Fear not...

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The picture to the left shows exactly how I have been feeling the past few weeks. So much is going on, you wonder how things will work out. When will I get a job? How will I live? What am I going to eat? If you're in a relationship, you wonder what the next step is.

We are human beings, it is natural to worry. We try to use our power to try and fix things, and when they do not go as planned, we worry. Now that I am in this place of self-discovery - realizing and living out my purpose - I've been doing a lot of thinking. So much thinking, that I start to freak out. A few days ago, I was driving, and I started to thinking about my goals, and what God's purpose is for me. Then I started crying! The tears just would not stop...my nose was blocked, and it was getting difficult to see the road. I cannot remember the last time I cried that much. It became difficult to pray. I was in a place of anger, confusion, doubt, and most importantly, fear. I have been afraid before, but this time was very different. My stomach started to hurt, and I felt sick.


I had a conversation with my aunt, and as a Christian and doctor, she shed some light on things you could do:

• Read your Bible! - Matthew 6:27 says, "Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?" It made me realize that all the time you spend worrying about things, you've lost valuable time. You waste time by being upset over stuff you cannot do anything about, things only God can change. Worrying gets you nowhere. 

It gives the devil a chance to mess with your mind and to make you doubt God. When that happens, the result is never good. You try to do things within your power, and most times, it does not work out the way you would like. Even if it does, happiness is hardly a result. You want to take control of your life, instead of giving it to the One who gave you life. You get to that end point, and you realize: all this fighting for nothing.


Joyce Meyer puts it perfectly in her devotion: "Jesus tells us to 'calm down' in John 14:27 an 'cheer up' in John 16:33. I think it is a one-two knockout punch to the devil when we do. When you realize you can't fix everything, that calms you down, and when you know that God can, it cheers you up!"

• Exercise! - This is one of my favorite hobbies. My favorite type of exercise is dancing. I can dance all day. Research shows that when we dance for a long time, mood-lifting hormones are released.  "Physical activities, from sprinting to ballet, also release endorphins, brain chemicals that promote satisfaction, euphoria, and high pain tolerance", says the article. The problem will not go away immediately, but you feel better.

I tend to handle situations better after I break a sweat. As crazy as this sounds, the situation may not have changed, but your outlook on it changes.

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• Be Positive! - What we say and what you think about certain situations can affect how you view these situations. What kinds of things do you say to yourself? Slowly wean yourself off negative thoughts. One thing that I have learnt is that you must be careful about what you say out loud. I always think that someone is listening, so I try to be careful about talking negatively. 

If you are looking for a job, try not to ask, "Why can I not get a job?" because your mind will start to come up with self-demeaning responses like "You do not have enough experience", or "You are too old". When you speak positive things and ask better questions. Once you start asking questions like, "How can I earn enough money to support myself?", your mind starts to look for solutions. When you start thinking positively, watch how much better you feel.

Being positive also means surrounding yourself with positive people, people who truly care about you. They will lift you up with encouraging words, and get your mind off your problems for a little bit. Nothing like being surrounded by love and laughter.

With what I am going through, I am definitely doing these things. I know that things are going to get better, it is just a matter of time, and patience. Be encouraged everyone, and have a fabulous, WORRY-FREE weekend! :)