It’s Amazing What a Little Focus Can Do
Disclaimer: Thank you for taking the time to visit MsConeptions. I am not in any way a trained or certified mental health coach or therapist. The information provided is solely my opinion and is centered around my faith of what I believe to be true. If you are in need of help please contact a professional who can assist you further.
Last week I fasted. I know I know. That’s not at all what you want to hear during a Mental Health Blog Series, but the truth is, is that I needed to. I had to. Serving my community on this platform has been a joy, but it hasn’t been something I’d categorize as easy. My fast consisted of only eating what God created. This is hard to do nowadays so I took it back to the basics. If it was processed, came in a box, had any color additives, and so forth I just told myself and God that I would not eat it. So that canceled almost everything in the grocery store, everything except fruits and vegetables (smile). So, I went all the way there with my fast. Yes, I’m talking everything fresh nothing cooked or overly processed. Some will argue that all food goes through a process, touche’ to whoever you are my friend. I committed to only eating things that were planted. Foods I included on my fast:
lemons for my lemon water
raspberries
raw nuts
strawberries
spinach
oranges
kiwi
blueberries
carrots
Did I tell y’all the fast was mindset centered? I’m not sure I mentioned that part. For as long as I can remember, I’ve struggled with self control. I’ve talked myself out of doing things that seemed impossible to the realistic person. I allowed fear to process, what to be on the not so practical end of a decision, to be something negative, or a failure of some sort. So, I took my word affirmation that I’ve been trying to hold true to for the last few weeks: “Focus Chellvie”, literally that’s it, that’s all; just those two words; I took it before God and I believed. I started a Bible plan that had journal prompts to be intentional about writing to form a habit of remembering what God needed me to throughout my days as I fasted. I planned out what I would eat or make from the list above and I made it all the way to dinner and the first dinner night was a fail. I mean I ate everything on the list and nothing else, but the spinach salad I made with my own homemade raspberry and lemon dressing took me alllllll the way out. I took my first bite and holding the spinach in my mouth I just stood there. Our oldest daughter looked at me and she said, “Mommy, is it good”? I held my tongue for a minute, because I believe what you put in the atmosphere is what you manifest. However, I couldn’t even lie to her three year old heart. Laugh out loud! I told her no, mommy doesn’t like it not one bit. She laughed and went on about eating her lovely cooked dinner made by the greatest toddler chef ever of course. After admitting I wouldn’t be able to finish it in the state it was in, I went ahead and threw it in the blender and made it into a smoothie.
That smoothie was a lesson. It taught me that we have to take our obstacles and make them work for our situation. We may not have it all figured out and we may not like what we’re going through, because believe me sis, I hated every bit of that dry spinach salad I concocted together, but when we change our mindset and we stay focused on what we’ve set out to do, it can still be achieved. Detours may come up, but that doesn’t negate your journey to your destiny.
Fast forward to day two as I cooked my lovely squad dinner and I pulled that pan of macaroni and cheese out of the oven and it was so bubbly and gooey. The Baby Shark noodles I used to bring their interest to the dish almost took me out! They almost took me out sis (you have to insert claps in between each word for emphasis). If you’ve ever had my mac and cheese with elbow noodles you’d know why this almost took me out. However, I reached back to my why. I started singing, “Victory is mine”, because it is mine. It’s all mine. If I believe it, then it’s mine. Mental health starts with affirming what you believe to be true. If you believe that you have what it takes to see something through, then you’ve already gotten half the battle down.
I laugh at day two because I literally broke out singing because I was about to take a bite of that gooey lusciousness, but I had to bring it back. I had to bring it back to the focus.
The box of the baby shark noodles that almost took me out :)
We can’t talk mental health without physical, emotional and spiritual health. I may not be an expert in any of the areas, but I’m an expert in my discernment, and recognizing the disconnect that had happened in me spiritually. I was disconnected for a long time, and for me, putting out content, being vulnerable with my tribe; it couldn’t be done until somehow I was back to being spiritually connected. So this fast was meant for me to be filled. For me to be filled so that what is delivered through this blog series can fill others. I’m praying that as you enjoy the works and words from every Woman that shares resources on how to be spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy that you take into account that, all of these things flow into the very importance of Mental Health. I invite you to pray, to fast and to receive what’s yours sis, because its already written. You just have to Faith it into existence. So this fast is for you reading, the next person you share this blog series with and beyond, because I’m claiming victory over all of us! I didn’t turn down mac n cheese for you to not catch this blessing. Now, don’t have my fast go in vain. I mean I got mine, you get yours! Take care of that mental health sis! Check in down in the comments below! Peace. Love. Blessings
