I know firsthand it’s hard to create time for self-care when you feel super busy. Everything feels like a priority EXCEPT you. I often struggle so much with saying no to things, especially as a majorly extroverted ENFP & Enneagram Type 7. 🤣
Making time for other people is a big deal for me. I wanna show up for the people I love and be there to support them.
As I’m getting older, I’m (in the process of) learning that taking time to rest and rejuvenate actually enables me to show up BETTER for the people in my life.
Maybe it looks like that nap you needed. Maybe it’s painting your nails and baking cookies (like I did today)! Maybe it’s a bubble bath. Maybe it’s just taking a little time to simply be.
Whatever it is, go do it! Your future self will thank you for it. 💛💛
2019 was a big year for me, and a lot of things changed. I’m the kind of person that’s always looking ahead to the next thing, like 2020! But I wanted to take a moment to look back on all of the wonderful things that happened over the last 12 months.
In January, I started my job as the worship leader at my church. It’s been one of my dreams to end up in a ministry position like this, especially one that involves music! I love serving Christ in this way.
In February, Mom and I got to take the most amazing trip to Nashville, TN. (And it was just the two of us!) As a singer/songwriter, I had been dying to go for foreverrrrrrrr…. So when our business conference was in Nashville, we were definitely going to go.
We learned SO much at the conference. Entrepreneurship is so awesome, and my mom and I have met so many amazing people who are doing the same thing we are. I never thought I would love business so much, but it’s quickly become a huge area of interest for me this year. We’re still learning a lot, but I’m loving the journey.
I actually quit my part-time job a few months ago so I could focus on my position at church, my own music career, and helping my mom with her business, schneeway.com
Speaking of music, I’ve been spending some of my days in the studio this year! It’s so fun to watch all of these songs come together. I literally cannot wait until this releases! This record is so different from my first, and I am so in love with all of its jazziness!
And of course, this year would not be complete without talking about the wedding!!! I LOVE being Josh’s wife! We got engaged on Christmas Eve in 2017, so it had been a long wait. (Although the days really do fly by in the end!)
It amazes me how many details go into planning a wedding. It’s fun, stressful, and highly emotional at times, but it all makes for priceless memories. Somehow, it all comes together in the end.
The wedding day itself? BEST. DAY. EVER.
It’s awesome to walk down the aisle surrounded by everyone you love, to go get married to the man you love. So much love, haha!
Once we were married, I thought it would be a huge adjustment to not live at home anymore. It surprised me how natural married life felt right away.
Josh and I share lots of laughs, and I’m so glad we get to spend everyday together. It’s hard to believe we’ve been married over six months now. It’s gone by so fast, but we both have learned so much.
June 22 was definitely the best day of them all.
2019, you’ve been a great year. Here’s to the next!
“Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.” Ephesians 4:2–3 NLT
You can hear nothing but encouragement, yet it is the harsh words that replay over and over in your head.
You can receive nothing but affirmation, and still doubt.
You can feel uplifted by many, and quickly pulled down by one.
Words: They are powerful. They have the power to uplift someone or tear them down. The sad thing is, with as powerful as our words are, we use them quickly and rashly, and sometimes without much forethought.
We live in a reactive culture. If something upsets us, we must make our voice known. If we disagree, we start a Facebook comment war. We passionately fight battles hiding behind screens, while seemingly, making no real change at all.
We are constantly reacting to what life throws at us. Maybe we can liveintentionally instead of reactively.
Maybe someone is hurting and needs to hear an encouraging word today. Let’s be quicker to encourage and faster to love. The world has enough negativity; We don’t need it from each other.
“Your kindness will reward you, but your cruelty will destroy you.” Proverbs 11:17 NLT
Let’s start the conversation. What are some great ways to encourage one another?
Today, I intentionally choose… to be kind.
Today, I intentionally choose… to make a difference.
Today, I intentionally choose… to build someone up.
Today, I intentionally choose… to not let my emotions dictate my response.
Today, I intentionally choose… to show grace to someone who doesn’t deserve it.
