Latest Posts by cheeryblueheart - Page 4

“A spirituality that is only private and self-absorbed, one devoid of an authentic political and social consciousness, does little to halt the suicidal juggernaut of history. On the other hand, an activism that is not purified by profound spiritual and psychological self-awareness and rooted in divine truth, wisdom, and compassion will only perpetuate the problem it is trying to solve, however righteous its intentions. When, however, the deepest and most grounded spiritual vision is married to a practical and pragmatic drive to transform all existing political, economic and social institutions, a holy force—the power of wisdom and love in action—is born. This force I define as Sacred Activism.”

— Andrew Harvey

this is literally the sweetest thing ever 🥺

tell us tips of how to be a confident woman

To be confident you need to be a self sufficient individual in ALL aspects, from your finances, personal growth and self sufficient in your self esteem (others opinions of you have little to no relevancy on how you view yourself, your self-perception comes entirely from within).

A confident woman stands up for what she believes in and is not easily persuaded from her opinions or values by people. She doesn't worry about pleasing others but about getting her business done and making sure her presence is felt, regardless of who likes it or not. She owns and takes space without being overbearing. She is on top of her game and is constantly looking for ways to outgrow the person she was the day before.

Confident women are quiet, they don't feel the need to call the attention or announce their moves because they have nothing to prove, she relies on her internal knowing that she is capable of achieving the goals in her life and the applause of an audience is not needed.

A confident woman is proactive on keeping her physical appearance very polished, from the way she dresses to her commitment to being fit and healthy, not in an attempt to attract attention, but as a way of improving herself because she knows that her sense of self will be higher is she looks and feels good.

A confident woman has a resilient mentality, if she falls, she stands back up. If she feels distressed, she gets her emotions out and allows herself to feel all the emotions that make her human, but after that she's ready to move on and not allow her sentiments to overpower her rationale.

Confident women aren't easily impressed, they know their worth and who they are, so they expect others to impress them, the power dynamics are usually in their favor.

Confident women are intellectually proficient, they read and are masters of different subjects. They know that their brain is one of their main assets, so they keep pushing themself to exercise their intellect by learning new things constantly.

I could go on and on, but these are the things that come to my mind at the moment 💗.

Please be mindful of the “spiritual” posts and advice you see on social media and platforms like this ones, even if you aren’t a Christian. A lot of the beliefs that are promoted on here are quite harmful and dangerous to practice, I know that from personal experience. I’m always asked why I don’t believe or subscribe to things like astrology and other new age beliefs, but I was once someone who partook in those things and I experienced first hand the damage that it can have on someone’s psyche and overall well-being. A lot of people are depressed and suicidal these days because they want to cling onto something to get meaning out of, something “spiritual”, so they start making idols of these new ages beliefs: the position of the planets, seeing themselves as the gods of their own reality, etc. 

The most disturbing thing I see promoted on here is flat out witchcraft and the use of spells to get things out of life. Understand that not everything that appears of light is of light. Yes, you may get some things by practicing occult rituals, but at what cost? Trust that sooner or later those things will come back to haunt you. You don’t know what or who you are inviting into your life.

I don’t know who needed to hear this but my spirit compelled me to write this. It’s coming from a place of love and not judgement. If you guys want to dive on these types of subjects and my opinions on it let me know through my inbox. 

Lord, Bless Me.

How to be Productive during Quarantine:

1. Go to bed latest 11:30 PM, and get 8-9 hours of sleep: 

If you do not go to bed at a reasonable time, no matter how many hours you sleep you will feel groggy the next day. Go to bed at a reasonable time and try to aim for getting 8-9 hours of sleep so you can have more energy and be more focused for the next day.

2. Wake up early:

Try to wake up in the hours between 5-8 AM. You will get more done if you wake up earlier, and you will have more time during the day to complete tasks. Plus nothing beats the satisfaction of waking up early and being productive while everyone else is asleep!

3. Drink coffee/tea in the morning for a boost of energy:

Drink your coffee and try to ease up on the sugar, but If you want something light and not too heavy on the stomach, go for some caffeinated tea. Drinking coffee or tea (caffeinated), will give you some extra energy and will help you remain focused longer. side note– do not drink caffeine if your body does not react well to it.

