mental health – Page 3

walking

March 4, 2024 by Sarah Faith

blogs about faith, christian, christian blog, christian life, comparison, healing, improving mindset for women, know the truth, mental health, mental health blog, mindset, performance, positive mindset development, who God says i am

i was moved this afternoon to go for a run. can’t tell you the last time i did it… but i’ve definitely done a looooot of it over the course of my life. i’ve always been an athlete, i was a collegiate soccer player, running is something with which i am very familiar. i just got back actually, and immediately sat down to write this. turns out i still do a lot of thinking when i run… it’s all very much like riding a bike. i’m just not 18 anymore… that’s the main difference.

ya know what i realized…? i’ve spent (read: wasted) so much of my life making sure that when i’m running, no one sees me walking. i’ve even gone as far as judging “how” i’m running, if i look strong enough, if i look like a beginner, if i “run like a girl…” you know… always all these good things happening between my ears.

in college, i was afraid that my coach didn’t think i was working hard enough and that if i worked harder, he’d notice and i’d be “allowed” to contribute more minutes in games. matter of fact, i wanted a starting spot on the roster. and i wanted it So. Badly. like… WAYYYY more than anything else in my 18-19-20-year-old world… i thought FOR SURE that working harder was going to get me there. i’ll be damned if i wasn’t the hardest working player on the whole dang team. i was the first one to arrive, the last one to leave, i volunteered to do crap i had no interest in doing, carried a bunch of crap, helped out, managed equipment, worked harder, ran faster… i did it all. i was the quintessential “leave it all on the field” girl… i obeyed the team rules… i even caught a fellow teammate red-handed drinking at a frat house the night before a game… brought it up to my captains and coach… she still started. and i still didn’t. guess what? i was actually pretty much benched my entire junior and senior years. saw all of 5 minutes a game. and still broke my back at practice, hoping to just get to 10 minutes on the field during any game, whether it was one that mattered or not. i don’t even want to talk about how hard i worked the summer before my junior year on breaking 6 minutes in the mile run, only to do it… second fastest time that year… and have it not matter at all. it didn’t change one thing. i still rode the bench. i was told it was for all kinds of reasons, reasons that don’t deserve to be hashed out here, but the truth is the hard work wasn’t changing his mind. it never did. and it was probably never going to.

“i’m not good enough” rattled around in my head an awful lot as a soccer player. sometimes it still does. maybe i really did suck and i just never really knew it. maybe putting me in a game was such a liability that i was better served cheering off to the side. despite all my “try hard,” i just couldn’t quite hack it. but i just thought of something while i was on this run / walk thing i just did. because it’s been so long since i last ran… there was quite a bit of walking involved.

all this time spent working my face off, trying to gain rank, and making sure other people “see me running” is probably pretty annoying to people that sometimes have a hard time walking. and all the time i spend judging myself for walking, there are people wishing they could just get one foot in front of the other, but for some reason, can’t seem to get their legs moving.

maybe it matters more that you’re moving. not the speed at which you’re traveling. maybe it’s ok for today that two of my neighborhood laps were jogs and one was a walk with a guilt-inspired trot up the hill at the end. (some habits really do die hard, folks…)

i just couldn’t deny this thought i was having in my inner dialogue – the harder you work, or the more “perfect” it looks… is it all really gaining what you think it’s gonna gain? and is there maybe some truth to the thought that an onlooker trying to get inspired to move is actually uninspired by the grind… uninspired by the perfectionism. i’m over here trying to “be the best” and really someone is just trying to “be.” they can’t even think about trying to be the best and they’re overwhelmed entirely by the concept… maybe to the point of doing nothing at all.

so yeah, i walked a bit on my run today. and oh my gosh, i let some other random neighbors see me do it (who probably did not even notice, much less care). and the thought crossed my mind, “they’re gonna think i’m a quitter. they’re gonna think i’m weak because i didn’t run this whole time,” but really i just need to put that down because it’s not mine to carry. i’m not sure exactly where it started, but if it was college soccer, that was 13 years ago and i think 13 years is long enough to carry around an extremely unhelpful way of thinking.

