! *northeastern mom accent haha)

Anyway, the trigger behind this was my melty, but this post has been brewing for quite sometime. I just wasn’t really ready to talk about it, openly haha The best is yet to come. If you can relate, I’m sending my love your way! Hang in there!

Peace, Love & Sunshine ~Chels

Residue, 2015 Refelction

Hey guys!

HAPPY 2016!!

What a year 2015 was…

I could on forever, but honestly, I just don’t have the words yet. It’s interesting, the concept of the new year. As much as I try to fight it, it’s as if there’s this assumed sense of a grand closing of a chapter and doors flying open to a new beginning. If there’s anything the last three years have taught me, it’s that seasons are not necessarily determined by the confines of a year. So, I think it’s safest to say that I’ll be floating for a while -not aimlessly, it’s just that I’ve finally come to a place where I’m willing to yield my next steps, no matter how big or small, to wherever God’s calling me.

The guest pastor at my church, Hope City, shared a pretty awesome reference with us last week and it has stayed with me over these last few days:

Don’t carry the residue of where you’ve been into your new season. – @degroves

He then went on to explain about how in biblical times being told to take off your shoes by a superior was a sign that a promotion was coming, and how God told Moses to take off his shoes before calling him into his purpose.

I love that analogy because I would dare to say that we’re not always aware of the residue we’re tracking around. Some residue may be more obvious, like a really bad relationship or destructive behaviors. Others may be more subtle, like a bad attitude or emotional baggage that we just can’t seem to shake. Regardless of whatever our residue is, the simple truth is that we’re all carrying something, and that’s why I love that he offered such a literal description of God bringing us into a new season.

I’ve seen a ton of posts talking about leaving negative energy, people and so on behind as we approached the new year, and I think it’s especially important to do a climate check and scan, well, everything.

Kicking off those old shoes and leaving behind any residue that doesn’t compliment God’s calling requires a whole other level of faith.

As hard as it might be, I just want to encourage you guys, and myself, to keep your eyes on Him and trust the path He has us on.

Have a great night you guys!

Peace, Love & Sunshine ~Chels

Coffey Break Chat: Crticism

Hi guys!

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I personally consider Thanksgiving the kickoff of the holiday season and true to the memes that have been flooding our timelines, it got me thinking about how much chit we take during the holidays sometimes. There’s extra pressure everywhere form the workplace to the home, and Lord knows that pressure doesn’t always bring out the best in us…

Today’s Coffey Break Chat is dedicated to the topic of criticism, and more importantly, how to separate the good from the bad. As always thanks for watching! Enjoy!

Peace, Love & Sunshine ~ Chels

Coffey Break Chat : Criticism

The 5 Love Languages

Hey guys!

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of witnessing a really special exchange. Two of my closest friends happen to be a married couple, and the topic of love languages came up. They proceeded to have a really interesting dialogue going back and forth about their love languages, and more importantly how it plays a role in their relationship. As a single person, it was really fascinating, and one heck of a reminder of how incredibly important communication is. They’ve been together forever, and they still took the time to thoughtfully discuss their sentiments on expressing themselves through their love language and receiving it -even though they’ve known their love languages for quite some time.

Speaking of time, here’s the irony. I was sitting at home one night with one of my roommates and closest friends, and the topic of love languages came up. She didn’t know hers, so I suggested she take the quiz. To my surprise, her love language was words of affirmation. I couldn’t believe it. I had incorrectly assumed all this time that it would have been quality of time; which means I had haphazardly been neglecting a part of her makeup I didn’t even know to be sensitive to. Now get this, I was telling my parents the story and at that moment it occurred to me that I didn’t know theirs either! They both had the same as my roomate, words of affirmation. It was mind blowing.

See the thing about love languages is that whatever love language(s) we have, ties directly into what makes us feel most loved. I know that may sound redundant, but it really is that simple. So whether it’s a family member, co-worker, partner or friend I make it a priority to know their love language (*birthday sign, communication style, motivation style, DISC profile… hahaha jk but seriously) because not being in tune with someone can potentially create unnecessary challenges when we’re operating relationships without a true understanding of how to thoughtfully connect with the people around us.

