God

Overcoming Post Grad Blues

~ psbrittanykayla ~ Leave a comment

Graduating college is an amazing accomplishment! Finally, no more homework, 9 am classes, and dining hall food. But if you’re like me, that excitement soon turned into anxiety. Because now, we’re living in the “real world.” Everywhere you go, people are asking you, “What’s the next step?” “Where are you going to work?” “Are you going to grad school?” And you’re just sitting there trying to come up with the best sounding lie because reality is, you don’t have it all figured out yet! Trust me, I feel you.

Here are 6 things that helped me out during my post grad blues and I hope these tips help you too!

Take life one day at a time

If you’re anything like me, you probably thought something along the lines of, “Okay… I graduated. Now I need to find a 6 figure career, buy a house, find a husband and pick out my kid’s names within the next 5 years.” But I realized that if I am always rushing to the next best thing, I will never truly enjoy life. Instead of stressing out about things that I cannot yet control, I would rather focus on the things that I can, and enjoy the chapter I am currently on. Sure, I am not yet where I want to be. But I am enjoying every bit of the process.

It’s okay to change your mind

I personally had a bit of anxiety about what career path I wanted to take. I graduated with a journalism degree, honestly because I love to write. But I realized after working at the job I had while in college, teaching a journalism course to kids, that teaching is something more suitable for me. I am also interested in counseling. So I created a new plan, and that is subject to change as well. You never know where life will take you. But learn to find the positives in everything you do. If I did not major in journalism, I wouldn’t have started this blog. If I didn’t have that job, I wouldn’t have known I love to teach.

Don’t fall back into old routines

Some people move into an apartment after graduating. Others, like me, moved back in with their parents. Being in the same environment from 4-5 years ago might mentally make you backtrack. I know for me, when I was living on my own I made sure I didn’t buy any unhealthy snacks or goodies for my apartment. My idea of a treat was a granola bar or yogurt! Moving back home was hard for me because I was now surrounded by all the things I deprived myself of. It is something that I still struggle with today but I am learning to make the necessary adjustments. We can’t control what others do, but we can control ourselves.

Redecorate

One thing I did to get myself excited for moving back home was changing my bedroom around. I bought new décor and I am currently in the process of painting my walls. This change makes me feel amazing internally. I love lighting candles, laying in my new comforter and just winding down from a long day in my room.

Make a Plan

You can’t expect for opportunities to fall into your lap. You have to work toward your goals. And if you still are not sure about the career path you want to take, look at your life and figure out what you like. What aspects of work do you enjoy? Even if you are working in retail. Let’s say you hate the job itself but you enjoy convincing customers to buy things. You might be an excellent real estate agent one day. Explore that option. Volunteer or apply for internships. And again, its okay to not have it all figured out right now. LIVE LIFE AT YOUR OWN PACE, NOT SOCIETY’S.

Pray for guidance

Constantly praying for guidance was crucial for me. I remember in college, when I would go to Christian groups and they asked for prayer requests, my response was always GUIDANCE, GUIDANCE, GUIDANCE. Because I knew I was going to experience a major transitional life period very soon and I wanted every step I took to be approved by God. Pray that God will give you visions, signs and confirmation for your future! Trust me; you ask it and you will receive it.

I hope these tips helped some of my fellow post graduates. Please send this post to any of your friends that you think might need it!

xo, Brittany Kayla

Beauty in the Struggle

~ psbrittanykayla ~ 2 Comments

I’ve dealt with insecurities my entire teen and adult life. I’d always find myself on some sort of diet and wearing some sort of makeup, needing some sort of confirmation. These insecurities were so intense that they affected almost every single area of my life. Life is exhausting when everyday you wonder if you are good enough. It wasn’t until recently, when I decided to find the root of these issues that my perspective of myself changed.

I went back to my childhood. I pulled out an old diary that I kept from elementary school through high school. I realized that my insecurities began as young as 3rd grade. Bullying started in elementary school. Not feeling good enough started in elementary school. Almost every entry was about wanting to start diets, wearing makeup, finding a boyfriend, or how I could become prettier.