truth is i’ve been trying to matter my whole life. my performance has been driven by affirmations. i was waiting for someone to tell me i was doing things well enough, but no matter whether the affirmations come or not, i’m never satisfied. because my head’s in the wrong place. it doesn’t matter whether or not someone tells me my job is done well. it didn’t matter if my coach thought my performance was “good enough” and it doesn’t matter if my neighbors think i’m “running fast enough.” it doesn’t matter if social media thinks my content is good, funny, or entertaining enough. it’s just a mental game we all get sucked into playing that doesn’t deserve our energy in the first place. because when it’s all said and done… and we’re waiting in like to get in to Heaven… i HIGHLY doubt God is going to let us in based on our Instagram following, virality, or content, or whether or not i rode the bench on my college soccer team, or whether or not i ran all of the laps and steps in my out-of-nowhere urge to run this afternoon.

it is good to want to be better. it is good to be a diligent and hard worker, and i learned some dang good lessons from being an athlete. i’ll never argue with any of that. but if the effort i’m putting forth is coming with the expectation that someone else is gonna tell me when i’ve “made it,” i oughtta saddle up, because i might be waiting a while. it may never happen. and even if the “atta girl” does come, they’ve never filled me up for long in the past because “they” aren’t any more in charge than i am. we’re all living our lives, trying to make the most of our days, and while wanting to live for others or serve others can definitely be life-giving, living for their approval is not. it’s been very life-sucking in my years of experience. it’s almost a resume line item at this point – SKILLS: well-versed in the area of searching high and low for the approval of others. note: not skilled in finding it; the search is ongoing.

we gotta quit this. we gotta give it up. we need to find a way to stop trying to gain something through the approval of others. it’s really not up to them. i hate that when i was working a “real job,” i was absolutely drowning in these thoughts. always searching for affirmations, always wondering whether or not i was good enough, doing well enough, ever going to climb the ladder, ever going to advance. i hate that it’s so common in our society and the workplace to feel this way. i hate that our fate so often lies in someone else’s hands, because it definitely created some negative thought patterns in me – ones i was especially susceptible to after being the kid who thought her good behavior would somehow, someday get her mother sober. It Never Did. She Kept Drinking. it was never about me – it was about her and her inability to put the bottle down. my worth was never designed to come from her, a boss, or a coach, but i’m afraid that too often we get caught up in thinking it does. heck, i’m clearly still caught up in it today to some degree.

the difference today is i KNOW where my worth ACTUALLY comes from and it’s my responsibility to take time to re-center myself and remember. it’s my job to stop the negative thought pattern, understand the difference between worldly views and truth, and make a better choice. it’s not the walking, the running, or the speed of travel that actually matters. it’s not the opinions of others that are gonna get me into Heaven. hard work is one thing, exhaustion from seeking approval is another.

and now, in true “i swear, i’m only writing this to help somebody, i swear i’m not seeking approval,” fashion – did you get anything from this one??

♥, SF

engaged!

holy. crap. what a week!! something i have prayed for, hoped for, longed for happened and i am just… so grateful and ecstatic about it all.

taking it back back back… when you get divorced… rather… when i got divorced… i was stuck in this time space continuum of “well. what a waste that was. wonder if it’ll ever happen again…?” because we’ve got this weird relationship with “opportunity.” we’ve gotta catch it while it’s here because sometimes it just doesn’t come around twice.

i think that’s a load of crap.

when the opportunity came around this time, it was easy, effortless, light, and it was better. so i wanna just say… feel free to dump all your thoughts about the scarcity of opportunities straight in the toilet where they belong. and use the big flush. the one for #2.

he planned the cutest, most perfect engagement maybe ever. if you haven’t seen the video, go check it out on my social media pages. we were literally making homemade pizza that night. and then i was told we were going on a coffee date because our friend Collin had a gig, and i love Collin’s music, Collin as a human, and i love coffee dates with my babe.

i didn’t know that Collin’s gig was staged. i didn’t know that everyone in the shop knew what was about to happen. i had no clue that in the pocket of Matthew’s jacket was the most beautiful engagement ring i would ever see in my whole life. i just had no idea. which is probably why i showed up in a Canadian Tuxedo…

maybe one of the most perfect parts of the night, which was not planned whatsoever, was the undeniable God wink… the baristas write bible verses on the cardboard cup surround thingys at the beginning of the week. and they’re all different and randomly distributed. on this night, mine said , “Matthew 11:28” which reads, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” the week had been heavy with expectations on myself, music dreams, business dreams, etc… and in this moment, i was nearly on my face with gratitude for a Lord that loves us in this gentle, kind way.

and about 23 minutes later, i was grateful in a whole new way for the man that asked me to spend forever with him… how fitting that the book of Matthew would be so present in my hemisphere these last few weeks, and even on the night that he would propose.

there’s a lot of little winks like that in life if you’re not too in a hurry to notice them. have you had one lately?

