Daily Inspiration

Tag: faith

  • Strength in the Struggle

    by Leigha Randolph

    Life is NOT easy. In fact, it’s part of the human experience for life to suck from time to time. Often times we find ourselves coasting through life when out of nowhere, we are sideswiped by a tragedy.

    Unfortunately, I have been sideswiped by a tragedy or two. I was a good person that said my Hail Mary prayers religiously, dressed nicely, and still bad things happened to me.

    I had some serious words with God about it, and attended a great deal of therapy sessions. As time went on, I discovered that the tragedies that almost killed me emotionally and mentally, were also the things that gave me a NEW and purposeful life.

    I lost a beautiful daughter, Julianna Faith. She lived only four hours after birth and died in my arms. Why did this happen? It wasn’t fair to me or my family. I ate right, exercised, did all of the right things, and read all of the books. It was beyond hard for me to process. After many years, I have grown tremendously in wisdom and strength through this storm.

    Here is what I learned through my tragedy…

    Firstly, life is a precious gift and every single moment is a divine blessing. Secondly, I learned how to stop existing and start living! Tomorrow isn’t promised or guaranteed, we must live for today. Thirdly, I have a unique bond with other parents that have lost a child. We can lean on each other in moments of sadness by helping each other navigate through our grief. Fourthly, I learned not to sweat the small stuff for it truly doesn’t matter. I remember previously obsessing over things that didn’t matter at all. Lastly, I learned that every life no matter how short or long has purpose. Julianna’s cells helped other babies in need of cells to live healthy lives. My daughter lives on to help others. How beautiful is that?

    As you can see, life is not fair sometimes. I share my story to help you persevere through the muck, and find your strength through the struggle.

    Love and Light,

    Leigha

    Pictured above is me hiking to the tip-top of Seneca Rocks, W.V. two years after losing my daughter, Julianna Faith.

  • Live in the NOW

    By Leigha Randolph

    Photo by Jill Wellington on Pexels.com

    Are we taking time to ENJOY life? I mean, do we really have time to stop and smell the flowers? It seems like we are always in a rush to do the next thing and get it over with so we can do the next thing and so on. Before we know it, we are at the end of our life regretting not taking more time for ourselves to enjoy it.

    I believe that anxiety is a root cause for the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. In addition to anxiety, messages from all avenues leak into our brains saying things such as, “We will sleep when we’re dead.” We have convinced ourselves that we are “lazy” if we aren’t working, cleaning the house compulsively, or taking care of our children’s every need. This mindset leaves us anxious, exhausted, and burnt-out.

    This was my mindset for longest time and something that I had to change for myself. I found myself running ragged trying to juggle all of the things. I put my children in a million different activities. As a result, my face was completely broken out, my kids were overwhelmed, and I felt like I was on the verge of a heart attack at any moment.

    My breaking point was my son. When he was five, he was extremely anxious. I noticed that the more anxious I was, the more anxious he became. When I was calmer, he became calmer. It was like a ripple effect. I knew that this was no way for us to live a joyful and peaceful life. It was up to me to change things.

    During the same time of my breaking point, I was working towards my master’s degree in counseling. Ironically, I discovered the concept of Mindfulness and how it fuels peace. I instantly implemented it into my daily living and it transformed my life.

    Mindfulness is living entirely in the present moment without judgement. It is focusing your complete attention on what is directly in front of you and around you. It gives your brain an opportunity to become calm and completely present.

    Life became more rewarding after I started implementing Mindfulness. I became more peaceful and my son did too. I began to prioritize important tasks and pruned the tasks that didn’t matter. I made time for rest and time to be outside with nature.

    As you can see, Mindfulness is rewarding and something to consider if you want to live a peaceful and meaningful life. Mindfulness is the ultimate anxiety crusher. It is my wish for you to stop and smell the flowers today and every single day after.

    Love and Light,

    Leigha