Embracing Change: Navigating Transitions, Finding Faith, and the Power of Sisterhood

"Anger is transformative, and it is often the peak state we reach before we truly change our lives." -Brianna Wiest

Faith & Frustrations

On June 7, 2023, I wrote about my frustrations in one of my many notebooks concerning my current life circumstances, which involved experiencing rejections. I was eagerly awaiting updates, but the delay felt never-ending, causing impatience to set in. It appeared as though I was still dealing with the repercussions of my past poor decisions. I cried and prayed, yearning for a life that truly resonated with me, all while questioning if this longing made me ungrateful. Eventually, I allowed myself to recognize my feelings and chose to shift my perspective. Most importantly, I held onto the belief that God was indicating that what I wanted at that moment was not meant for me.

Lately, I have been engaging in some self-reflection, using audio recordings saved on my phone from the beginning of this year. Listening to them reminded me that I needed a break. I had become exhausted and experienced tons of anxiety that there were nights I couldn't sleep. That has never happened to me before. It led me to schedule a doctor's visit, which ultimately led to having moderate to severe anxiety. I couldn't pinpoint what exactly triggered my anxiety; maybe it was an accumulation of things happening, but it felt unfamiliar. In one of the recordings, I prayed to uncover the root cause of my negativity and release it. Despite being in a difficult headspace, I expressed gratitude because I genuinely believed God guided me through it all. I knew I needed to trust Him even when I felt defeated.

Sisterhood

It felt like I was in a therapy session, but instead, I had a meaningful Facetime call with my line sister, Steph. I want to highlight this moment because I felt helpless and isolated at that time. I believed that if I couldn't grasp it, no one else could either. I opened up to her about my challenges. I was feeling that I was losing myself and that it is one of my greatest fears. I had stopped blogging, all of my attire were either black, white or beige which I believe was affecting my mood, I gained so much weight and I was feeling the pressures of work with its own challenges and focusing on school. It was a lot. Our conversation was deep and empowering, leaving a lasting impact and offering a new perspective on my struggles. Steph's empathy and understanding created a safe environment for me to express those feelings. Her insights helped me on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth, bringing clarity to navigate my emotions with intention. Eventually, I was able to support her in return, underscoring the strength of sisterhood.

New Transitions

I often spoke about how I wanted to change my environment. It is important for me to grow and not become too comfortable. For the past three years, living at home I became complacent at the same time I needed to regroup and figure out how I wanted to move forward. For a year straight, I've been planning my new and current transition. It was time to put my big girl panties on again. When I left home to attend college in 2016, that was a big yet one of the best decisions I have ever made and prior to that I had put what I wanted and needed on hold. I did not want to put myself in that position again. So, things were coming together, which felt surreal because it was exactly what I had hoped and prayed for.

I love it when I come across something, like a book, quote, sermon, or podcast, that speaks exactly to me in my current life season. In this instance, it is a book titled, The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-Mastery by Brianna Wiest (hence the quotes used in this blog post) and the Woman Evolve podcast with Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts. The title of the episode is Seasons of Transition with Priscilla Shirer. What stood out to me was a question that was asked: how to maintain belief during transition? The guest, Priscilla Shirer shared that "one of the worst things we could do is be so married to one season and the way it looks and the expectations." and goes on to talk about change being uncomfortable yet allow change to blow us into the next season. Another point that was discussed was that some things have to die such as ambitions, habits, or attitudes. It makes me wonder, what has to die in order for you to get to your next season? Tons of gems were dropped in this episode, please check it out if you'd like (I added the link).

"Your new life is going to cost you your old one." -Brianna Wiest

With love,

Vivion Lashon