♥, SF

//anxiety//

it’s been a heavy week for me mentally, and if i’m alone in that, that’s a good thing – i don’t wish weeks like this on anyone. i’m not tired necessarily from the week. i’m tired because i’ve been constantly battling with my mind trying to keep it as positive as possible. unfortunately, i’ve been falling short majority of the days…

what on Earth do i possibly have to worry about?! you may ask… and i’ll give you my whole whimpy list right here – maybe you can see yourself in some of this: am i doing enough?, am i good enough?, am i enough, period?, is this working?, fear and worry about success or failure, anxiety over what people think, worried i missed the boat on something, am i parenting well enough?, am i “relationship”ing well enough?, i didn’t work out today, what a failure, why am i eating so terribly?, why isn’t this happening faster?, mad that my efforts aren’t turning to fruit, worried that they won’t… should i continue? i won’t… you get the picture.

i took it to the Word, though. and without getting too preachy on you, i’ll give you some of my practical takeaways.

did you know that sometimes people obtain their success in not-so-innocent ways? have you ever stopped to consider that when you’re scrolling around in comparison mode in the black hole of the internet? people will go out of their way, oftentimes against their own inner dialogue, morals, or values to obtain success. and they’ll go brag about it like it’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to them. no one is telling you exactly how they got to where they are. they are simply showing off that they got there.

when i stop to think about that, it kicks me in the face and brings me right back down to Earth. or whatever planet i’m from.

did you also know that fast success isn’t sustainable? it’s not lasting success. fast relationships, fast money, fast anything – not the same as steady and sustainable. it’s just not the thing that’s built on a firm foundation and gonna stand the test of time. fast success is just that – fast. success. not lasting success. not fulfilling success. not better, not more, not happier…. fast. and sometimes the bigger they are, the harder they fall. that’s my first takeaway.

my second takeaway – it’s not the prudent person that’s got something to prove. it’s not the grounded, sound, confident person that’s out here trying to show off or show out. that’s the insecure, not confident person. and you can be whoever you wanna be in this life, but if i’ve got my choice, i want to be grounded. i want to be well-founded. i want to build my house on rock, not sand. it’s not usually the modest person that gets noticed first, but i’ll be danged if they’re not well-respected in their own time.

i’m gonna go ahead and print these words for myself and make wallpaper out of them… i know i’m going to forget tomorrow and need a front and center reminder… feel free to do the same.

♥, SF

grace + legalism

ok, raise your hand if you’ve ever had a Tate’s cookie…? they’re this semi-recent discovery of mine, and what i’ve REALLY discovered in my adventures with Tate’s cookies is that it’s nearly impossible for me to eat just one or two. once a pack is open, it’s as good as gone.

you’re catching me right now at bed time, post tooth brushing, analyzing tonight’s snack endeavor, asking myself why i have such little self control when it comes to this particular brand and kind of cookie. but then i took it one step further and began to judge myself because i truly do try to be a person that watches what i consume, attempting to make good, informed choices. low tox, natural living, baby!! there’s just something about these dang cookies that make me throw all caution to the wind, rules in the dumpster, and devour… i mean… smash… dunked in milk, they’re an absolute delicacy.

then… as i thought further into this… i started thinking about how little grace i give myself and how downright legalistic i can be. it’s very all or nothing in this brain of mine. it’s either good or bad, but nothing in between, and if i’m being honest, i’m pretty good at picking myself apart for all the “bad” – i’m using quotations because i’m also pretty harsh when it comes to classifying and separating good from bad.

i’m “bad” for eating all seven of those cookies – but they tasted so good!! but i have no self control and how dare i ever even talk about health, wellness, or anything remotely related with habits like this.

