out of my comfort zone

"And we know that for those

who love God

all things work together for good,

for those who are called

according to His purpose." 

Romans 8:28 

Hey guys!! I hope you all are doing fantastic. I have been doing great lately. I keep myself busy with social media, my blog, and a new project that I am taking on. I want to keep it a surprise for as long as I can keep my mouth shut lol. I will try my best to not give too many teasers, but I am beyond excited. Things are about to get crazier for me, and I am so ready! 

If you follow me on Instagram and saw my story where I actually talked, you already know what is up. I just finished a whole blog (besides editing and pictures). It was a longer one too! Yet here I am about a half hour later, starting a completely different blog. I liked the blog I wrote, and it will be posted eventually. However, I felt heavily encouraged by God to write this blog. It means a little more work, but it is so worth it considering that God gave me the idea! You guys know how excited I get when I feel like God is giving me a topic to speak about!!!

(No better way to start this blog off, but with a picture of my dog finishing a yawn. He looks like he is smiling for the picture hahahaha!)

So, what exactly is today's topic? I am going to talk about getting out of my comfort zone, and how you can get out of your's. I have learned A LOT. I say that exact line A LOT. One thing I have learned is how to get the heck out of my comfort zone. I love routine, and I love things to just stay the same. I want everything to go nice and smoothly. I do not like feeling uncomfortable even slightly. A lot of people like things like that, but it is NOT always realistic. Now, I am not about to encourage everyone to face their biggest fear or to go absolutely nuts. I can tell you right now that I will NEVER skydive or swim in a pool of bugs. I am talking about getting over your insecurities, and how I am trying to get over mine. This is not about your outward insecurities. This is about who you are and what you do. (I have a blog on "confidence" that talks all about becoming confident with the way you look!)

What am I insecure about right now? Numbers! I look at the number of views I get on here. I stare at my stats on Instagram. I am always looking at how many accounts I was able to reach, followers, likes, and views on my story. My sister, Anastasia, manages my Pinterest, and we talk A LOT about numbers. We discuss what pictures need to be posted, and ideas of what to post. A couple months ago, I hardly thought about these things. I did have a drop in blog views at one point, and I tried a couple of things to help that out. Other than that, I never really thought about numbers anywhere. 

(I took this picture early in the morning on my way to work. Look at those clouds.)

What changed? I decided I wanted to do more with social media, and reach more people. Now, I post more about God and my beliefs. My instagram captions went from saying "Sunshine" with a sun emoji to mini blogs. Going into changing that, I prepared myself that I would lose followers. People did not originally follow me to read a whole novel, but it is easier to prepare myself than to see it (sometimes). My followers look like they are at a standstill, because for almost every follower I get, I usually lose a follower. This past week I even experimented with videoing myself talking for my story, and that was definitely out of my comfort zone. Then, with the help of my sister, I decided I wanted to make a Pinterest. I knew pretty much nothing about Pinterest before making one. Now, I post THREE times a week on there. That was out of my comfort zone.

As sad and guilty as I feel to say this, it is scary to talk about God these days. I never know what people will say to me. I am NOT ashamed of believing in God. I NEVER will be, and I am not trying to say I am. I am not scared to believe in God either. I do stress about getting hated on though. No one wants hate. It is just one of my weaknesses. I get insecure about people seeing my followers look as though they are hardly moving, and my likes on Instagram being so unpredictable. I get frustrated when I do not meet my goals. This sounds so motivating, right? HAHA 

(I was on my way to Georgia with my mom, and we drove past so many pretty fields. I had to take a picture to show you guys.)

Well, I am here to say I did everything anyways, and I will continue to do so. I posted that picture that ended up with a very tiny amount of likes (compared to my other pictures), and I did not delete it. I posted that video on my Instagram story despite the knot in my stomach. I posted every blog that I thought there was a possibility of getting hated on for. I made a Pinterest. Yes, I was hesitant many times, and I stress myself out staring at all the numbers to this day. Getting out of your comfort zone can be extremely uncomfortable and (sometimes) stressful. BUT it can be so rewarding. I am opening up doors for more people to talk to me about their faith and their stories. I have people encouraging me to keep going. 

So to wrap this up, are you going to let that little headache stop you from doing something that could end up being the best thing ever?? You know I do not receive hate, and I just sit here in anticipation waiting to hear it. I stress myself out over something that has not really happened yet. So, the big question to ask yourself (about doing whatever it is you want to do but are scared to), what are you REALLY afraid of? My answer would be... Me. I critique myself harder than anyone else ever could. I cannot let myself be the reason to not go forward. Whatever your answer is, you CAN do it! Whether it is you, someone else, or something else, you have to learn to believe in yourself. If you need a cheerleader, scroll down to see where to find me. I believe in each and every one of you.

(This is a bigger verse to include lol. I cannot tell you the amount of trouble it was to get a decent picture that is readable. This is like my sixth edit haha. I just really felt like it should be included. It is just a really awesome way of saying stay positive and trust God.)

Lastly, you ALL are loved and appreciated! <3 <3 Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. Please keep praying for my grandmother (heart failure + other health complications) and my cousin (recovery from brain tumor removal). 

