embrace the suck!

Hey Royals!

It’s been a while since I’ve connected with you and for that I am sorry.  It wasn’t my intention to be missing in action but this time a part has put a lot of things into perspective and I have grown up a bit since you’ve last heard from me.

I’ve been doing a lot of self-reflection and introspection regarding what I feel like God has been calling me to and really thinking about my purpose and what all that entails.  Well, I’ve gotten part of my answer but not the whole picture.  To put it plainly, I’ve gotten slightly discouraged with my blog and this whole “Heart of Royaltee” brand. Why, you might ask? Because it’s new for me. 

New is hard. New is awkward.  New is scary. 

Brene Brown, who’s my professional mentor and she just doesn’t know it yet, said it best in her new podcast Unlocking Us, that “we must stay in tough first times versus tapping out and shutting down. Being new at things is uncomfortable.  The excitement soon fades and vulnerability sets in.  The only way to get on the other side of that discomfort is to push through.”  At first, I couldn’t quite name why I was in a blogging slump but after praying and reading and listening to professionals that I admire, they reminded me that in order to affect change and achieve our God given purpose, it’s going to be a challenging experience at first but it gets better.

So, here I am.  In a first experience with my blog and it’s been difficult because I don’t know what I am doing. I just knew I was going to rock this from jump and I would be oozing with material and content to share with you guys but that hasn’t quite happened.  The learning curve has been so overwhelming.  It took me a while to create a website, then I started thinking about how to stay current on my social media platforms, deciding whether to go live, is my material relatable, do people really want to listen to what I have to say, what if I sound crazy or I stumble on my words when I speak publicly, am I really an expert in what I am sharing? The uncertainties were A LOT for me to process to the point where my thoughts were becoming discouraging. This was much harder than I thought. 

What I was sure of, though, was that I have always had the desire to create community that is uplifting and encouraging and transformative. I knew God placed this platform on my heart and mind.  Throughout the weeks, I spent some time with my Father and his words to me were, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.  Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9. That is the definition of being vulnerable and relying on the strength of God to push me through the suck.  It’s about developing courage in heart and mind. The good news is that once we embrace the suck, we’ll get to the other side of joy, comfort, and security.

I encourage you embrace the sucky first times with me because being new at things challenge us to new limits.  When we’re pushed to new limits we inevitably grow and have a deeper appreciation for living.  There’s a famous quote that states, “anything in life worth having, is worth working for.” There is a realm of influence that is dependent on you to work past your discomfort and challenge you to live whole heartedly without regret.  There are plans beyond our comprehension that God has for you and me, but we won’t be able to enjoy the fruits until we’re able to get out of our own head and trust God fully. These feelings are normal but don’t stay there.  Keeping walking, keep moving.  We will survive and move past this!

What are some of your sucky first times that you’re currently experiencing?  Share them below.

Love you to life family!