So I've Been Making Changes - A Little Light No. 20
*Alexa, play Self by Khalid* A 15-second clip of this song was trending with videos of people at the gym, eating beautiful meals, doing yoga, or journaling. I’m sure you can picture it. The lyrics are:
So I've been making changes
Been working on my health
No more competition
Can't compete against myself
What does making changes actually look like? The phrase, “I’m doing the work, I’m working on myself" is a popular one. To some, it might look like the trending videos with yoga, a gallon of water, and a cute fruit bowl. I can say, it doesn’t exactly look like that for me. Doing the work is unlearning the negative traits that are engrained in our behavior to become the best versions of ourselves.
I’m trying to make changes. This is what Of Love and Light is all about! The mission here is to encourage growth through faith-based reflection. I’d like to think Of Love and Light as a place where faith, productivity/planning, and self-reflection meet. Through sharing my own experience, I hope you can find comfort in your own.
This newsletter serves as a reminder to check in with yourself. Here are a few questions to consider this week. We’ve reached the middle of this year and it’s a great time to reflect. Maybe you just want to answer one or all of them. It is totally up to you!
Assess your foundation
- What do you fall back on when things get rough?
- How do you spend your free time?
- What is your immediate reaction to a negative experience?
- How are you influenced? Is it through what you see around you? Is it through the Word of God? Is it through expectations from family?
Look how far you’ve come
- What has changed in the last 6 months? Mentally? Physically? In your environment?
- What have you already accomplished?
Hope for the future
- What is one action you can do today to make tomorrow better? Or this month to make next month better?
- Where do you see yourself in the next 6 months?
- Do your current actions align with that vision?
The last question I ask you is: What are you going to do about it?
I’ll start! Here are my answers to some of the questions in the first set: I realized a few weeks ago I was spending an increasing amount of time on TikTok. I would constantly break my social media screen time limit. I used it as a distraction from whatever was in front of me. My relationship with social media is one I’ve worked hard to control because it consumed so much of me before. It used to be a large part of my foundation. Consequently, I looked to others for comparison and a guide to what I should look like or do, instead of aligning myself with God’s will. The videos I saw on TikTok I wanted to replicate. It is literally the point of the app. Though it can be used as a creative outlet, I haven’t figured out the balance yet.
What did I do about it: I removed TikTok from my home screen so it is not an easily accessible app. I decided I want to work on a new writing habit, which I've already started with this new time. I’ve also read more than usual. Instead of scrolling in TikTok, I scroll reading through articles, which has led me to fascinating personal stories and opinions. I also started a new devotion habit. As I get ready for my day, I listen to the First 15 podcast and listen to the chapter of the day for the 260 journey, which ends up becoming 2 or 3 chapters listened to. By listening to the same couple of chapters throughout the week, it helps me retain more when I sit down and physically read them. Last week my overall screen time decreased by 7%.
Take this with you:
We are a different person today than we were yesterday, literally, we are not physically the same. We are constantly changing. Let’s take a moment to embrace that change and continue to work towards our future selves.
Comment below if you have any thoughts or any answers to the questions I've asked. Please share with a friend! If you aren’t already subscribed to receive this message in your email, you can do so using this link!