4. Create your new workspace:

Create your own personal little office. Create a place that is only designated for work so as soon as you get there, you know its time to focus. Try to go for a location that has lighting, is quiet, and has minimal distractions. Also try to decorate it with motivational quotes or pictures that inspire you, make it your space!

5. Set a timer:

With any task you are trying to complete, set a timer to help you remain on track and to not spend too much time doing one thing.

6. Put your phone away and limit your time on social media:

This is very important. Put your phone far away from you or on airplane mode while you are working or completing assignments.Try to turn notifications off on your phone or activate your screen time to limit your time on certain apps. Use social media or getting on your phone as a reward. (EX: I worked on my paper for 2 hours, now I can get a 15 minute social media break- set a timer)

7. Make your schedule and block off working time:

Make a to-do list the day before for work or assignments you have to complete. Writing the stuff you have to complete down is stress-relieving. Also block off your working time. (EX: from 1-4 PM I am going to be focused on completing my school assignments) side note– remember to take things one step at a time, if the task is going to take a while, break it down and try to work on it at least 2 hours a day everyday.

8. Do the hard things first: 

Complete the dreaded tasks first! You will get it out of the way and will not have to think about it for the rest of the day because you already finished it.

9. Take breaks:

You are only human. Taking breaks is necessary, it gives you time to refresh and gain some energy back. Staring at a screen all day can be very draining so try to take breaks every 2 hrs, but be ready to get back to work when your break is over. (minimum break: 10 min. maximum break: 50 min., base it off of how long you’ve stayed focused)

Take everything one step at a time, do not stress yourself out, and remember to take care of your mental and physical health.

The next doors opening up will put you in a situation where you won't have to borrow, beg or struggle for anything!

I used to be a really passionate writer and really enjoyed crafting language but it's been years since I've written anything that's not for school. I really want to start writing again but I don't have any story ideas that I'm excited about. What should I do to start writing again?

When you want to start writing again, but aren’t sure how to start:

1. Read a variety of books.

Various authors, various genres, the more you expand your examples the better because it means exposure to more ideas. Don’t be afraid to take up books you may not like since there’s a great deal of learning to be found in why you dislike something, and the depth it gets you thinking can help contribute to your own ideas. The “spite write” is also a thing, where you hate something, or some part of a thing, so much that you go off and do it yourself.

2. Engage with a writing community.

Every writer likes a different level of engagement, but writing communities can be extra helpful at providing idea discussion. It’s also okay if it takes a while for you to find the right one. Some writers are happy with the ones that are for pure fun and keep away from real critique whereas others want detailed critiques and a push to be better. The community you’re part of needs to align with your goals for writing. 

3. Write what you know… so know interesting things.

Blatantly stolen from my own TbaBW post, but if you think your life is too boring for inspiration or you want to write about something but don’t know how, then get yourself out there and learn. Find new experiences, ask willing people about their lives, try new things even if you aren’t sure about them, research new subjects; increase your inspiration and well of knowledge so you can write what you know. You’re limited by your own knowledge and creativity, so work hard to make sure that limit does not exist.

4. Find prompts or guided writing exercises.

A lot of writers use prompts or guided exercises to get their writer's muscles moving. Aside from providing the base idea for you, they don’t require commitment and are just a form of practice, but can be turned into more polished stories if it really works out. The best use of these isn’t just reading them and deciding if you instantly like it or not, but taking some time to really think about how they can unfold.

5. Brainstorm.

While there are times when ideas just come to you, it’s common for creative people to have to brainstorm and put real effort into coming up with decent ideas. Brainstorming activities can look like, but aren’t limited to:

Inspiration from music. Some songs tell stories, some paint a scene, some capture a mood, and some are just good background music. Listening to music can be a good source of inspiration for writing.

Talk it out. Ask your friend and family what kind of stories they like to hear and why, or ask them anything about stories that you think will get them to talk. You may not want to write those exact things, but the dialogue can get some ideas thrown out there.

Inspiration from art. Similar to music, take a look at paintings, sketches, or maybe even dances that can provide something. Especially pay attention to the details and what the artist could potentially by trying to convey.