As I read through the diary, I began to cry. I couldn’t believe that little Brittany was worried about these things when I should have been worried about things like making the soccer team. I felt as though I was robbed of my childhood. But I refused to let that little Brittany stay alive in me today. I made it my mission to find confidence within myself.

I asked God why He let me feel a self-hate so deep at such a young age. Almost instantly the answer came to my mind. “You are going to help other young girls that are dealing with the same things you had to.” I didn’t know that in a few months that promise would come to pass.

I was already working with kids but a position opened up at a new school and I took it. This is where I realized that I had to go through the things that I went through to truly empathize with the students, particularly the girls. These girls were dealing with bullying, insecurities, suicidal thoughts, depression and some were crying for attention from boys. I made it my duty to sit down with these girls in a therapy-like session to make sure they knew they were beautiful and that they always had someone to talk to. In one exercise, I had the girls write 10 things they loved about themselves and 10 things they didn’t. Most of the girls wrote with ease the things they hated. One girl wrote 12 things in particular, but she couldn’t find one thing she loved.

I almost cried when one of the girls, who reminded me of myself, explained her issues to me and said that she wishes she could be more beautiful like “Ms. Brittany.” I explained to her that she is beautiful and that when I was her age, I went through the exact same things she was. Then I explained to her my own story and she began to cry. Knowing that I am making that kind of impact in my student’s lives is the ultimate reward for me.

I say all of this to explain that we all go through hard times in life. Whether you have childhood trauma, mental health issues, financial issues, relationship issues, or you’re mourning a loss; something beautiful is in the making.

So hold on tight and keep your faith strong. There’s always a rainbow after the storm.

xo, Brittany Kayla

ASK BRITTANY: I’m engaged but I still think about my ex…

~ psbrittanykayla ~ Leave a comment

Dear Brittany: I’m engaged to an amazing man that I love so much but I still think of my ex here and there and I just don’t know what to do… My fiancé is amazing to me but I feel like he doesn’t deserve the fact that I’m thinking of someone else when we aren’t talking.

This is a tricky situation! It’s going to take a lot of self-reflection on your part to figure out what to do and why you feel this way. But I personally don’t think I would go through with the marriage until I’ve figured everything out first.

If you are still thinking about your ex, this leads me to believe that you were never really over him in the first place; even before you got engaged. Maybe you agreed to the engagement because you felt pressured to say yes because your man is such a good guy??

You need to remember that being a good faithful man does not mean he is the one for you. I know that a good man is hard to find in a day and age like ours; but I’ve realized that we easily settle for people that we don’t really want just because they are giving us the love we’ve always craved.

Is there something about him that is not satisfying your needs? What are the things that your ex did for you that your fiancé can’t? Communicate this with him if so. Remember, communication is key to a successful relationship.

Why did you and your ex break up in the first place? If he wanted to get back together and you weren’t engaged, would you take the offer? If so, then your fiancé is probably not fulfilling enough for you and I would let him know.

These are all questions you need to ask yourself. But I know that I know that I know, you should not be thinking of your ex when you are about to commit yourself to someone else for the rest of your life.

Now let’s say you want to be with your fiancé for the rest of your life, without a doubt, but you still think about your ex because you never got closure. Then I would say to shoot your ex a text and receive the closure that you need.

You might also just have cold feet. It’s scary thinking about committing yourself to one person for the rest of your life! Perhaps your hesitation stems from fear of the unknown. Talk to other married women to see if they had cold feet before their wedding!

If I were personally in this situation, I would pray and ask God for guidance. Ask God if it is His will for you and your fiancé to be together. The Bible says in Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” So when you are seeking God with all of your heart and you are praying to Him, you will get the answers you are searching for.

The last thing you want is to be stuck in a marriage that is not for you. What’s most important in this situation is that you are following your intuition and your heart.

You know what you want out of life so live it the way you want. Don’t live the life others are expecting you to live. Don’t stay in a relationship you are not completely happy in. You are in control of your life and your happiness.  So take complete control.

xo, Brittany Kayla

If you would like to ask an anonymous question for you or a friend, click here and it will be posted on Ask Brittany!

ASK BRITTANY: why is it so hard to take God serious?

