Because I gotta have faith?

This beautiful picture of Jersey Shore, USA was taken by my cousin.

                           

I have been wondering if it is possible to live a complete life without believing in something. 

For many years I have read books on spirituality, the law of attraction and positivity. As much as I have evolved since doing this, lately I cannot help but feel I am searching for something I am not going to find. 

Believing in a faith or whatever it is you choose, comes with great responsibility.  The minute you tell people your beliefs they judge you purely on them, whether it may be something you have just discovered or been trying to incorporate for longer. I am especially talking about people who do not even share your beliefs! I have found it hard to live up to my beliefs for this reason. 

I have always believed in God but stopped going to church as I got older.  However, I did start to attend not long ago, and while I found it uplifting and moving, I asked myself if I really needed to be there. I started to go because I just had a feeling. Something was telling me to go.  A few months down the line I needed the support of the church at an important event, and I never received it. I initially thought, they are a church how could they not support me on this? I didn't go back after that.  When the anger dissipated after two weeks, I realised something else was stopping me going back.  I was numb to the idea of returning yet part of me felt I should be there every Sunday. Weeks turned into months and at this point in time I just don't know if it is for me.  All I feel is pressure from others to return.  I thought I needed church to be a better person.  I thought my life would change when I went. I am not sure if it did.  After those couple of weeks of not going I tried to psyche myself up on a Saturday evening to make an effort to go, but I would get up Sunday morning and I just wouldn't.  I see some of the congregation around my town and I swear they are slightly off with me. As if me not going to church has personally affected them. Why do some people with faith view others as lesser beings? 

Before church I had the Universe and the law of attraction. I believed positive things happened if you radiated positive energy and staring negativity in the face with positivity was the only way to combat it.  I have researched these beliefs, read books and been guided by friends who feel the same...but- and this may sound ridiculous-  on Saturday I was on a mission to visit a couple places in central London and I kept finding myself in situations that tested me. A man tried to intimidate me on train,then strangers kept bumping into us as we walked down the road. 2/3 people even knocked into my little people and just walked off! I was so frustrated I just sat down and let my blood boil. And someone send to me 'think positive'. I thought what the hell?! I got up in a wonderful mood with the intention of having a fabulous day and these things have happened to me and I am still meant to think positively. I felt stabbed in the back by the universe. 

While this event may seem insignificant it actually just made me think 'I can't be doing everything wrong!', 'when does the course of events change?!'.  It dawned on me that I have spent so much of my life trying to live a certain way that I actually think it is working against me.  How sad that the very belief that was my salvation should now be what is preventing me from living.  In that moment I decided I am done with it.   In that moment I understood why some people say they believe in nothing. In that moment I decided to stop searching, stay away from the mind body and spirit section in book shops and start LIVING. 

So back to my question, I wonder if you can live a complete life without believing in something? My answer is yes. I came to that conclusion after speaking with a friend who reminded me we can learn from stories of any faith or discovery of life, that it is not just about beliefs but our opinions and attitudes towards life. People grow, people learn, people evolve. 

Funnily enough, I now feel free like a weight have been lifted. I am happy with myself. I am living in the present moment. 

I really appreciate you all reading. Much love x

Thankful Thursday

When in doubt, have a donut.

                         

Ooooh I'm back for a second week running with my Thankful Thursday (Kayla I'm sure you are proud).  There are certain weeks where you really need to be thankful.  And I mean that, there are weeks where things seem difficult, and it is those times that we really need to remember to be thankful. 

Study days have been a godsend for me this week.  I am so blessed to have one, two or even three study days a week.  That really means a lot to me and my family.  I am pretty sure God knows this as I regularly praise him for delivering me such a blessing.

Donuts. Doughnuts.  Such delightful sugary goodness.  Gifted to me by my Unicorn lovers for keeping me warm on study evenings.  They joined me for breakfast on  a random Sunday morning last week.  Sweet deliciousness.

Lessons.  Yes, I have learned even more this week!  It seems the perfect opportunity to grow personally and spiritually never eludes me; blessing number three.