Ways to Develop Plot Ideas (link embedded) covers more idea generation!

6. Productivity can be worked on.

Most writers naturally go through a cycle of interest and disinterest in their projects or even writing in general. I have these linked posts for general info on increasing productivity:

Tips for Improving Writing Productivity, Pt 1

Tips for Improving Writing Productivity, Pt 2

Tips for Improving Writing Productivity, Pt 3

Tips for Improving Writing Productivity, Pt 4

You may also want to check out the Motivation and Discipline tag since there’s a lot of info related to productivity and getting back into writing, especially when you aren’t feeling so great about it.

7. Don’t be afraid of not being great.

It’s been a while since you’ve written and it’s normal for skills to get rusty. Your skills before may not even have been where you wanted to be, but all you can do is compare yourself to where you once were rather than other writers. Writing is personal journey and can be a tough skill to build, so don’t beat yourself up if you have trouble. You have to be bad at something before you’re good at it.

Good luck with your writing!

————————

Thinking of asking a question? Please read the Rules and Considerations to make sure I’m the right resource, and check the Tag List to see if your question has already been asked. If you can give back, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or via Venmo Username: JustAWritingAid

“In the 1950s kids lost their innocence. They were liberated from their parents by well-paying jobs, cars, and lyrics in music that gave rise to a new term —the generation gap. In the 1960s, kids lost their authority. It was a decade of protest—church, state, and parents were all called into question and found wanting. Their authority was rejected, yet nothing ever replaced it. In the 1970s, kids lost their love. It was the decade of me-ism dominated by hyphenated words beginning with self. Self-image, Self-esteem, Self-assertion….It made for a lonely world. Kids learned everything there was to know about sex and forgot everything there was to know about love, and no one had the nerve to tell them there was a difference. In the 1980s, kids lost their hope. Stripped of innocence, authority and love and plagued by the horror of a nuclear nightmare, large and growing numbers of this generation stopped believing in the future. In the 1990s kids lost their power to reason. Less and less were they taught the very basics of language, truth, and logic and they grew up with the irrationality of a postmodern world. In the new millennium, kids woke up and found out that somewhere in the midst of all this change, they had lost their imagination. Violence and perversion entertained them till none could talk of killing innocents since none was innocent anymore.”  ― Ravi Zacharias, Recapture the Wonder

Colossians.

Reblog with what book of the Bible you’re currently reading:

Revelation

KenyA!🖤 🇰🇪🇰🇪

Lamu Island, Kenya, Photo Sandy B

Purity of heart

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. - Matthew 5:8

The Words of Jesus From Matthew 5: 2-12 have always been a commonly spoken about passage throughout church history. Even as a child I remember in children’s church being prompted by teachers to memorize “the beatitudes”. The issue has been that we have become overly familiar with those words, we have adopted the attitude “oh I’ve got those ones, I know that passage”. I want to take a few moments here to invite you to once again peer into the words of Jesus found here; and allow yourself to be filled with the Spirit of revelation at these eternal words spoken from the lips of the one whom from His mouth comes a sharp two-edged sword (see Revelation 1:16). The greatest vision that a man can have is the vision of God, the greatest glimpse that spirit of man can see is the very likeness of God.

Jesus knew this, being the one from the bosom of the Father. So he calls out to a great hidden desire in the depths of 1 “Purity of heart is the pathway to the great hidden longing of the human design; and that is to behold the One whose image you were made in” fallen man, the desire to behold the eternal glory of God. “Blessed, truly happy” He declares are the pure in heart because their spirit gets the great reward of clearer vision of the uncreated God! Think about Ezekiel at the river Chebar; after having visions of God’s uncreated glory he sat there for 7 days astonished! (See Ezekiel 2: 15). Hollywood has never dreamed of such a movie or production that could leave a man or woman stunned out of their mind for 7 days unable to move at what they had just witnessed. Let the declaration of Jesus here that “blessed are the pure in heart” grip your heart and draw you in to what you are longing for in the deepest place of your human spirit; which is to see God more clearly.