Let's talk! I love hearing your own stories and opinions! If you have any questions / comments / concerns that you would rather not comment down below, direct message me or email me!

Instagram : Newkindofliving

Email : Newkindofliving@gmail.com  

Twitter : Newkindofliving

PEACE OUT UNTIL NEXT TIME!!!

a year later...

"You need to persevere 

so that when you have done 

the will of God,

you will receive 

what He has promised."

Hebrews 10:36 

Hey guys!! I hope all is well with each and every one of you. I am so beyond excited for today's blog that I am practically shaking typing this. Somehow, everything timed out perfectly that today's post is EXACTLY a year since my first blog ever. God really knows how much the little things mean to me haha. SO with that being said, let's talk about this past year... The good, the bad, the ugly, and the in-between! 

So, let's jump right in. Where was I a last year?? A year ago, I posted a blog, "why did i dropout in the first place". I remember waking up one day after dropping out, and I thought, "I am going to write a blog." I did not have a concrete plan or really any real expectations. I just felt like writing to whoever would read. My blog was written two weeks after I had officially dropped out. It was all still so new, and I was so excited to see what was to come. I ended that blog by saying, "By the end of this year, I will be able to answer the question... Was it worth it?" But before I answer that question, let's reminisce and look over this past year.

(This is my nightstand table. I put the focus point on the Bible verse. "Where God guides, He provides." Isaiah 58:11. What a powerful message spoken with only a few words. This past year there were many times where I felt like I was walking around blindly, but with every single change, God DID provide. He keeps His promises if you allow Him enough time to follow through.)

A little over a month after dropping out of college, I posted a blog, "discouragement with unemployment". It was definitely my angriest blog to this day. It was evident that I was beyond frustrated with not only my current employment status but the people around me. At one point, I explained, "It gets lonely, and at times, I relate with no one." It was not long after that blog I got the job I have now. In a few blog posts later, I posted one called "living and learning", I simply stated in that one, "I'm still working. I love my job." Throughout different blogs, you can read all the times I mention my job, and just how much I love being a full-time nanny.  

And then, I came out with news that I think was even more shocking than dropping out of college lol. Almost exactly a month after "living and learning", I posted, "getting through my breakup". It was the scariest blog I posted (to this day, I have not posted a blog that scared me more). I was scared to hear what people might say. (Everyone was beyond nice, and I was so comforted by each of you who reached out. <3 <3) It was a sad blog, but in that blog, you can see that my attitude was already starting to change. I even exclaimed, "I learned a lot about myself, and I am going to work hard to be the best me."

(This is a screenshot from a video I took while I was in VA. The quote I used is something we should all think about. Life changes, and we change with it. We are all "hunting" (growing) into unique individuals.)

More blogs and quotes :

dropping out of college update #1 : "Lastly, I want to make it clear that dropping out of college was the best thing ever for me."

I'm stressed... here's why : "It can be hard for me to get my mind back on track, because for the first time in years, I realize I have no control over the next chapter in my life." 

am i still terrified of change? : "One day, I was mad and full of angry / tearful questions towards God, and the next, I had this hope and fire for what God had in store for me." 

(Again another screenshot from a video... This one was from when Anastasia and I went to TN! I promise these are my last photos from my summer vacations [don't hold me accountable lol]. So before you freak out on me, there is absolutely no denying these two photos aren't pretty hahaha.) 

It has been quite the year. I have experienced many emotions, and been in situations I never dreamed I would be in. The support I have received throughout this year has brought real tears to my eyes. When I started my blog, I did not think that hard about it. It just felt right. Many of you have reached out in some way. Some of you have offered to be a shoulder to lean on, prayed for me, asked questions, or shared with me your own stories. While others, simply, let me know they were keeping up with my blogs. Each message brought overwhelming amounts of joy. If you have not talked with me and just read, I am just as joyful to see that someone read my post. With each message and view, I realized more and more why I take the time to write this all out. I did not know why I wanted to blog when I started, but thanks to each and every one of you, you all showed me. 

It is just the beginning. I am working harder now than I did when I first started. You all are contributing to a life I never would have guessed I would love this much. When I started out, I was an anxious college dropout. I had no other title. Now, I am not only a nanny and blogger... I am the most joyful me that I have ever been. This past year I have grown and learned more than I ever thought possible. So, let's answer the question...

Was all of this worth it??

A million times... YES!!

(Follow me on Instagram [ @newkindofliving ] to see my day to day and hear what other stuff I have to say about life. It is content you do not want to miss HAHA.)

Last, but absolutely, not least, you ALL are loved and appreciated. <3 <3 After reading this post, I hope you realize just how much I actually mean that line. Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. Please keep praying for my grandmother (heart failure + other health complications) and my cousin (recovery from brain tumor removal). 

Let's talk! I love hearing your own stories and opinions! If you have any questions / comments / concerns that you would rather not comment down below, direct message me or email me!

Instagram : Newkindofliving

Email : Newkindofliving@gmail.com  

Twitter : Newkindofliving

PEACE OUT UNTIL NEXT TIME!!!