Happy Friday!! As of 12:10 today, I've completed my Multicultural Counseling class with the University of Phoenix -- huzzah for being done and being back to one school system!! While I missed the Christian perspective, I am very thankful this class was heavy on writing and low on group projects, and I'm happy to be able to transfer in this credit (I dropped the CCU class due to life stress and low motivation in January, but they only offer it once a year and it was necessary before practicum - so this was the solution). Now I have 3 more weeks to finish the CCU Eating Disorders class, then it's on to my Practicum/Internship at Restore -- exciting! Between finishing that class, having the morning off, and signing up to be on the early reading team for CCU-Jonathan's upcoming book, it's been a fantastic day! =)
So my deep thoughts for today are circling around the power of perception. In my grad school research, study after study shows that the way we perceive our social support, our bodies, our socioeconomic status, etc. has a greater impact on our physical health and our life satisfaction than reality itself. The way we frame our story and feel about ourselves matters so deeply! Perceived support vs. isolation has a massive impact on our mental and physical health!! Someone with several "friends" may experience more loneliness than someone with a few close friends. A single woman may feel more connected and satisfied with their life than someone in a lonely or volatile marriage... and it's how we perceive our experience that makes all the difference.
As a woman who may be single throughout my lifetime, these findings are really encouraging! My very personal experience of contentment and joy and support in singleness matters far more than the pitying way society or the church in general views single women. My sincere and rooted belief that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are with me and for me is sustaining and positively impacts my mental, physical, and spiritual health! It is a constant relational connection that no outside force can break - and it means I am always seen, always heard, always valued, and always inextricably connected with other members of the body of Christ! That's huge! And my perception that I have incredibly supportive friends and family matters too, particularly in any crisis. I probably think about the "great cloud of witnesses" in heaven more than most people, and that also helps me not to feel alone and to remember that my decisions matter even when no one else on earth sees them. It's been a journey, and my ability to trust others in a healthy way while remembering their humanity has grown a lot. In addition, my perspective on my own capability and resilience have changed a lot over time! I still fight myself and have to work for emotional regulation in every human relationship - it's amazing to me how quickly my brain can go from "this is my favorite person alive" to a painful sense of disconnection or mistrust, but my history and personality all play into that, and to quote Ted Lasso, "I'm a work in prog-mess." I'm growing and getting better, and my relationship with God is vital and so central to me maintaining a healthy perception and believing that I have all the grace and support I need day by day!! (Philippians 4:19, 2 Corinthians 12:19)
Similarly, every human being is capable of change - we all have that God-given capacity. But our individual PERCEPTION of whether we are able to change will be the deciding factor that determines our outcome every time! To say we want to be well but then believe we are incapable of changing old habits will not cut it. Our beliefs, words, and actions all have to align in seeking change and knowing it is possible... I'm getting closer to that, and it's exciting! And obviously, our support system influences our beliefs, values, words, and actions... so it all ties together in interesting ways.
All that to say: How you view yourself, your God-given purpose, your power to create change, and your social support system MATTERS... be wise and intentional about how you frame your story! ❤
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| My new Harry-Potter-themed shirt arrived today, and I love it! lol (Flourish and Blotts Booksellers, Diagon Alley, London) |
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