Rise Up!

As I was flipping through Facebook a few days ago I saw an article about Chadwick Boseman, the actor who recently passed away from a battle with cancer. I had been saddened by this for a few days prior to seeing this article as cancer SUCKS, and I am tired of hearing about cancer and death, but that’s not what struck me that day. The author began by saying how nobody outside of the actor’s close circle of friends and family knew he was even sick. You know why? He didn’t blast it all over social media. He continued to live life and enjoy his final days doing what he loved, and being surrounded by those he loved. I’m just going to be straight up, I was instantly rebuked when I read that. Have I really been living my life or have I been so consumed with posting away on social media to even recognize that I wasn’t living life at all. It was in that instant that I knew I had to take a break from social media. It was in that moment that I knew I needed to take inventory of my life. I knew that for 30 days or permantently, I have yet to determine that, but in that moment I realized I had to take a break! Not everybody in the world needs to know what is going on in my life. There are things that only my family and close friends need to know. Of course the second I had that thought, I started talking myself out of it. I just wrote my book, how would I get that out to the world without social media. My blog has become something so many read through social media. I thought I would miss so many things going on. But would I? Is taking a break really going to make or break anything?

As I had that thought, I began to wonder what else am I not removing from my life that is stunting my growth, and stunting my vision, and my direction in life? Are there other things? What is really going to happen if I am not on social media? Anybody else feeling like they’re not living life right now and every day has turned into a blur where we just walk around in a trance checking Facebook every other second. Ignoring our spouses of an evening when we should be communicating, not fully enjoying lunch or dinner with a friend because we can’t get off our phones, blowing off our kids when they try to talk to us because something funny is happening on YouTube or Tik Tok, or a plethora of other things. We are not promised tomorrow! So what do you need to get rid of today to be the person you were supposed to be, and step in to the next chapter of your life? 

Don’t be lifting every body else up, don’t be pouring into everybody else, and not doing the same for yourself! What are you being called to do right now?!? I wrote a book about finding joy and I was letting the noise of social media take mine. I was called to lift others up, but in order to do that, I must make sure I am feeding my soul with things that matter as well.

I heard something today that struck a chord. The cemetery is full of potential! Let’s not let that be us! Let’s rise! Let’s stop letting things detour us! Let’s stop getting caught up in whose doing what! Let’s stop getting caught up in what others have that we don’t! Those are just roadblocks trying to stop us! So remove whatever is in your view and get on a different road! You have something more to do in this world! I have way more to do in this world! I don’t care if your family and friends don’t believe in you! I don’t care if your family and friends don’t support you! Do it anyway!! My mentor Dani Johnson says it this way “Rise up, step up and do something great with your life.” I want to really live my life, not some appearance of what life looks like on social media. I want to be so consumed with that time I’m spending with my family and that time I’m spending with friends that taking a picture for the world to see isn’t even a thought! I want to enjoy those moments that forever become memories that nobody can ever take away.

I realized this morning, when I finally got back to exercising and clearing my mind, that I’ve been on the right path to where I’m going for a few months now. However, in the past few days I have come to realize that somebody, or something doesn’t want me to stay on that path because they see I’m going to do something great! I let worry, doubt, and fear, and other things in my path to try and stop me, to try to steal my joy, and try to knock me off the path for good! You see, not everybody will celebrate your successes and appreciate where you’re going, but they don’t have to and you don’t have to care or let that detour you! You have been called so rise up now! Get busy living life and loving those you should be loving while you have breath in your body! Get healthy! Chase your dreams! Write that book! Fight for what you want! Get out of debt! Start that charity! Make a difference! Rise up and do it now! Remove the excuses, remove the noise, remove the blinders, remove the haters and do something great with your life! YOU have grateness within you!

With love for you all,

Shauna