Tag: past

Spiral…

Posted on by Joanna
“Sometimes on this journey,
I get lost in my own mistakes.
But, my story isn’t over,
my story’s just begun.”

Can you hear me?
I’m spiraling.
Help!

Where am I?
I’m stuck in my thoughts.
Help!

When will this end?
I’m tired of always fighting.
Help!

Is anyone out there?
I’m begging to be free.
Help!

I feel like I’m:

Loosing myself
Brewing in self hatred
Swallowing with guilt
Thinking too much
Breaking everything I touch
Talking down to myself
Coping with the pain wrongly
Trying to change myself
Feeling like giving up
Dwelling on my past
Building my walls up higher
Learning to trust no one

God, I’m drowing
Deeper and deeper
Will you release me from this spiral?

My thoughts & emotions
Have taken over
Can you get them back?

God, I need you
And your amazing love
Will you help me?

I’ve lost the will to fight
I feel like giving up
Will you free me from this pain?

God, I need you
To remind me of your presence
Can you show me your love?

With God, I feel like I’m:

Winning back myself
Brewing in His love
Swallowing with ease
Thinking to gain wisdom
Breaking down walls
Talking about the truth
Swearing to never go back
Striving to be better
Feeling His love
Dwelling in His presence
Building friendships
Learning to trust again

Thanks for reading!
I hope this reminded you that you can always call out to God in difficult times,
& He will always listen and help you because:

YOU NEVER HAVE TO DO ANYTHING ALONE!

-LiveForAdventure! 🙂

Fitting In!

Posted on by Joanna

You try & try, over & over again, to fit in with the world.
You think you’ll be happy when everyone likes you.
You just want to feel part of something!
All you want is to feel wanted.
You want to feel happy & loved.

So, you try & try, over & over again to fit in.
You try everything they like.
You do what they do.
You fall into sin & you act like them.
But what happens is not what you hoped for!
All your trying to fit in has actually made you feel unworthy of His love.
You’ve sinned so much that now you feel too disconnected from Him.
And, all of it wasn’t even worth it because you still don’t fit in. 

You tried & tried, over & over again, & nothing changed.
Things actually got worse.
You still don’t fit in, & you slid further away from your goal.
All you want now is to erase the past & start fresh.
You realize as long as you fear Him, you’ll never fit in.
You will always feel guilty, & people will feel awkward around you.
You’ll never truly be one of them because you have Him on your side.
And, He is always looking after you. 

Stop trying & trying, over & over again to fit in.
Trust Him, & experience His love & forgiveness.
That’s when you will feel true joy.
A joy that the world could never offer.
He chose you, & He will never give up on you.
You are, & you will forever be, His child. 

If the world is not where you fit in, just remember that you are part of a greater & better family. So, stop trying to fit in with the world, they have literally nothing to offer. He can offer you so much more than the world ever could!

No one will ever care about you more than Him!

1 Peter 5:7

Thanks for reading!
This post was inspired by: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuvfMDhTyMA

-LiveForAdventure! 🙂

The Life-Changing Ticket

Posted on by Joanna

A simple ticket
To fly to a foreign place
Without return plan

One simple purchase
That could change everything
It takes some courage

Will it be worth it?
Am I ready for this change?
When will I return?

Doing all of this
To spend a few months abroad
Learning and living

Day by day with faith
Not thinking about the past
Or the future

And, when I return
Will I be ready to start
And succeed again?

. . . (3 months later) . . .

Yup, I’m ready now
This experience was great
It changed so much

It’s crazy to think
About how much I’ve learned
All from one ticket

One small, simple step
Changed and taught me so much
That I won’t forget

One small decision,
And, step into the unknown
Can change your life!

Thanks for reading!

-LiveForAdventure! 🙂

2019 Resolutions!

Posted on by Joanna
  • Be fully content & happy!
  • Be authentically myself!
  • Love life!
  • Live in the moment!
  • Let go of the past!
  • Enjoy the little things!
  • Stop worrying about what others think!
  • Meet new people!
  • Inspires others!
  • Live adventurously & meaningfully!
  • Travel more!
  • Explore new places!
  • Speak Spanish fluently!
  • Blog more!
  • Read more!
Thanks for reading my blog this past year!
I wish you a Happy New Year!
Cheers to an amazing new year ahead, full of new opportunities!
Let’s accomplish our goals together; comment below with your goal(s) for 2019!