Below you’ll find the link to The 5 Love Language Quiz. And just FYI, I’m a quality of time, acts of service hybrid. So if we’re kickin it, you better be ready to roll your sleeves up haha Hence Mia’s Closet, and my awesome friends and family who have so graciously supported the vision every step of the way.

Find out your love language and share this post with your friends and family. It’ll knock you off your feet to learn this about yourself and those around you. Enjoy!

Peace, Love & Sunshine ~Chels

http://www.5lovelanguages.com/profile/

Let’s connect!

Instagram & Twitter: @thecoffeybreak

About Me: I’m a writer, content creator, futurist and founder of the nonprofit, Mia’s Closet. I love God, and honestly believe that everybody’s just doing the best they can with what they’ve got. Trust the process. The best is yet to come!

Oh! And I have an online store! Haha check us out here: www. TheCoffeyShop.co

21 Days

Hey guys,

So, for the last 21 days I’ve been doing a fast. Social media specifically. To some, it might sound ridiculous that this was even something to relinquish in the first place. For others, it’s a no-brainer. The first response I got from just about everyone was, “Wait. What?! Isn’t that your job?!”. *Thankfully, most of my clients right now have me copyrighting. No harm. No foul.

Clarity is the word I like to use of late. Not just because that song got me through a couple of really tough days at the beginning, but simply because there is something to be said about unplugging, disconnecting, and letting go…

Every time a fast comes around, my dad and I butt heads about the style of fast that “counts the most”. He’s a straight up Daniel Fast (raw vegan diet) kinda guy, and I prefer a customized approach (dropping comfort foods, favorite pastimes, etc.).

I knew that this time around would be the real deal. Like Lord, I need you to move some things in my life in a big way, and having a clear-cut sense of purpose completely changed the way I look at how I fast.

Fasting just to fast doesn’t inherently bring us closer to God. What I’ve realized, is that it has to be about more than just the food for me. When I get busy, I rip and run and sometimes it doesn’t even occur to me that I haven’t stopped to eat until late in the afternoon. This time, I knew, I just knew, that I was seeking too much to go for another round of dropping fried food. Any intention short of really connecting with God could have easily been disguised as nothing more than a glorified skin cleanse. I needed a shift in my processes. My wiring. A short circuit.

See, I learned that it is a common misuse of the term, short circuit, to connote it with something going wrong, and check this:

In circuit analysis, a short circuit is a connection between two nodes that forces them to be at the same voltage.

That basically sounds like the definition of vibing to me. It’s the same thing with fasting. I really struggle with quieting my mind. I have a million and one ideas racing through my head at any point in time, and I knew I needed a way to minimize the distractions, crutches and so on if I wanted to be at the same voltage.

I wanted to increase my times. Together time. Productivity time. Prayer time. Intentional time.

Social media sucks up all my time. It’s the truth, and for someone who’s so big on boundaries, I had let my perception of culture and work excuse an outright waste of time. What’s interesting, is that it takes 21 days to break a habit. The blessing there is that breaking a habit congruently results in developing a new one.

Accomplishment is my motivation style, and few things make me feel more guilty, hence less accomplished, than procrastinating. Social media platforms are sneaky little suckers. I can’t tell you guys how many times I reached for apps, that were no longer there, without even thinking twice about it. The beauty is that just as natural as it was to reach for Instagram, Facebook, or whatever, it became just as natural to boomerang back to whatever it was that I was working on before my mind began to wander. That one adjustment added HOURS of productivity to my work week. Hours.

The trick from here on out, is reintegrating social media back into my routine without slipping back into my old ways. All I can say for now, is that it’s like that crush that you are totally into, and then some time passes and you look up, and they just don’t interest you like they used to. We’ll see!

As for now, I’m rebuilding. Everything.

Thanks to my sweet friend, Gabrielle Deculus, who just so happened to be vibing with me all the way from Atlanta during the fast, you’ll find 7 tips on how to re(build) a business. Enjoy!

Peace, Love & Sunshine ~Chelsea