does anyone else crack down on themselves entire too harshly, or is it just me? something moved me to write this tonight while i was brushing my teeth, so i just kind of went with it, assuming the nudge was because there was quite possibly someone that needed to hear that they weren’t alone in this internal legalistic battle.

we are together in these self critical moments, but i want us to lay off ourselves a little. i want us to not be so dang serious and legalistic about all this stuff – just eat the dang cookies and be ok with it, alright? sheesh. i mean, sure, we don’t wanna go housing packs of cookies every night, but there’s also something to be said for enjoying this life and coloring outside the lines a bit every once in a while. there’s goodness in those moments, too. a LOT of goodness. and i would hate for us to miss things that are readily right in front of us because we were too worried about perfectly adhering to some “rules” – most likely rules that we made up for ourselves!!

i didn’t do a “word of the year” this year – i’m just on a mission and i’m headed there full steam ahead. but. if i did, there would’ve likely been a whole list of words because i’m generally so indecisive. somewhere near the top of that list would have been “grace.” you’d be hard pressed to find someone that was a harsher critic on themselves than me, but dang it, i am determined to give myself some grace. i have got to loosen the necktie a bit. let the hair down. i know it might seem like i’m totally carefree and whatever – i’m here to confess to you that i truly need to give myself some more grace. grace when i’m three minutes late, grace when i eat something a bit “off brand,” grace when i don’t feel like getting ready in the morning, grace when the outfit of the day is sweats, grace when one of the kids doesn’t like the dinner i made, grace when i’m having a hard time clearly seeing the vision and i’m confused, ready to quit… just some more grace in basically every situation.

i’m gonna go ahead and assume you could use some more self-gifted grace, too. because guess what – i’m a human and so are you. and we’re gonna make mistakes. we’re here on this big blue and green rock, spinning around, semi-blindly wandering through life just like everyone else – the least we can do is make it a little easier on ourselves if at all possible.

i challenge you to letting yourself off the hook a little this week – what’s that gonna look like? and better yet, how are you gonna feel next Friday when you’ve gone a little easier on yourself for Seven. Days. Straight?!??

♥, SF

when you don’t feel like it

story tiiimmmeeee!!!

i woke up this morning at 6:45am with no alarm. that may not sound that early for some, but that is NOT normal for me. i am not a morning person – i don’t care what you heard. they lied.

honestly, my first thought? go back to bed. but then… i thought to myself… “i think you’re supposed to get up…” so i did.

it was a weird, inconvenient morning… i had a bible study group i had been invited to attend, but the night previous i did that thing where i “loosely commit” (“i’m gonna try and make it in the morning…” so non-committal…) so that i could have an easy out in the morning if i didn’t feel like going… we’ve all done it. c’mon, tell me i’m not the only one.

well. against my better judgment… i decided to just cut the crap, commit, and get my butt in the car. but i wanted to read more. but i wanted to journal more. i wanted to sit around more. i wanted to eat more. but. but. but. and then i got in the car…

as i was driving, i noticed there was an absurd number of cars that were on the shoulder with flat tires… and then immediately realized that was because there was an absolutely absurd number of Car-Sized Potholes waiting to do the same thing to me… i thought to myself, “maybe i should turn around. maybe this isn’t safe. i should just go home… where i can get back in my PJs and scroll the day away…. i mean WORK…. WORK the day away…” (we all know how this trap works…)

but i pressed on. despite my mind’s many attempts to get me to turn around, throw in the towel, and pack it in.

when i got there… i was met with an overwhelming sense of peace that i’m not really sure i can accurately explain. i’m usually not all that comfortable in the middle of a room of people i don’t know, but i sat down and struck up a conversation with a stranger instead. surprised the pants off of myself…

the dialogue that was in this room was nothing short of amazing. within 10 minutes of starting, i felt like i finally understood why pushing through all of my futile excuses and feeble attempts to stay home were worth trampling. THIS. this is what life has for us when we decide to push our boundaries and lean into our discomfort. it’s the goodness. the zest. the juice that is so worth the squeeze. these little nuggets and tidbits that we so easily miss because we “don’t feel like it.”