-LiveForAdventure! 😊

Burning bridges, and ships.

Posted on by Joanna

Don’t let it stop you
This fear
Don’t let it scare you
This anxiety
Don’t let it consume you
This depression
Don’t let it take you

You can dance
On any heartache
You can sing
Over any challenge

Dry your tears
Wave goodbye
To everything
Holding you back
From the life you want

Step into a new day
Rise up from your past
Walk away
Leave the past
Behind you

Burn those old unnecessary bridges and ships that are holding you back from achieving your dreams! And, don’t ever look back!

Thanks for reading!

This post was inspired by: Burn the Ships – Song

-LiveForAdventure! 🙂

The good ol’ days!

Posted on by Joanna

I miss the days when I used to play outside everyday after school.
I miss the days when I would run around my block with friends and neighbours doing crazy and stupid things.
I miss the days when we’d laugh all evening until the sun set.
I miss those days because I always thought we’d see each other again tomorrow.
But, one day, tomorrow never came..
We all eventually moved away from that neighborhood.
And, without a trace, we all forgot about those days.

. . .

And, although, I have put those days behind me, sometimes I get reminded of those days. I’m reminded about how simple life used to be.
I think about what life would be like if none of us ever moved away.
But, then I remember that those days are in the past.
And, I realize that the past has made me who I am today.

I just miss the simplicity of how it used to be.
But, that’s what makes it such a good memory.
It’s a simple memory, that has taught me so much.

Those people I ran the streets of that neighborhood with.
And, the people I went to school with.
They have unconsciously taught me things that have formed me into the person I am today.
And, I wouldn’t change a thing!

. . .

I don’t have any idea what those people are doing now but, it really doesn’t matter because those were “the good ol’ days” for a reason.
And, in a way, I don’t really want to know what they are doing today.
I’d rather just keep the good & simple memories of those days because of those days and those memories, I am happy with the person I am today and I am proud of my younger self for everything I learned; even though sometimes it was more difficult than I felt like I could handle in the moment. But now, I am proud of everything. And, one day, I might meet those people. And, I won’t say much. I’ll simply thank them for everything we went through together.
They call them “the good ol’ days” because they are meant to stay in our past as old memories that will continue to teach us lessons throughout life.
And, no matter what your “good ol’ days” memory is (if it’s good or bad), just know that it is very important because:

Your past does not (and will never) DEFINE you,
but, it sure does SHAPE who you are and who you will become!

 

Thanks for reading!
I hope this post reminded you of your “good ol’ days” and helped you realize how far you’ve come!

days
These are the good old days for your future self!

-LiveForAdventure! 🙂

 

Learning how to chill…

Posted on by Joanna

So, stress is not fun at all.
And, learning that the hard way makes it even more stressful.

. . .

While I was living in Chile, I learned that stressing about things is never a good response.
I learned to just go with the flow; to not always stress when things don’t happen on time or go exactly as planned.

And, during those 3 months abroad, I learned that being able to control stress is very important for any situation because it helps you relax and let go, even when everything around you seems out of place and you can’t control anything that happens.

. . .

Throughout my travels, I learned that learning to relax feels great. It gives you a sense of calm in crazy situations that you don’t understand.
You see, each trip I’ve taken abroad has taught me something different about stress because being in a different country and in a different environment, helped me react to things differently and taught me how to react to things in a calm way.

For example: The past few months I spent in Chile taught me that not everything needs to be planned down to the last details (it taught me not to stress about ‘staying on schedule’). Sometimes being spontaneous is amazing, and it even helps you stress less because your not constantly thinking about what to do or say next.

This spontaneous attitude that I’ve gained has also taught me that 24 hours is a lot; you don’t always need to have an exact time to do something (you have the entire day).
All you need to do is just think about what you want to do that day; but don’t plan when you will do it or else you’ll stress yourself out and shut down completely.
At least, if you know what you want to do that day, you will find opportunities to get them done when you can during the day, without stressing about needing to get everything done at once.

. . .

