Contact

I would love to hear from you!

Name(required)

Email(required)

Comment(required)

Join me on…

Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest

Want to make sure you never miss out on a post?

Enter your email address to follow Courageously.u and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Latest on the gram @courageously.u

Todays courageous story is from Becky, @becky.doesthegoodhair ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ "For the past few years, I've been striving towards owning who I am, excepting others & celebrating each other's unique design.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ My entire life I've felt like the oddball who doesn’t fit in… ANYWHERE! But I find myself asking if it matters. Do I even want to fit in? The honest answer is, no, no I don’t. What I want is to be accepted for me, just as I am!⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ It’s funny to hear other people‘s perceptions of me. Many times I’ve been told I come off as intimidating. Honestly, this has always hurt my feelings. I hate that people feel intimidated by me and avoid me. Many people make assumptions about me based solely on my appearance. Truth is I’m quite self-conscious. I’m just a Christian girl who goes to church every Sunday and strives to love others as Jesus does. I’m a highly sensitive and compassionate human. I’m a total empath which I consider both a blessing and a curse. I genuinely care about people and their feelings! I’m an encourager. I’m loyal. I’m also straightforward and will speak truth to you. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ I’ve always owned my style and don’t care about what anyone thinks. What bothers me is when my character is judged based on my appearance. Someone recently suggested that I work on looking more friendly. Why should I change who I am because of someone else’s insecurities? I’m not scary at all, but instead, I’m funny, kind, and caring.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Moral of the story, we all pass judgment by our perceptions. But what if we took a moment to reflect on ourselves? Most of the time I feel anything but confident! I can’t see why anyone would be intimidated by me. I struggle with body image, self-worth, confidence, and purpose. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ In the words of Alanis Morissette, “What it all comes down to is that I haven’t got it all figured out just yet.” I’m trying to be a better version of myself, to see myself as God sees me and to love others. He created us all unique, one-of-a-kind & that’s beautiful. Psalm 139:13-14"⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Let’s leave Becky some love below for courageously sharing her story. 👇🏼⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ #shareyourstory #bethedifference #shareyourheart

Radical acceptance is a game changer! I spent YEARS toting around negative emotions over things that happened “to me,” and it wasn’t until I discovered radical acceptance did I find inner peace. ⁣ ⁣ In a nutshell, radical acceptance is a lot like the serenity prayer, “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”⁣ ⁣ Radically accepting the present moment means you don’t fight it, you don’t get angry at it, and you don’t try to change it into something it’s not. You acknowledge your present situation, whatever it is, without judging the events or criticizing yourself. Don’t get it twisted, radical acceptance doesn’t mean you condone or agree with bad behavior, it merely means you stop trying to change what’s happened by getting angry and blaming the situation. When you get mad and think a situation should never have occurred, you’re missing the point that it did, and you have to deal with it. Being overly critical, angry, and judgmental of a situation will only result in more pain and missed details, and it won't improve your situation. ⁣ ⁣ The whole goal is to refocus your attention on what you can do in the present moment. This acceptance allows you to think more clearly and figure out a better way to cope with your emotions.⁣ ⁣ Long story short, you can’t change what happens to you, so to find inner peace accept the situation for what it is and move past it. Doing this will save you years of frustration and turmoil. ⁣ ⁣ Leave your favorite emoji below if you found this helpful. 👇🏼⁣ ⁣ #mentalhealthawareness #radicalacceptance #dbt

As we drove up the mountain the rain changed to snow, the grey sky became white, and the next thing you know we were living in a real-life snow globe. I was freaking out! The weather had successfully ruined my engagement pictures. There was no sun, everything was white and wet, and I felt defeated. As I trekked through the snow (imagine the cartoon 101 Dalmatians when they are walking in the snow storm), I fought back the tears. What I thought was supposed to be one of the best experiences of my life was straight misery. I was wet, freezing, my hair was going curly and frizzy, my lashes were popping off from the moisture, and midway through the shoot, my hair ended up on top of my head.⁣ ⁣ 1. So why share my engagement picture horror story with you? Because with every negative there is a hidden positive. So many lessons came from this experience. ⁣ ⁣ 2. Who knew a blizzard made for a beautiful backdrop. As Dolly Parton puts it, "If you want the rainbow you have to put up with the rain" or snow in my case. ⁣ ⁣ 3. Social media pictures don’t always depict reality. Had I not shared the background story, you would’ve never guessed I was holding back tears throughout the shoot. ⁣ ⁣ 4. Pinterest sets high expectations that result in a devastating blow when they don't manifest in reality. ⁣ ⁣ 5. The people you surround yourself with can make or break a situation. Had it not been for my photographers sense of adventure and amazing personality, I would’ve been a snowball on the ground turning into ice from all my tears. ⁣ ⁣ 6. Find a partner that supports your crazy ideas, and loves you through all of them, even when it means they become a figurine in a snow globe. ⁣ ⁣ 7. Radical acceptance comes in handy at times like these. ⁣ ⁣ Are you over winter as much as me? Drop your answer in the comments below 👇🏼⁣ ⁣ #engagementpictures #thewayitlookstous #shareyourheart

Double tap this picture if you ever struggle with the Monday blues. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I don’t know about you, but Mondays can be a killjoy sometimes. If you are anything like me and find yourself riding the struggle bus through your Monday, or any day for that matter, I want you to give the “half-smile” technique a try. Research has shown, practicing a half-smile for at least 10 minutes can help improve your overall mood and who doesn't want that?!?⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Here's how it works: ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Typically when you feel an emotion, a behavior follows. For example, when you feel joy, you may smile as a consequence. If you feel anxious, you may take shallow breaths. If you feel angry, you may furrow your brows. So it only makes sense that if you engage in the behavior, an emotion is bound to follow. Well, research has shown this to be true. If you smile for a few minutes, you will feel happy. If you take deep belly breaths, you will feel less anxious. Make sense? ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ So let's give it a whirl.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Begin to smile with your lips, but stop just when you notice a small amount of tension at the corners of your mouth. It's a subtle, tiny smile. If someone were watching you, they probably wouldn't notice any change in your face. Now wear this for ten minutes without stopping, and be mindful of how your mood shifts.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I know you are dying to give it a try, so go ahead and rock that half-smile as you navigate through your Monday. The best part about this technique is that it can be done anywhere and no one will even know you are taking steps to improve your mood. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ p.s. - Be sure to save this and add it to your best life tool bag. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ #mentalhealthawareness #personaldevelopment #wellbeing

Stinkin’ thinkin' is real, and the best way to combat your negative thoughts is through positive affirmations. If you are running a constant loop of negative self-talk through your mind, you’re eventually going to accept your thoughts as truth. Why not replace your stinkin’ thinkin' with something powerful and confident. The more you repeat positive affirmations, the more you will begin to accept them as your truth. ⁣ ⁣ Below are 5 affirmations focused on chasing dreams, leaving fear at the door, and making the most out of your time here on earth. I want you to pick your favorites, or say them all, but the key is to say them daily. If you catch your thoughts slipping, hit them with a positive affirmation. ⁣ ⁣ ✨I am powerful, confident, and capable of achieving my goals.⁣ ✨My dreams are possible.⁣ ✨I inhale confidence and exhale fear.⁣ ✨I have nothing to prove to anyone.⁣ ✨I have enough, I do enough, I am enough. ⁣ ⁣ Remember, when life gets tough, just keep swimming. Happy Sunday, friend! ⁣ ⁣ #wellbeing #mentalhealthmatters #positiveaffirmations

Topics

WordPress.com.