not only would i have missed some really good biblical inspiration, i would’ve missed the conversations with two of my friends that i don’t see often enough, which were absolutely lined with gold. humans were created for connection. and social media does. not. count, people. so stop it. it’s a cheap alternative. it’s like… the fool’s gold of human connection.

don’t get me wrong. i’m well away that i would’ve gone about my day just fine with or without this women’s group, that’s a definite. but i proved to myself that my own internal resistance was worth pressing into this morning. i showed myself there’s more to life than what i do or don’t feel like doing. there are great things in this life to enjoy if we’ll just lean in a little and take the leap, as mini or mighty as it might feel.

i’d encourage you to take note of your “i don’t feel like it” moments, too. are there things or situations worth pressing into? i truly believe that you may never know why you’re put in certain places – queue all the internal questioning i’ve done lately in my current self-care journey of selling shampoo while clinging to the original “plan” of being a musician – but you guarantee that you’ll never find out if you can’t even push through and show up. the people you could meet, the lessons you could learn, the beautiful accidents you leave space for… the list goes on – and it’s all hinging on whether or not you can get over yourself and lean in.

♥,
SF

what even is “too much?”

Firing this thing back up. Look out.

I’ve had this thought rolling around in my head lately – “what is ‘too much,’ anyway?”

It’s something i’ve been told many times in my life. It’s something i’ve felt for most of my life. And i’m still not quite sure i know really what it means. And here’s why.

Would we look at a child and say the things they’re interested in are “too much?” would we look them dead in the face when they told us what they wanted to be when they grew up (even if the answer was different from week to week), and tell them “yea, you can’t do that.” i would hope not. So why do we do it to each other (and ourselves) now that we’re grown? Does that really serve us?

I’m coming at this thought after being in my backyard scooping horse crap, as i often do… and thinking to myself, “how on earth does a girl get involved in so many things… and what sense does it make?” my guitar-playing, song-writing, shampoo-selling, clean beauty-caring, bonus-moming, relationship-doing, animal-owning self barely makes sense to myself sometimes, but why is that too much? Why do i feel the urge to make sense of it? Is it not ok to just be as i am?

Why do i worry when i’m making something for our beloved social media, whether or not it’s going to make sense to someone else or whether or not it’s “on brand” enough? Why do i worry and why do i care? And i’m positive i’m not the only one who struggles with this.

We’re in a world where we have to make sense to others, and that’s a problem to me. The only person i really wanna make sure i make sense to is myself and the One that created me. And what kind of daughter would i be if i looked my Father in the eye and said “i think you made me too much… i think i like too many things, and i really think i should tone it down… mostly because of what other people think and say.”

That sounds especially ridiculous when typed out in black and white.

If the fact that i pursue songwriting as a career but also have a passion for clean beauty but also love animals and have a bunch of them (including three farm animals in a subdivision) but also am a bonus mom and also love Jesus and also am pretty vulnerable and about the things that i’ve been through in my life and also have a great relationship to top it all off is too much, well, i guess, as politely as possible…. Go find less…?

Sure, it’s a lot to juggle sometimes, but if i’m being honest, i wouldn’t trade it. And if there’s anything in that list that i’d look at and say, “yea, that’s not worth the time it’s taking up in my life. Not worth the space…” then i guess i’ll cut it. But for now, there’s nothing in there i’d like to go without.

What made us so concerned with the portrayal of ourselves we put out into the world, anyway? Why do we even have this “instagram vs. reality” thing? Why do we spend so much time curating, perfecting, beautifying? And who says it has to be so unilateral? Or else it might “confuse” people… and you “can’t be successful” if you’re too confusing… if it’s wrong to have a rich life full of many beautiful things, then screw it, i don’t wanna be right. And that’s my final answer.

Last time i checked, no one got mad at Instagram for starting off as a photo-sharing platform and now being a full blown video editing software. No one is upset that TikTok started out as a place where dancing videos were your ticket to fame but now it’s a glorified child of Amazon. We just go along with it and figure it out, glitches and all (am i right??). Things ebb and flow and change all the dang time. Things start out as one thing and morph into another, they add, they progress, they diversify. So why are we so reluctant, even scared, to do that for ourselves? Why is it seen as a weakness to be interested, involved, or good at “too many” things?