“Life doesn’t need to follow a set calendar plan to the last details.
Sometimes being spontaneous helps you clear your mind of anxieties & just be happy with where you are right now in life.”

how-to-be-more-spontaneous-travel-and-be-happier-1-638.jpg
Thanks for reading!

-LiveForAdventure! 🙂

A rollercoaster year!

Posted on by Joanna

Hold up!
Wait!
Before I even start to talk about this past year, I just have to say that in the beginning of this year I would have never imagined being here in Chile for New Year’s.
That’s just crazy!

. . .

I’ll admit, this year has had it’s down/low moments, but in general, 2017 has been an amazing year.
I’ve accomplished so many things that I am proud to say that I’ve accomplished.
Like: 

  • Going to Belize!
  • Graduating college!
  • Growing this blog! (Thank You)
  • Working at a great hotel!
  • Just living life!
  • And, now, living in Chile!

Honestly, this year has been so crazy that I don’t even want to make any resolutions or a bucket list for next year because I didn’t make one this year, yet I’ve accomplished so much. 

. . .

I still can’t believe today is the last day of 2017.
So much can happen in 365, and you don’t even realize it until it’s all done.
And, if 2017 wasn’t your year, you have another 365 days to change that, with another great year ahead!

. . .

Here’s to 2018!

Quillota, Chile


Thank you so much for reading my blog this past year, and, remember to always continue to: 

-LiveForAdventure! 🙂 

Dear younger me,

Posted on by Joanna

          Hey you! I know you think that your life’s not going super great right now, and I wish I could tell you all the mistakes I’ve made, all the mistakes you will make, all the pain you will feel and just everything to help you have a perfect life & be one step ahead.
I would tell you how everything’s going to turn out. I would tell you exactly what to do. I would tell you that your life is never going to be perfect. I would tell you that you are always going to be different. I would tell you how to live your perfect and best life.

I would give you all the answers you want to hear!

But, to be honest, I still don’t have all the answers.
Instead, I’m just going to tell you to never be afraid; just be you and make your life decisions to the best of your abilities and knowledge because that will make you happy and it will create a life you will be proud of. If you make your own decisions, you will create your life and no one else’s and that will make you proud and happy.

There’s nothing I could tell you that will change your life because the decisions you make today will make the future you, YOU.
Life is a series of decisions we make and those decisions impact who we become; decisions are an important part of our life journey. Stop trying to create the perfect life for yourself, just start winging it and making the decisions you think are best for you in this moment.

~Don’t be afraid to make choices because they are what make you unique and create an amazing life for yourself.~

I know that right now, you might think that you need all the answers so you don’t mess up, but let me tell you that whatever happens is not your fault.
Ya, sure it was your decision that led you here, but that doesn’t mean you made a mistake. Every decision you make will help you learn and make you better, which will help you make even better decisions in the future. Don’t let your past mistakes scare you from making great future decisions; you are making the decisions that you believe are right and those decisions will give you the life you deserve and have created for yourself. Don’t let life scare you, just keep living it one day at a time; and I promise, one day you’ll look back and wonder how you got here.
Every decision you make is leading you to a different situation that you don’t know anything about, so you can’t possibly know what to do, but don’t be scared. The unknown future doesn’t have to be scary, it can actually be quite exciting, just don’t stress!

~Your life is not a mistake.~
~The decisions you made to get here were not mistakes!~
~Every decision you make is a step forward, even if it doesn’t feel like it in the moment!~

I know, it might seem scary to have so much control over your life, but if you’re ever in a funk about making decisions, just remember to think about the life you want and deserve, and make your decisions based on that, because you know deep down what you really deserve and what you really want. 

REMEMBER:
You got this!
You can do it!
You are amazing!
Just look how far you’ve come; You’re doing great!

Okay, now that you know you’re doing great, stop looking back at how far you’ve come, it’s good encouragement but, you need to start looking at all the amazing things you have left to accomplish! Start making those amazing decisions!

Sincerely,

Future you, that realizes that her life turned out pretty GREAT!
Thank You for all your hard work and for never giving up! 🙂

_____________________________________________________________________________

Thanks for reading!

Now it’s your turn: What would YOU tell your younger self?
(write it in the comments or post on your own blog: A Letter to Your Younger Self)


-LiveForAdventure! 🙂

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