How to Regain Focus and Motivation

I don’t know about you guys but when it comes to other people I love to love them. It’s not me being weird or anything, but I genuinely aim my day at helping people become a better version of themselves. People are amazing and I love to see others accomplishing big goals, going out of their comfort zone, finding joy and accomplishments, etc. It makes me feel on top of the world when I see others do these things, and I strive to help them accomplish this!

The amazing part of blogging and Instagram is it gives me a platform to encourage others, but lately it’s felt more of a reminder of failure at giving you guys my all. Emotionally and physically I feel drained, and I almost like a fraud coming here to help motivate you while figuring out how to even motivate myself. Thankfully I have a loving God who gave me perseverance and an amazing husband to lift me up with encouragement.

In Romans 5:3-5 it says “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”.  Now I don’t know about you, but to me this means the fact I feel so defeated is exactly why I need to keep on persisting through this time of trial!

I don’t want to be one of those people who in the midst of a personal trial I give up because I would be admitting everything I have felt called to do and have done would be worthless. I know when God calls you to do something it indeed is worth more than rubies!

Whether or not you are a believer in Christ I know we all feel a strong pull to do something in our lives and it is easy for us to get derailed. We tend to feel small and alone in these times, and for me I tend to accomplish everything I need and more before even reconsidering taking a second look at what needs to happen in my life. I want to just stand here for you and for my future self to keep searching in these times of distress and demotivation. For every person rediscovering there passion and drive for something looks different so don’t do what you think is expected, do what you know works for you!

For me I tend to always spend my free time with people, I love deep conversation, getting to know others and experiencing deep emotional connections, but I have a hard time finding the time to be alone and reflect. I am realizing if I want to be there for you guys, I have to also stop and be there for myself.

If you are struggling in this area take some time for yourself whether it be alone time, time with family and friends, time spent researching, dancing, cooking, etc. Do something today to recharges and brings you energy and motivation! When you feel your best you create more, you love people more, you accomplish more and overall feel like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders!  

Now if words from my human brain didn’t encourage you here is some scripture I find inspiring!

·         Proverbs 12:25 “Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad”

·         Romans 12:12 “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer”

·         1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

·         Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

·         2 Timothy 1:7 “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”  

Thank you so much for stopping in and taking the time to share some love,

-Sonya

How to Enjoy the Small Victories

I don’t know about you guys, but when it comes to accomplishing goals I go 110%, up until about the half way point. For example, I started an eight week fitness program and the first four weeks were fantastic, but the last four have been a struggle. It’s not that my body can’t do it, but it’s my mind that tells me to stop. I haven’t seen or felt the drastic change so I try to tell myself it’s not working or I decide to neglect a workout because I convince myself I have too much to do. Of course this is all while I lay on the floor watching IG stories on how to make Halloween cakes…It is a good trait to think big, but when I don’t see the big change immediately I give up, thankfully I have my husband to keep me grounded when it comes to these things.

He constantly reminds me that in order to get where you want to be, your confidence is going to drop and spike and you have to push through. What you’re passionate about will drive you to learn more so you can overcome the down slopes and keep moving forward. And in order to see the big results I have to give it time, effort and consistency without letting the fear of failure or inability getting in the way.  

A big part of what gets in the way of doing these things is not recognizing all the little victories along the way. Think about having a clean house. You don’t just pull out the dust pan and brush, stand there for an hour and poof your house is clean. You have to individually approach each part of the house. When the floors are cleaned you move on to the windows, and from there the messy drawer, and so on.  You would not have a clean house with all the small victories of different areas of the house. It is the same for our lives, weather your looking to get healthy, change your habits, improve relationships, etc. It’s not going to happen overnight, but when you take time to appreciate the little victories you will come to see the value in what you are doing.

If you feel unmotivated to finish or even star working towards a goal, take some time to journal some of the little victories that have helped get you this far. You might be surprised at how many victories you have accomplished that have helped you reach that point.

After you write down your accomplishments take some time to make a list of small victories you would like to accomplish to help you work towards your goal. This will help you get excited and help you to see as you go along just how much ability to accomplish what you set your mind on! 

Give it a go and let me know what you guys think!

Thanks again for stopping by!

-Sonya Peacocke

The Benefits of Drinking Tea

Keep Calm and Drink Tea.

I don’t know about you, but growing up I loathed tea despite how awesome it was. Thankfully I have a mother who would always encourage me to try new things as well as my South African family who helped me to understand the sheer importance of tea.