Purity isn’t some boring thing that God thought up to impose rules on you to keep you from enjoying life, purity is the pathway to the greatest pleasure! Purity of heart is the pathway to the great hidden longing of the human design; and that is to behold the One whose image you were made in. When you see Him every question you have ever had about yourself is answered. I hope the Spirit uses these weak words to stir up that great longing in your heart. And I hope you find yourself in the place of growth into the greater pleasure of beholding Him more fully.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. - 2 Corinthians 13:14

Author: Michael Woodward

“You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.”

— Song of Solomon 4:7 [ESV].

Staying close to God’s Word is what gives us strength to run away from temptation.

l.m.c.a

🌸 May affirmations 🌸

🌿 My life is flowing in the right direction

🌿 I am surrounded by love and kindness

🌿 I am filled with inspiration and creativity

🌿 My heart and mind are in harmony

🌿 I fuel my mind with positive thoughts

🌿 I am balanced, grounded and energized

🌿 I attract abundance to every area of my life

🌿 Everything is happening for my highest good

LOVE This! ☀️💙

The Perfect Quarantine Morning Routine:

1. As soon as you wake up, drink some water:

Drinking water first thing in the morning wakes up your system, flushes out toxins, and boosts your metabolism (helps you breath, think, digest, circulate blood)! Try to drink at least 500 ml, that’s about 1 water bottle when you wake up. Now that you’ve drunk 500 ml of water in the morning, you only need 500 more to make it to 1 Liter! Yes, just like that you’re already close to meeting your daily recommendation of water intake (2 liters).

2. Spend some time reading The Word (Jesus time) or journaling:

Wether it’s spending time with God or journaling, do something that gives you a mental break. Do something that lets you escape to your own world where you are not focusing on the outside noise. Reading the Bible is a great mental escape, it keeps you grounded and reminded of your purpose, value, and how much you’re ur loved. Spending time in the Word will give you an overwhelming sense of peace and pure satisfaction. Use that time to de-stress.

Journaling on the other hand is a great way to keep your thoughts organized and inspire creativity! Let your mind explore. Wether it’s writing down your dreams, a simple to-do list, or your dream life, use this time to relax. Also, you can use this time to remind yourself of your daily/weekly goals or just simply read your affirmations for the day.

3. Expose yourself to sunlight:

Besides the fact that sunlight gives us vitamin D, the right amount can actually improve our mood! Exposure to sunlight can help increase the brains release of serotonin (associated with boosting moods to help you feel calm and focused). So please, go for a walk in your neighborhood, open your window, workout outside, eat breakfast outside, just expose yourself to some sunlight!

4. Get your morning workout in:

This is a must! Not only is working out amazing for your physical health, but it is also great for your mental health. Try to get in at least a 10-30 minute workout! It is best in the morning because that means you won’t have to do it later. Do at-home pilates, some form of cardio, weight training, or do some simple stretching (all available on YouTube). Whatever it is, just get your body moving! You will not regret it.

5. Take a cold or warm shower:

What’s more refreshing than cold water hitting your skin after an amazing workout? Cold showers helps you feel more awake and increases circulation! For people, like myself, that are too afraid of cold showers in the morning, go a for a warm shower.

6. Have a healthy and filling breakfast:

Try to include fruits or vegetables in your breakfast. Fruits and vegetables are refreshing, and are full of rich vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants! Make sure your breakfast is also filling. When you eat a filling breakfast, it helps your appetite stay under control for the rest of the day! The better you eat, the better you feel!

7. Start your day:

Now it is officially time to start your day! Get in your zone and stay focused. Although there is a pandemic going on, that is no excuse to be lazy. Stimulate your mind! Work on a project, complete some assignments, plan a business, read a book, do research on something you’ve always been interested in! Whatever you decide to do, make sure you are getting your work in for the day.

Remember, it is okay to be tired, it is okay to give yourself a break, but do not let yourself sit there. Use this time to grow! Set goals for yourself! Plant your seeds now, water them, and watch those beautiful flowers grow in the future! Take care of yourself, you are important, you are valued, and you are loved. You will make it through.

When your child says “Why can’t I get a puppy?”