Grab a coffee together. Send that encouragement note. Make that phone call. Whatever it is… go do it!
We are the light in a dark and broken world, and the more we reflect our Savior, the brighter that light shines.
When you extend grace where it is undeserved… your light shines.
When you love someone who is difficult to love… your light shines.
When you are kind to someone you disagree with… your light shines.
And when your light shines… people can’t help but notice it.
“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” — Mark Twain
“For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:9–11 NLT
? Don’t let fear of failure hold you back from taking that first step. When I first started writing music, I had no idea the amount of public speaking that would soon be needed to perform onstage. ? Not only do you have to practice your songs and perform them well, but you also have to engage your audience and take them on that journey with you.
(In case you didn’t know…public speaking used to make me really nervous.) ?
I remember some of my first shows where I downright STRUGGLED through it.
? Lots of “ums”
? Lots of run-on sentences
? Lots of continuous talking until I simply had to take a breath
That’s right. Sometimes when you speak, you literally HAVE to remind yourself that you also need to breathe. Who knew? ?
My mom gave me the best advice I needed to hear at the time…. “Finish one sentence and thought before you start another one.”
I was literally so worried about the point I was trying to get across or how to word it that I was 10 steps ahead of myself. It was “squirrel brain” times 10! ?
Now there’s like a ton of ways you can improve your public speaking, but that’s not what I’m here to talk about. The point is that I did it anyway. I did it AFRAID. To get to that next level, you have to be willing to push through your fears.
As a perfectionist, I know firsthand that it’s hard to jump into something that you don’t feel accomplished at. I want to do things right the first time, believe me.
Sometimes you have to be REALLY BAD at something before you can be EXCELLENT. It’s through the mistakes and falling down that we learn how to get back up and crush it. ?
I’ve been performing for over 7 years now, and writing music for 12 years. I am so thankful for all those times that I messed up or wasn’t perfect, because it taught me…
✅ How to be BETTER
✅ How to not be so hard on myself because I made a MISTAKE
✅ How to turn an epic FAIL into an epic WIN
To this day, before I get on stage, I mentally remind myself to finish my thought before I worry about the next one. Am I a perfect public speaker? Heck no! ? But I am super glad I didn’t let that stop me.
I can look back and laugh at how far my speaking has come. ? I can watch my oldest YouTube videos and cringe a little because I didn’t have the best camera ? and didn’t know how to record decent audio ? and set up the best shot. ?
But guys… ➡️ If I WAITED to start until I knew how to do all those things, I NEVER would have STARTED. Just start. Whatever it is, go do it! ✅
? Everyday can be a growth experience if we let it be. ?
“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” — Albert Einstein
Sometimes happiness is a feeling. Sometimes it’s a decision. Life throws a lot of curveballs. That’s out of my control, but there’s one thing that I CAN control… and that’s how I react to it. I can choose to be overwhelmed, upset, and worn down by the situation — — — OR — — — I can CHOOSE JOY. Feelings can be all over the place, but how I choose to RESPOND to those feelings is on me. #ownit
Next time you are overwhelmed with emotions that are hard to deal with, how are you going to respond to them?
I’ve been writing music since I was 11. When I was 16, I started doing shows anywhere that would have me. ? I recorded my first studio album ?, and there ended up being a lot more BUSINESS in music business than I ever realized. ? The thought of having to market myself, create email lists, basically anything that wasn’t music related, was just plain stressful to me. ?
’Cause when you first start out, you think that if you throw some good videos online, someone big is magically going to find it and call you up. ?
Apparently that’s not how music business works… usually. ?
It takes a LOT of hard work, behind-the-scenes hustle to make a thriving business. You fail a lot. You learn from it. You get back out there and try again. You fail more. You adjust what you do.
A career in business is like an ever-changing, ever-learning experience. I used to loathe it entirely, but the funny thing is now I am totally OBSESSED with it! ?
If we step outside of our comfort zones, amazing things can happen. We mess up sometimes, but we grow from it. We might not know what to do right away, but we learn.
If you always play it safe, you will always have “safe results”. But OUTSIDE your COMFORT ZONE is all the ADVENTURE you might just be waiting for.
