I've been keeping journals since I was in the 3rd grade and I'm so glad to share some of my most intimate life moments with you here!  Here, you'll find inspirational and encouraging stories of me and other broken people like me. We are all jars of clay who have been afflicted in every way, but not crushed...struck down by not destroyed.  Here, you do NOT have the right to remain silent, so as you read, grab your favorite snack and drink and leave a comment...share YOUR story. I can't wait to connect with you in this beautiful safe space. 

welcome to my

journal!

xoxoxoxoxo,
Sachel 

2018 Blogs, Encouragement

April 16, 2018

HERE’S WHAT LEAVING SOCIAL MEDIA BEHIND TAUGHT ME | THIS IS 30 | PERSONAL

It’s been a little more than two months since I stepped away from social media and I have to be honest: it’s nothing like I thought it would be.
I actually thought I’d be missing my Instagram and Facebook feeds like crazy, but the reality is, I didn’t. During the time away, I tended to my marriage, friendships, and business. I watched J’Aiden discover new things in the world and spent time with family. I danced like no one was watching, spent an INSANE amount of time at the beach, grew as a mother and cultivated new friendships. I’ve gotten back in touch with me, taking time to figure out what I want and what God wants for me and guys….that has been so refreshing.
To be even more honest, I thought this was going to be a simple, couple of weeks…a month AT MOST fast. Something quick where I can get my mind in order and jump right back into the hustle. Heck, I even thought I was going to continue blogging throughout the fast. That was my plan. But you know what they say:
If you want to make God laugh….tell Him your plans. 
With each passing day, it got easier and easier for me not to care about my missed notifications and missing out. And somewhere along the way, I stopped trying to rush the process and do it fast, and really begin enjoying slowing down and allowing Him to navigate this process. Soon, I didn’t care about just “getting it over with.” I cared about getting myself right, regardless of how long it took. And even though, I’m slowly coming back online, I still don’t feel like God’s done with me. I feel like I’m still a work in progress.
Taking this social media break brought a lot of my insecurities to the surface. I had no idea how much fear I actually had inside of me and how much time I wasted comparing myself to others. Or maybe I did and I just chose to ignore it. All I know is I was trying so hard to be the near-perfect mom, wife and business owner. I wanted so desperately to have it all together (or at least appear to have it all together) because if I didn’t, somehow I was failing and not living up to the standard.
But the truth is, I don’t have it all together. I’m not even CLOSE. Trying to be everything to everyone is EXHAUSTING. Some days, I’m convinced that balancing everything is impossible. But that’s why comparing your real life to someone else’s highlight real is toxic. It robs you of authentic joy and gratitude. And when you’re too busy wasting time, mindlessly scrolling through your feeds, trying to be like someone else, it’s IMPOSSIBLE to be who God created you to be.
I’ve come to realize that we fail when we become complacent, lazy and try to live up to some imaginary standard that someone else created instead of being exactly who God made us to be.
God doesn’t need me to be perfect. He doesn’t need for you to have it all together and He certainly doesn’t need us to be like someone else. He needs me to be me and you to be you. He needs us present and ready to take on the world without fear of falling short. He needs us with a grateful heart.
The world doesn’t need you pretending to be someone else. The world needs YOUR GIFTS AND YOUR PERSONALITY. THE WORLD NEEDS YOU TO BE YOU…NOTHING MORE. NOTHING LESS.  
HERE'S WHAT LEAVING SOCIAL MEDIA BEHIND TAUGHT ME | THIS IS 30 | PERSONAL
Social media, as wonderful as it is at bringing people together, is a breeding ground for comparison, procrastination, self-doubt, jealousy, and fear. We can become so distracted by it, that we’re no longer present in and appreciative of the world we live in. We can spend so many hours online admiring someone else’s grind and garden of achievements, that we stop grinding ourselves, and next thing we know, our own garden has died. It can be a trap, but it doesn’t have to be. That’s why it’s my prayer that we all:
Embrace our mess and define our own happiness.
Take the time to stop and smell the roses. Take time to appreciate who YOU are and the journey YOU are own. Your marriage may not be Instagram-perfect and your business success may not look like everyone else’s. Your house may not be Pinterest-ready and sometimes being a good mother may mean you have to sit in a corner, take a few deep breaths and have a glass of wine.
And you know what? That is totally okay. 
Don’t get so sucked into the digital world, that you miss out on the beauty of your real world.Because that’s exactly what your life is: beautiful.
God created you to be YOU, not a carbon copy of someone else. So stand up tall and hold your head up high.
Be you…Unapologetically and Fearlessly.

HERE'S WHAT LEAVING SOCIAL MEDIA BEHIND TAUGHT ME | THIS IS 30 | PERSONAL

Get out there and cultivate joy. Trust me…the world desperately needs what YOU got.
HERE'S WHAT LEAVING SOCIAL MEDIA BEHIND TAUGHT ME | THIS IS 30 | PERSONAL
xoxoxo, Sachel Blog Post Signature
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