Instead of defaulting to “My house, my rules”

Try “Any pet is a lot of responsibility. A puppy would have to be fed, walked, and taken outside to use the bathroom several times a day and taken for regular check-ups and vaccinations at the vet. You can’t do all of that by yourself, and I/we don’t have the time or money either.”

When your teenager says “Why can’t I come home at 2:00 this Saturday?”

Instead of defaulting to “My house, my rules!”

Try “The time you come home is a matter of respect and consideration. I/We will not only be concerned for your safety, but we would either be disturbed in the middle of the night when you arrive or forced to stay up for several extra hours waiting.”

When your child says “Why am I not allowed to do this thing?”

Instead of defaulting to “My house, my rules!”

Try actually communicating a legitimate reason, because children pick up on subtlety and on context and on the unspoken messages, and it’s better to teach children lessons like “You should think really hard before taking on new responsibilities” and “It’s important to show consideration for the needs of the people with whom you share a living space” than lessons like “It’s okay for people to demand your absolute obedience so long as you’re dependent on them for survival.”

Be nosy

1. What’s your sexual orientation?

2. What are you obsessed with right now?

3. Ever done any drugs?

4. What piercings do you want?

5. How many people have you kissed?

6. Describe your dream home.

7. Who are you jealous of?

8. What’s your favorite show to binge?

9. Do you watch porn?

10. Do you have a secret sideblog?

11. If you could teleport anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?

12. What’s one of your fantasies?

13. Do you have/would you get your nipples pierced?

14. How would you spend a million dollars?

15. Are you in a relationship?

16. Do you follow porn blogs?

17. Are you angry with anyone right now?

18. What tattoos do you want?

19. If you could change your name, would you? What would you change it to?

20. What is something you’re obsessed with?

21. Describe your best friend.

22. Tag someone you think is hot.

23. Who are five of your favorite bands/musical artists?

24. What are three places you want to travel?

25. Describe your perfect Friday night.

26. What’s your favorite season?

27. What’s your pet peeve?

28. Who is the funniest person you know?

29. What’s the most overrated movie?

30. Tag someone you want to talk to but have been too shy to message.

31. Do you like paper books or ebooks better?

32. If you could live in a fictional world, what world would you pick?

33. If money was no object, what would your wardrobe be like?

34. What’s your coffee order?

35. Do you have a crush on anyone?

36. Do you still have feelings for any of your exes?

37. Have any tattoos?

38. Do you drink?

39. Are you a virgin?

40. Do you have a crush on any of your mutuals?

41. How many followers do you have?

42. Describe the hottest person you know.

43. What’s your guilty pleasure?

44. Do you read erotica?

45. What’s the worst date you’ve ever been on?

46. How many people do you follow?

47. If you could marry any celebrity, who would you pick?

48. Describe your ideal partner.

49. Who do you text the most?

50. What’s your favorite kind of weather?

Lovey stuff

anyone else been havin WEIRD dreams in quarantine

Glow up tips/ideas

Here’s my little guide how to glow up in your life:

First, get your life together:

Organise and clean your home -Having clean home will make you feel better and lighter and therefore you will be more positive.

Have a life admin day -Write down all the stuff that needs to be done, all the appointments you need to get and everything that needs to be fixed. Then schedule in a day every month or every two weeks when you tick off these thing off your list.

Do your damn laundry

Create routines -They can be long and strict or short and very opened

Fight procrastination in all the ways you can

Take your mediaction and have regular health check ups

Now it’s time for mental health:

Make sure you eat and drink water regularly

Get a therapist if you feel like you need/want one

Practise your hobbies or find new ones

Listen to your favourite music

Meditate

Create a happy atmosphere for yourself -Buy plants and flowers, let your favourite music play in the background, let in as much ligh as you can.

Warm beverages

Be as positive as you can

Try to complain less

Don’t talk shit about people, especially not behind their back -You spread negative energy and hurt yourself in the process.

Say nice things to people, compliment them as much as you can -Being nice to poeple will affect your own mood for the better.

Talk about what you love, not what you hate

Get enough fresh air.

Glow up your mind!:

Read more books -Does not matter the genre

Watch movies and series

Learn new language -Even if it’s just a few words

Watch documents

Talk to people smarter than you

Try learning random fact every day

Find a new hobby

Think of ways to make your life better and help your surrounding -Minimalism? Zero waste? Vegetarian? It depends on you.