Can we agree that there’s always an excuse not to do something we know is crucial for our growth and well-being?
▪️ I don’t feel like it… maybe tomorrow.
▪️ I don’t want to.
▪️ It’s too hard.
▪️ I’m not good enough.
▪️ That will take too much effort.
▪️ What if it doesn’t work?
Literally this list could go on and on forever…. sound familiar?
In Exodus 3 & 4, God told Moses he wanted to use him to free the Israelites that were being enslaved and oppressed in Egypt.
That wasn’t something that Moses wanted to do.
He had his own list of excuses as to why he wasn’t the right man for the job…
▪️ “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?”
▪️ “Who shall I say sent me?”
▪️ “What if they don’t believe me?”
▪️ “What if they don’t listen to what I have to say?”
▪️ “I am not an eloquent speaker.”
For every excuse and concern that Moses had, God gave an answer, telling Moses that He himself would be with him. This literally resulted in Moses saying, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” (Exodus 4:13)
We all know the great things Moses went on to do. He DID go to Egypt and was used by God to FREE the Israelites. It’s one of the greatest and most well-known biblical events!
Maybe God wants to use you right where you are. Maybe there’s something you know you should be doing, but have been struggling to even try.
Do yourself a favor and be stronger ? than your excuses. You never know the massive impact that will come from it. ?
You hustle and you hustle, but you just don’t feel like you’re getting anywhere. Your wheels are spinning, so you only hustle harder.
TRUTH BOMB ?: Hustling harder doesn’t automatically get you to where you’re trying to go.
Sure, there are times when you just gotta give it your best and not hold anything back. Dreams don’t work unless you do, after all. ?
➡️ BUT ⬅️, there are times when you’ve overworked yourself so much, and you just need to love on YOU a little extra if you’re going to keep moving forward.
I bet if I looked at your Google Calendar ? right now, it would be a hot mess. ? Mine is! ?♀️ Running around everyday, with no scheduled time for rest. ⏰
Want to know some reasons why YOU should be INTENTIONAL about rest?
✅ Reduces stress levels
✅ Various health benefits
✅ Restores your mental energy
✅ Boosts your mood
✅ You are more CREATIVE
✅ More PRODUCTIVE
✅ More FOCUSED
Nothing wrong with being a go-getter. Nothing wrong with taking time to rest. Just remember that ⭐️ YOU NEED BOTH ⭐️ to truly make great progress.
“There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither.” — Alan Cohen
Comment below! ? What’s your favorite way to rest, recharge, and refuel?
Do more of what you love! ? For me personally, the more I work on my music, on my career, on my dreams — the more I cast vision and see the next steps that I want to take.
Do I know where all of this will lead me? No way! But the point is, the more you envision your future, the more you can define what it is that you really want and how to make practical steps to get there.
All dreams need a roadmap if they’re ever going to come true. If you discover what it is that you want to achieve, reverse engineer it and see what steps you can take today to make it happen!
“If you are working on something that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.” — Steve Jobs
You know that feeling when you’ve been working towards something for sooooooo long, and then it kinda just FLOPS on you? ? It makes you want to throw in the towel, call it quits, and let the dream go.
I love it when others look at “successful people”, and think that they’ve got it all together. That they somehow stumbled upon success with little to no effort. ?
Wanna know a ? BIG SECRET? ?
When we see the START of someone’s career in the public eye, that person has been working towards it for longer than you would know. It is merely the continuation of their journey. Leveling up so to speak.
When you start your journey, you always start at square 1. Not everyone is there with you to see that. ?
They’re not there to see…
? The time you FAILED really bad
? The time you QUESTIONED if this was what you were meant to do
? The time you almost GAVE UP
So ? don’t beat yourself because you’re not perfect. Cause guess what? ? Nobody is.
Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. ? When a reporter asked, “How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?” Edison replied, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”
Maybe your journey has a lot of steps in it. It doesn’t matter where you are on that road. ➡️ The point is that you keep moving forward.⬅️
? “Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” — Winston Churchill
