Beautiful One : Until you realise

Until you realise that you are enough, nothing will change
Until you become aware that you are a deserving soul, you will always second guess
Until you realise you are worthy, you will always settle
Until you realise that you are love, you will always seek it in your surroundings

Beautiful girl
Don’t you know that you are a gift
A perfectly crafted creation, the embodiment of love
You are more than the body that houses your unique soul
You are the brightness of stars from galaxies throughout time
You are the warmth of the sun that burns those unworthy of your shine
You are melodies sung by the waves of the ocean
You are as free as the wind that blows from east to west, from north to south
You are mother nature in human form
You are birth and rebirth in tune with the cycles of the seasons
My beautiful one, life is born from within you

Your voice sweeter than honey drops
Your smile brighter than the evening star
Your eyes the windows of the soul
Your mind the library of knowledge
Your heart the capsule of unconditional love
Your feet firmly planted in humbleness
Your hands eagerly creating

The coldness of winter will come, you will feel barren, but this is just a time to slumber and replenish
The spring will come, you will sprout, renewed and refreshed
Oh how worthy you are,
Oh how graceful you are
Oh my beautiful one, you have always been

Johyphendene

acknowledgement Of SELF

 

Sometimes all you want is just a pat on the back, just a “hey, keep up the good work”, the “I see your effort”, but hey we don’t always get what we want. And you know what it fucking sucks, yes it fucking sucks!

 

We have been conditioned or let me rephrase that, we seem to flourish more when we are praised, applauded, when we are encouraged to keep doing what we are doing, that all our efforts are seen and that yes we are acknowledged. It’s such a positive reinforcement to be encouraged or just to hear that your work is being recognised, that your determination is appreciated and seem to be an inspiration. It in general is just an amazing feeling to be appreciated, to be acknowledged, to be recognized; it is like doing a marathon and the supporters’ just cheers for you from the side and that makes you determined to finish the race, to keep going and to eventually cross the finish line.

 

So we don’t always get what we want, but we do get what we need. Yes, so you don’t seem to be getting pats on the back and high 5, even “likes”, but why do you keep doing what you are doing? Okay, the “likes” and acknowledgement would be incredible, I mean being accepted and praised for your efforts and what you are good at, feels mucking afazing. But you won’t always get that, and that is okay (okay, the more you tell yourself that, the more it will start to make sense).

Sometimes you have to be your own cheerleader, there are times (always) where you are the one who has to pat yourself on the back, times when you have to state to yourself that you acknowledge and appreciate your own efforts, that you see it and what you are doing is good. (And being one’s own motivation can also be challenging). It is the same thing with running a marathon, yes there are people cheering you on and say that you must keep going, but what happens in that last stretch, those dying moments when you can see the finish line… but you just cannot or won’t go any further, it is just too hard and there isn’t any gratification (at that point) except the pain that shoots through your muscles and joints, the sweat that covers every inch of your body and the thought “why the F am I doing this at all, for what? Am I F’n insane?”. In that moment you have to be your own cheerleader, you have to be the motivation that you so desperately need, in that moment you have to dig deep in yourself and just go in strong, telling yourself;

“just one more step”, when there is actually 1000 to go,

“you can do this”, when you feel like you can’t anymore,

“you are a winner”, when all the odds are stacked against you and you have been so accustomed to losing,

“you are amazing”, when you feel like a failure and like you won’t ever be any good,

“you got this”, when you gave up hope and feel like everything is at a loss.

“you are almost there”, when it feels like you are right where you started.

In that moment outside encouragement would be ideal, the extra push that you need, but most times it has to come from within.

It is that voice inside that screams at you to just keep going, that quitting was never and won’t ever be an option, the pat on the back that pushes you forward when you don’t want to go anymore, the I am Proud of you whispers that you say to yourself, these are what will actually allow you to keep going. Acknowledging your efforts, being in your own corner, speaking positivity into yourself when negativity drowns you.

It is you and only you who can decide if you want to keep going, pushing yourself; but you have to be your own motivation, your own cheerleader and yes patting yourself on the back gets strenuous and high 5’ing oneself feels stupid, but when you cross that line, you will be prouder of yourself than anyone could ever be.

happy for another

I have this cover photo on twitter and it reads “be happy for other people’s successes and at the right time God will bring your dreams to pass”. I have been thinking about this a lot, especially because I saw an advertisement the other day, playing on the underlying jealousy while pulling a sweet face to show ones happiness for another.

It is difficult to be happy for others, when they are in a position that you crave to be in, whether it be, their dream job, new car, a successful relationship or just being happy with who they are. We tend to question, why them? I wonder how they pulled that off. I wonder who they stepped on to get there. I wonder where they got the money from. And one that I believe anyone has asked once, whether you want to admit it or not, why them and not me?

We focus too much on why others accomplished their successes, instead of taking the time to be happy for them and actually understanding how they eventually got that far. It’s actually so easy to hate on what others accomplish when you are struggling to get to where you want to be, to have your desires fulfilled, and when you have no idea how and when you will be in that ideal situation.

Instead of questioning others successes, we should question their work ethic, their desire to work for what they want, to appreciate the fact that they got a big break, that they took a chance (that leap of faith), the fact that they never gave up even when all the odds were against them. We don’t know how many sacrifices were made, how many late night study sessions had to be put in just to get the degree that empowered them to open the door to get their foot inside. We don’t know how many rejection letters and phone calls were received after interviews that went beyond expectation, but still having to hear, you are under qualified/over qualified/ not what they are looking for. Yes there are people who get lucky breaks, like models being discovered in the most random places, but that doesn’t mean they have it easy just because they got discovered, that’s when the real work starts. The castings, the rejection, the working hard to maintain the image to make it in a very competitive field. How many times weren’t quitting a part of their vocabulary, where the pressure seemed to get to much, when giving up seemed like the only option, because things weren’t happening the way they wanted, the way they were planning and they weren’t getting what they needed.

Yes those people are talented, but they also have an inherent drive and what others don’t know, they have a struggle within, a light, a voice that says “no, don’t quit, not yet, just push through”, a voice that they use as a pep talk, to take and get them through the times when all the doors are being shut in their faces, when the only hope they have is that things will get better and they will reach the goals and dreams that they set out for themselves. Most times these people are the ones who has to motivate themselves, who are the only ones believing in their dreams, their desires and their passion, the only people who keeps hoping and having faith that, that window will open soon. These people are the same ones who stay humble, who remember how it felt when they wanted to give and will always think what would have happened if they didn’t stick it out, if they gave up hope and their hard work and settled for what was right in front of them instead of pushing forward day by day.

So yes, sometimes people get lucky, get lucky breaks, get noticed and have people to mentor them, get shoved in an already open door, but then it is up to them to put in the work and chase the goal that they set out for themselves, to allow the talent within to grow to their best ability.

So the next time you question the successes of another, be happy for what they have achieved, be happy that they listened to the voice that said don’t give up, be happy that they are in a position where they have dreamed to be, be happy that they aren’t afraid to take a leap and that they inspire us to be like them, and to chase our dreams and passions no matter how far fetched it may seem.