Date nights and takeaways.  'Spending time is precious.'

The absence of social media apps.  I am thankful for the silence of my phone.  I no longer have constant Whats App messages going off or Instagram notifications to tend to, or  Snapchat to aid my procrastination..  It really is magical.

Kindle Unlimited.  FREE BOOKS! I discovered this while casually browsing through the Kindle page on Amazon.  I nearly sprouted wings and flew I was so excited.  You pay a set price a month and have an access to over 650,000 books.  A-MAZING.  I do not know what they never thought of it before.  As an avid reader and book fanatic I think it is the best thing since Unicorn dust. 
(Have a look here)

Tea.  There has been a cup of tea for every emotion this week.  Where would I be without tea? (Probably drinking coffee and that is just not acceptable).

I am also thankful for YOU.  THANK YOU for reading.  I send love to each and everyone of you who reads my posts.  Lots and lots of love.

Peachy x

Thankful Thursday

                     
                             



Its Thursday! Happy Thursday!  This week I am inspired by my wonderful friend Kayla's blog The Giggles of Life.  I adore her Thankful Thursday posts every week.  They put me in a beautiful mood and fill me with love and joy.  I am inspired to make more of an effort to be thankful and add more to my documentation about such thankfulness.  So, first and foremost I am thankful for Kayla and her wonderful blog. 


This week has been an interesting one. 

I am grateful I have been able to spend some time with my family. 

I have also been able to learn some much needed lessons, however hard it might have been to learn them!  Experience is always something to be grateful for, in my book.  Where would we be without mistakes and experience?  I thank the Universe for teaching such lessons.

It has been amazing to just be, this week.  I never imagined I would be where I am in life.  I am blessed to be doing what I am doing, living the life I live and having love surround me.  I promise to try and recognise love no matter what form it presents itself in.

The rain is tedious to most but here I am thanking the Universe for it!.  It seems to have been so long since it has rained that I actually do not mind.  I remind my little Unicorn lovers, if they ever grumble about the downpour, that there are countries praying for rain, countries going through drought, countries needing rain but having to go without. Let us be thankful water falls from the sky when it feels like it.

Over this next week I wish you all abundance of thankful moments, oodles of love and frequent showers of joy.  It may be gloomy outside sometimes, but let the sun always shine in your heart.
                      
                                                               Much love xxx

New Social Media Habits

Follow @mastinkipp on Instagram.

                        

                                       I tweet less, upload less, post less and browse less.

I have come to the conclusion that social media doesn't have to be used constantly.  I used to mock those who do not have accounts, now I wonder if they're minds are less polluted than mine.  Probably not. 

About two weeks ago, I decided to lessen my use of my social media accounts; namely Twitter and Instagram and Whats App.  I deleted my apps for a weekend to test the waters, and it felt great.  This lead me to extending that for a few more days, then I decided to get them back, upload what I wanted to, then log out of my accounts.  Personally, it is the browsing that gets me.  I can spend ages scrolling though my timeline.  I mean ages in the sense that I could probably cook a meal from scratch and consume it, in the same amount of time.

Social media browsing is not the best use of time, not just because dinner is late, but because of all the negative exposure to other peoples post.  I have reduced my negative intake -for want of a better phrase- by unfollowing any account that doesn't display images of a wonderful, positive nature (or unicorns).  What I deem as negative, does not necessarily scream negative to you, but to give you an idea, I do not choose to follow anyone that highlights drama and soap style scenarios, promotes sexism/nudity, discusses celebrity gossip or promotes food or acts I do not believe in.

I will be honest and say I feel better for it.  I feel better seeing love and positivity on my timeline.  I follow people I know, yoga loving individuals, book readers and vegans.  I enjoy filling my mind with organic recipes, yoga poses and my next would be reads.  I waant images and captions to uplift me, not fuel my fire of pain.  Does your timeline make you feel better?

I fully intend on making this permanent change to how I use social media.  I firmly believe it can enhance your life if used correctly, however it definitely shouldn't become your life.


What do you think?

Peachy x