Find a new friend

Help people

And lastly the physical glow up:

Find out how much sleep you need and stick to it -Usually 8 hours are the norm

Play around with make up -You will fail and it might look wonky from the beginning. And maybe you won’t even like it. I want you to experiment.

Make sure to go make-up-less sometimes if you wear it often

Drink water -It won’t magically clear your skin completely but it will get better.

Wash your face in the morning and in the evening, but no soap if possible

Use as little skin products as you can -Sometimes less is more.

Lip balm

Eat vegetables every day -Every. single. day. It’s the best thing I have ever done for myself.

Eat oatmeal -It did wonders for my hair.

Stretch regularly

Exercise -Find something you have fun doing and do it as often as possible.

Avoid food with too much grease and sugar -You can have it but try to reduce it.

Prepare your outfit the night before -It gives you time to think about what you’ll wear and it’s nice to have it ready in the morning.

Get clothes you feel good and confident in

Get your dream hair colour! -Get crazy if you want

Learn to be comfortable with your body

Don’t shower every day -I know, I know… but listen… It’s actually much healthier for your skin to shower every other day and wash your hair even less. Plus it saves a lot of water.

Get a perfume -Have a scent

Get enough sun -You don’t have to be tan but getting sun on your skin is very healthy and it’s visible in other ways than tan.

Smile and spread joy

If you’re happy, show it -It’s contagious

Remember that beauty comes from within. That is why I put these tips in that order.

I hope I helped and have a great year!

Keeping plants alive is a true accomplishment for me

Wishes.

Always. 💓

Nothing else will make you type slower other than your last password attempt.

Happy Earth Day!! Tick off your progress of your zero-waste journey! How many do you do already and how many will you be able to do by the end of the year?

Going zero waste is something that everyone adapts to differently according to what they have available, so do what you can, be aware and spread the word!

I wanted to add a link to every product, and I also need to add some other things but if you want to help me out that’d be great!

if you're wearing a bra while quarantined................. why

Henry Ospovat (1877-1909), “Shakespeare’s Sonnets”, 1899 Source

“Why have You forsaken me?”

Imagine you’re watching Jesus hang from the cross. The only way He can breathe is by pushing Himself up using the nails in His wrists and ankles. 

As the day draws to an end, He musters what little strength He has left to pull Himself up again so that He can cry out: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” 

If we’re being honest with ourselves, we’ve all probably had moments where we’ve asked God, “Where are You in this? Why have You forsaken me?” 

How should we respond when we find ourselves in situations where we feel alone, anxious, or forsaken? 

The words Jesus spoke on the cross were actually taken from Psalm 22—a prophetic lament written by King David. In many ways, this Psalm is about Jesus, but it also provides us with three action steps we can follow when we feel alone: 

1. Be honest with God about how you’re feeling.

Relationships start with being real. So if you’re feeling forsaken by God, tell Him that. Ask God your questions, and prepare your heart to hear his answers. 

2. Give God glory anyway.

Our feelings don’t change the fact that God is worthy of being worshiped. In fact, it’s often through worship that we discover the cure for our worry. When we focus on who God is, our perspective eventually shifts—even if our situation doesn’t.

3. Remind God of his promises.

Throughout Psalm 22, David basically tells God, “I know who You are. And since You’re always true to character, deliver me like You’ve delivered Your people before me.” Reminding God of his promises is not only an act of faith, but it also helps us remember the faithfulness of God’s character. 

Ultimately, God’s faithfulness was personified when Jesus was crucified. Jesus willingly suffered alone on the cross so that we could experience eternal companionship with God. Jesus is the prophetic fulfillment of Psalm 22. And, because He endured separation from God, we never have to. 

Take a moment to reflect on Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice for you. 

Pray: Jesus, thank You for rescuing me from eternal separation from You. It’s because You willingly endured separation from Your Father that I never have to. Today, help me to pause and reflect on the magnitude of Your sacrifice, and to give You the glory You rightly deserve. No matter what I’m feeling, You are always worthy of my worship. So today, I choose to worship You. In Jesus’ name, Amen