~ psbrittanykayla ~ Leave a comment

Dear Brittany:  Why is it so hard to take God serious? I feel like if I put two feet in and fail or fall to sin, I am a hypocrite.

I can definitely sympathize with whoever wrote this question. Growing up as a “church kid,” I’ve always been mindful of the activities I participated in. But I also grew up in a public school system with non-Christian friends and temptation, so I’d often fall short. I still do. It’s completely normal.

Don’t let one mistake, or your hundredth mistake discourage you from seeking God and striving to be the best Christian you know how to be.

I know that a lot of teens and young adults say, “Once I get older, settle down, and have kids… then I’ll be a committed Christian.” But tomorrow is not promised.

The problem here is that too many people believe that in order to be a Christian, you must be perfect. We see these church members every Sunday and we look up to them because they are so godly and seem so perfect. We often get intimidated and assume that we’d never be able to fit in because of the sins that we commit. But you would be surprised about what goes on in your own church leader’s homes behind closed doors. I am not calling them hypocrites. I am calling them human! Humans with flaws. We ALL make mistakes, whether you sit in the front or the back row of church.

So put both feet in! Strive to be the best Christian you can possibly be. The Bible says you should not be lukewarm, or in other words put one foot in and one foot out. If you fall short, just ask for forgiveness! The most beautiful thing about our God is that He will forgive you for something you believe is unforgiveable. Not saying you should intentionally sin, ask for forgiveness, and then repeat the cycle because that’s not how it works. But God knows your heart and He knows when you are genuine.

If you are struggling in a certain area or you just can’t seem to give something up, ask God for the strength and willpower to take those desires out of your heart. Don’t give up. It’s okay to make mistakes. You are not perfect, I am not perfect, your pastors not perfect, and neither are the rest of the Christians on this earth. Don’t be afraid to fail, because we ALL do. God knows your heart so keep going!

Love,

Brittany Kayla

If you would like to ask an anonymous question for you or a friend, click here and it will be posted on Ask Brittany!

 

The dream GOD gave me that put my frustration to rest!

~ psbrittanykayla ~ 3 Comments

A few nights ago, I cried myself to sleep. I began to feel like my life was remaining stagnant. I have such big plans for my future that when things slow down I get nervous. And when I don’t see God doing the things I want Him to do in my life, I get frustrated. I started reading horoscopes more than I read the Bible because I began to lose hope.

But when I fell asleep, I had an odd dream. In the dream, I was at the mall with a cousin. Suddenly an alarm went off for a big storm coming through the area. People began running frantically for safety. I remember seeing the walls of the mall crumbling down as waves of water from the storm came colliding. My cousin and I were desperate to get home to our families so we caught a ride from a little boy. After driving through the storm, the little boy dropped us off to my cousin’s house. However, I wanted him to take me to my house so I could be with my family. I begged and pleaded him to take me home. “Please, please take me home so I could be with my family!” But after several attempts, his final answer was no. The boy wanted to go home before the storm got too bad. Defeated, I walked with my cousin to her house, but to my surprise, my family was there.

When I woke up, I thought to myself, “Wow, they ended up being there all along.” If I had actually gotten my way and he took me to my house, I would have been disappointed and alone.

God wants me to tell you that sometimes, when we are going through a storm, we have our own ideas of where we should be, and get frustrated when we don’t reach that destination. You might never reach that destination. But the place God has in mind for you will be so much more rewarding and beneficial.

I then started to think about the little boy who gave us the ride. I actually recognized him from real life. I work for a children’s program and the boy, named Micah, is actually the tiniest child in the program. Although, he is too small to be driving a car, I relied on him in the dream to take me to where I wanted to be.

Sometimes when our faith in God decreases, we start relying on people or things that are UNQUALIFIED to take us to our desired destination.  God then told me to look up the meaning of the name Micah, and I found out that it means “Who is like God?” And of course the answer to this question is no one!

