We’ve All Fake Smiled Before

You know those days when everyone around you seems to have the spirit of someone who just won the lottery while you’re struggling to hold it together?  We’ve all had them, and how do we typically handle them- we slap on a fake smile and aim to make it through the day without a breakdown. We’ve all fake smiled before; we’ve all had those days.

Those days when we wonder how we’ll make it through without tears, when we’d rather be on the couch up to our neck with a blanket watching Lifetime movies, when we feel that we just aren’t good enough; those when we wonder what our purpose is and whether the life we are living is fulfilling this purpose.

I’ve contemplated all week whether I wanted my second post to be something so heavy, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that I never promised that all of my posts would be light and fluffy, but I did promise that they would be about my life, and that life includes days of euphoria as well as days when I feel like I’m about to break. So I hope that you can learn something from this post, and that if nothing else you realize that you are never the only one having a bad day and that on the contrary, you also don’t know when those around you are having a bad day, because we have all gotten SO DANG GOOD at throwing on a fake smile.

SO to be completely honest, this past week has been ROUGH. I’ve questioned every piece of who I am, I’ve questioned the path I’m on, and I’ve questioned my plan (or lack thereof) for the future. I’ve gone round and round in my own head contemplating these things from every different angle; however, the only thought that brought me peace was that- it’s okay not to have it all figured out; it’s so okay. And do you know why it’s okay? Because the plan that our God has for us if far greater than any plan that we could ever have for ourselves. The incredible life that we all envision is nothing compared to the life that our God has in store for us, BUT we have to trust in Him, follow what His teachings tell us, and pray to Him for clarity and peace every single day.

He is SO good y’all, and sometimes He has to throw some forks in our road to guide us back to him and to the plan that He has in place. Sometimes we will have bad days, but having faith that the future is in the best hands possible should be able to bring us some peace, I know it does for me!

So, I’m going to link some books, devotionals, and blogs that have helped me to center myself, to find peace in who I am and what I’m doing, and to help me to find happiness in even the most challenging days. Spiritual or not, we could all benefit from tools to help us start each day on the right foot, so I hope that everyone can benefit from the things linked below!

…and remember, you are NEVER alone, our world has made it to where slapping on a fake smile is a skill that is more valued than confronting our feelings and challenging ourselves to be better humans, but I encourage you to find happiness in everyday, to live a life of compassion, and to do what you can to confront your feelings and reflect on them in the name of self-betterment.

Books/Devotionals: 

• 52 Lists for Happiness– This book has prompts for formation of a different list every week helping its readers to recognize blessings, identify barriers to happiness, and confront life head on! I received it as a Secret Santa gift and LOVE it! It’s nice to have something to actively think about while making my way through each list!

• Rediscover Jesus– This book (or anything by Matthew Kelly really) is such a good guide to strengthening one’s trust in God through rediscovering the teachings of his Son. Our church gave them out a few years ago, and I love when it works its way back into my daily routine.

• 100 Days to Brave– So I just got this book this weekend from one of my greatest friends. Im SO excited to get started with this one. Being brave is something that is hard for me because I find comfort in routine, so I’m hoping this devotional challenges me to step out of my comfort zone and to become more comfortable with being uncomfortable in the name of finding myself. I’ll keep you updated!

Blogs: 

• Finding Happy – So the same friend who gave me the 100 Days to Brave book is the author of this blog! Each Friday she shares her “happies” from the week which serve as a great reminder to us that even in those challenging weeks, we have SO much to be thankful for! I look forward to receiving her posts every week, and I hope you subscribe because I know you will too!
• Brighton The Day– This blog by a Louisiana native turned Dallas resident, CPA turned full-time blogger, speaks my language all day everyday. Brighton is so down to Earth and speaks on topics from hair and home decor to deciphering the readings of the Bible. Her posts always keep me on my toes and I just love love following her journey through life!

I hope you have a great great week and that this week is an easy peasy one for you! But I’d like to know what helps you get through those funky weeks? If you’ve got recs or ideas please leave them in the comments below! xoShelby