First of all, drinking tea is something commonly acquainted with relaxation. Tea time is a part of your day where you take a step back to breath, enjoy good conversation or even quiet time by yourself. There is something special about putting life on hold for those few moments.

Now if you would have told me that 2 years ago I would have seen it as a waste of time because obviously taking 15 minutes to drink tea is not productive. My mindset was if you have 15 minutes to do something, then do something productive. This “productive” time would consist of cleaning, jumping jacks, trying to read all 45 pages of assigned reading, etc.

Obviously I was good at taking every opportunity to stress myself out…

Thankfully I can now see the productivity in drinking tea. Not only is it relaxing and offers some family time, you also have a chance to mentally unwind. I have found that taking 15 minutes helps me to be more productive, I am calm and not rash in my decisions and I am generally happier.

Oh yeah, and did I mention all the health benefits of tea? You might be surprised but tea can be used to sooth a sore throat, aid in digestion, provide antioxidants to keep you healthy and caffeinated teas are a great swap for coffee! Tea is also low in calories and can help you when it comes to managing cravings and mindless snacking.

So this week take the time to stop for a minute, make a cup of tea with a special treat whether it be good conversation, a slice of cake, or both!

P.S. If tea doesn’t sound too thrilling here is a list of my personal favorites!

·         Rooibos tea with a dash of Almond milk and Honey

·         Matcha Latte with Cinnamon

·         Herbal blended tea: Plain or with a dash of Almond Milk

Smoothie Bowl Love

Need to get out of the boring breakfast rut?

Here is a simple, and delicious recipe that will make you step back, look in the mirror, and realize that your the coolest for creating an awesome breakfast. 

Ingredients 

• 2 frozen cubes pumpkin
• ¼ cup frozen steamed cauliflower
• ¾ th Frozen Banana
• 1Tbs Nut Butter
• Plant based Milk ½ cup or as needed  
• 3-4 drops stevia (Optional)
• 2Tbs Flax Meal

Helps you to digest smoothies and avoid that sickly feeling some people get after eating smoothies

• Dash of cinnamon

This is a warming spice and will aid in digestion of your smoothie as well as keep your blood sugar from spiking.

• 1tsp Maca (Optional) 

This is to help balance hormones  

Blend and top with your favorites, from nut butter and coconut to chia seeds and fruit! 

#TREATYOURSELF

Treat yourself.

I’m not sure about you guys, but I know it has never been easy for me to relax or treat myself without feeling guilt over what I could have done with my time and energy. Thankfully, I married someone who has mastered the art of treating himself. He has shown me that by taking the time to do what you love, you can increase your creativity and hold on to who you are as a person. For example, he loves video games. But as an adult, video games aren’t exactly an “adult activity” and are seen by many to be a waste of time. Unfortunately, I thought the same thing. How can doing something that’s unproductive and doesn’t seem to have any importance be beneficial? I have found this idea to be wrong because my husband is extremely hard working, creative, and determined, and knows exactly who he is as an individual. This all stems from the fact that he makes time for himself while maintaining balance with life’s responsibilities.

We as individuals need to make time for ourselves to do the things that we love, despite what we or anyone else has said or thought concerning the matter. When we take this time we are showing ourselves and the world that we value ourselves and from that stems a greater ability to give more. Whether you are into gaming, reading, journaling, etc. make sure that you make time to relax and do the things that you love to do. For me it’s blogging and Instagram. Through these outlets I have found something that I love and they make me feel like I am not only doing something to help myself, but I am helping others as well. I want you to find that same enjoyment.

Next time you feel stressed or overwhelmed throw on this DIY facemask below and do something that brings you joy! If you can’t think of something off the top of your head, look deeper and think about how you spent your time as a child. Did you play in the mud (raises hand), write people cards, play hide and seek? Starting there can help you re-learn what brings you joy and motivate you to spend some of your precious energy on yourself for a change.

DIY MATCHA FACE MASK

 • 1tsp Matcha powder

• 1tsp raw honey

• 1 drop lavender essential oil

 • 2-4 drops almond oil

 Mix together and apply to your face.

Don’t tell your friend/family member/spouse and hide behind appropriate object.

Jump out to scare them and laugh until pants are wet.

Change clothing and try to convince them to put on the remainder of the mask.

Choose a favorite activity such as gaming, knitting, cooking, etc. and enjoy!

Remove mask for soft and refreshed skin accompanied by a few extra smile lines.