I needed that reality check. I needed to be reminded that horoscopes are not God. People are not God. I am not God. So what I have planned for my life just might not be what He does. And that is okay, because what He has in store for you and me is so much greater than we could ever imagine ourselves. Don’t be discouraged. God has a plan.

xo, Brittany Kayla

When Life Spins Out of Control

~ psbrittanykayla ~ 2 Comments

My Easter definitely didn’t go as planned, as I had gotten into my very first car accident. I was actually on my way to church, driving on the highway, when my rear tire popped and car spun out of control into the side of the highway ramp. When the tire first popped, I thought I’d be able to safely brake and pull

over onto the side of the highway. But once my car started spinning, I realized I had zero control over the situation. I didn’t know what to do. There was nothing I really could do. I could have tried to maneuver the wheel in different directions to avoid hitting another car, but that might have made the situation worse. I could have asked my passenger what to do, but they wouldn’t have had the answer. The only thing I knew I could do, was call on God. As the car spun, I held onto the wheel tight screaming, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!”

My car ended up landing safely on the side of the highway where no cars could interfere. Both my passenger and I left without a scratch. You see, when all of your faith lies in God, He will become the first one you call to for help in the midst of your life spinning out of control. I realized that some situations are just too big for me to handle on my own, and relying on friends can be problematic. But if your life is spinning out of control, and you give your issues to GOD, He will ensure that you end up landing in a safe and comfortable place.

A lot of us say that our faith lies in God, but He’s the last one we call on in the midst of our storms. Why is it that when we get bad news or are going through a tough time, we run to the phone and call on people who have zero power over the situation? Why is God, who has all control, not the first one we run to?

Some of us even try to handle our storms on our own. A few hours after my accident, I heard the news about Steve Stephens, a man who senselessly murdered innocent Robert Godwin Sr. on Facebook live. Stephens claimed Godwin was his 14th victim, and he had been killing innocent people all day simply because his life reached its breaking point.  As I watched this man’s video explaining why he did what he did, all I could see was a cry for help. I don’t know what Stephens was going through, but I can’t help but to think, “if only he gave his problems to God.”

Even when you’re at your breaking point, and you feel like no one is there, call on God. Even when you feel like He’s not listening, still call on God. Even if He doesn’t respond right away or as fast as you prefer, call on God. Even if He doesn’t handle the situation the way you want it to be handled, still call on God! When your faith lies in God, you can have peace, even in the midst of your storm and life spinning out of control, that He will work it out the RIGHT way.

Stop trying to take control of the wheel and maneuvering it in different directions. Stop calling on your passengers for answers. Hold on tight, and call on the one who has all control. “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! Take control of our lives!”

xo, Brittany Kayla

Why I am never worried about my future

~ psbrittanykayla ~ Leave a comment

I am never worried about the future. I have so many plans and aspirations for my life. And when I really think about it, it’s so scary. It’s scary to think, what if it doesn’t go my way? What if I end up with a mediocre job, a lifeless marriage, a few kids and a dog? While all of that is fine, it’s not what I envision for my future. I want more out of life.

Being Christian, I know that everything might not go my way. God’s plan might be way different than what I want. I also know that whatever His plan is for my life, will always be greater than what I had envisioned for myself. With that being said, I am never worried about my future.

At the same time, I’ve realized that I can’t make my own decisions and then expect for it to align with what God wants. You have to pray before making big decisions in life. Pray that God will guide you in the right direction. Sometimes we don’t know what to do, and no amount of advice from any other person in this world will make you feel more secure than the direction of God.

For example, I’ve tried to make my own decisions when it came to relationships. I would say, “This is the one. I want him to be the one I marry one day.” With no regards to if this is who God had designed me to be with. What if he has someone so much better for me?

I remember I was in a relationship and I told God, “Okay. I need you to tell me if this is the one. Remove him from my life if he will ever hurt me in the future. I don’t want to waste another day on someone I am not meant to be with. Please, give me a sign.” A couple days after that prayer I found out some things that showed me, he is not the one for me.

And then I thought, had I just prayed about it before… Prayed about the decision of being in a relationship with this man, I would not have gotten hurt.

If you allow God to lead your life, you will have nothing to worry about. Of course you will go through trials and tribulations, but always remain faithful to God, and He will bless your life. I promise. Give Him control.

xo, Brittany Kayla