Frankly, I’m over it. I’ve wrestled with the thought too many times for too long. I’ve wasted too many minutes trying to figure out how to present myself in a way that makes sense to y’all. So here it is in a nutshell. For today anyway. Until i add or subtract something.

Hello, i’m Sarah. I’m a musician, mainly songwriter and guitar player, and i write songs about my life – both the wins and the losses. Because of this journey i’ve been on, I care a little extra about my health, both mental and physical, and i think there’s a lot we can do for ourselves in those departments to make sure we’re setting ourselves up for success. I’m a big fan of my family, a lot of my family has fur and four legs, but i’m especially grateful for the humans. I’ve got a relationship that’s much more than i deserve and two (bonus) kids i never thought i’d have.

Yep, it’s a lot. But it’s a lot to be grateful for. I guess it’s a little like my liberal arts education…. Well-rounded.

photo credit: the incomparable Alisa Thayne <3

From Death to Life : Sarah Faith Comes Alive in Brand New Single

June 2, 2023 by Sarah Faith

blog posts., news

blues rock, divorce, independent artist, indie music, mental health, mental health music, nashville music, nashville musician, new music, sarah faith, sarah faith new song

After some heavy life challenges, Sarah Faith is rising from the ashes with a new single and upcoming record.

(Nashville, Tenn.)

Sarah Faith, an artist – songwriter based in Nashville, is once again proving that there are silver linings in tough situations. Nearly two years to the date after dropping her first full length project, Lessons From The Archives, Faith is ready to give listeners their next dose of mindful music with the release of the title track off her sophomore album, Come Alive. This release comes on the heels of the initial single, Free, which landed on all streaming platforms in February.

The Michigan-native musician was the winner of Goodyear’s From Garage To Glory competition in July 2021, beating out 2,000+ other artists and bands and earning the majority of 80,000 fan votes. The victory allowed her opportunities to play two concerts at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio as part of the 2021 Hall of Fame Induction, perform the National Anthem at the Cotton Bowl Classic in December of 2021, and go on to perform the Anthem again at the Beef It’s What’s For Dinner Xfinity Series NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway in February 2022. During what others would consider the experience of a lifetime, back home, Faith was going through a divorce and trying to balance all of the dreams with a harsh reality that off stage, her life felt like a nightmare. In the same way as she’s always done when pain comes her way, she picked up her pen and guitar and started writing. The result is a 10-song self-produced album about recovering from divorce and moving on with strength, dignity, and grace.

“I wrote [Come Alive] about my own life, but I truly believe this song [and record] is everyone’s story. Everyone loves a good comeback, but I think we also sometimes forget that we’re capable of getting back up when we’re knocked down, too, regardless of how many times we’ve been in the valley.”
Come Alive (the single) will be released on all music purchasing and streaming platforms on June 2, 2023. Additional songs off the record will also be released in the near future before the full-length album is available in the fall of 2023.

dear self,

October 7, 2020 by Sarah Faith

blog posts.

choose your legacy, meaningful music, mental health, mindset, mindset work, self care, self empowerment, self help, self love, self talk

the first letter to me, from me.

you know, it’s ok to not be ok. we’re all humans and sometimes we just have days when we’re not 100%. you don’t have to beat yourself up about it.

you don’t have to take everyone else’s opinion so seriously. shit, you don’t owe a single second to their opinion if it doesn’t serve you. none of this is really up to them anyway.

maybe it would be fun to try thinking for one whole day that you were a fucking epic creation. maybe it wouldn’t feel like you were being cocky or self-centered. maybe it would feel like you were just actually being yourself for once. beautiful, loud, outlandish, creative, vibrant, a little crazy, full of joy and energy, just the way you were created to be. just a thought.

you’re going to make it. even if you were stranded in the middle of nowhere with nothing left to your name but the shirt on your back and the shoes on your feet, you would figure out how to make it. what are you afraid of?

just because it doesn’t work out just like you think it should, doesn’t mean it’s not working. don’t you think it’s a little small minded to think that you have the master plan anyway? the master plan is controlled by someone much higher than you – no offense. you probably don’t want it to work out the way you planned anyway – there are much greater things in store. things you can’t even imagine. outcomes you never considered.

your dreams and aspirations are far from stupid, far from impossible, far from worthless. whatever visions were put in your head and heart are For you – chase them.

think back to a time when you were So Full of Joy, you could hardly contain yourself. do more of that.

resting isn’t for lazy people. it’s for smart people. running yourself to the ground seems like a great thing to do, until you’re actually in the ground, unable to move, unable to dream, unable to chase because you ran too hard. it’s a marathon; not a sprint.

there are trees, and rivers, and mountains, and sunrises, and sunsets, and oceans, and animals, and canyons, and a thousand other amazingly beautiful things in this earth. the same Creator that made all of that… also made You. don’t sell yourself short. you were made to fly and shine and be. you were made for this. whatever your “this” is…. whatever makes you feel like you’re the best version of yourself. that’s who you were created to be. don’t you dare put yourself in a small box. don’t you dare be afraid to take up all your space in this world. you’re the only you this planet has ever and will ever have.

♥,

SF

another [quarantined] thursday.

April 23, 2020 by Sarah Faith

blog posts., news

facebook live, instagram live, meaningful music, mental health, mindset, mindset work, negative thoughts, peeling back the layers, positive outlook, purpose driven, quarantine, self care, self talk

i put jeans on today (yes, you read that correctly…). i’m wearing a “real” shirt (classified as one that i wouldn’t usually sleep in, or let an animal sleep on). also, big winner here, i’m wearing makeup. imagine that! weird how this “put together” state i’m in happens rarely when i’ve got nowhere to go. does going to the kitchen for numerous snacks count…?

no, but really. i do go to the kitchen a lot….

great segue…. wanna know another place i’ve been going a lot this week? mentally down a rabbit hole. not always a negative rabbit hole…. so maybe that’s not the right word, but i’ve honestly felt like i’ve been on a roller coaster of thoughts. i wake up one day and i’m like “Wooo!!! i’m killing it!! this day is going to be great!!” and the next (sometimes the next hour… or minute), i’m like “shit. what the hell. this is awful. where is this even going? you’re not doing nearly enough.” anyone else? it’s like being on a pirate’s ship in the movies in the middle of one of those stupid storms with waves about 3x as tall as the ship you’re on, but then in the morning, some 3 hours later, having the brightest, most beautiful sunshine imaginable. that’s what this week has felt like.

if you’re with me, or you know what i’m talking about, can i get a “retweet” or a hand raised or head nod or whatever….. thank you very much!!!

*deep breath* (feel free to take one with me…) sometimes the only thing i can do in a weird moment like that is just breathe. because i know it’s just a season. a possibly one minute-long season. and in one of my conversations this week, a friend of mine told me, “you’ll only fail if you quit. and Sarah, you are so crystal clear on your purpose and your why, i know you won’t quit. so that means you won’t fail.” Ay. Freaking. Men. that’s it right there. (also, contemplating getting that tattooed some place. forehead would probably be best….thoughts…?)

that’s the truth though – i know that i’m not the only one who sometimes feels a little stuck or like things aren’t going like they should. things sometimes don’t feel like they’re “going how they should” but honestly, if you take the 30,000 foot view, everything’s just as it should be. it may mean a bit of a rainy season every now and then, but honestly, there have been some STORMS… and i mean…. tornado hurricane monsoon typhoon earthquake all at once, how am i getting out of this alive S T O R M S …. but i’m still standing. and sometimes my mind is full of overwhelm and doubt and fear and every other thing that makes me just want to cry. and then the storm passes. and the sun comes out. and i’m better for it.

just something to consider – what if we could take deep breaths and assure ourselves that sunshine is always in the forecast? maybe that would make stormy times easier to handle. *shrug* just a thought!

anyway, i’ll be using this message as fuel tonight (Thursday nights!!!) on my Instagram + Facebook LIVE “Peeling Back the Layers” Episode TWO!!!!! second week in a row, so stoked. hoping to get a few more viewers than last week, and i think it’s going to be a good time!! 8pm cdt // 9pm est. Instagram doesn’t have a live link, but Facebook does!! –> www.Facebook.com/sarahfaithmusic/live <– click there!!! see ya tonight!!

♥ SF

« Recent News