Ride the Wave

Hey ya’ll!
Last month I wrote a very similar blog post about COVID-19 on my personal page. If you haven’t read it you can check it out here http://iksprettyinpearls.blogspot.com/2020/03/covid-crazy.html?m=1. We are in such a crazy time in our lives right now and we are experiencing something we’ve never experienced before. It’s scary, it’s different, there’s fear of the unknown, but it’s every bit of a learning moment as anything else we have experienced in our life. So instead of talking about how bad things are right now let’s talk about how we are dealing with everything and how we are riding this wave.
I chose this title because riding a wave can be all of the things I described above, scary, fear of the unknown, and  every wave is unique and different. Now, I’m no surfer but I can imagine that when you nail riding a wave for the first time not only is it exhilarating but you learn something from it and you implement what you learned the next time. You come out better on the other side. As I constantly try to attack and ride this crazy big wave this is what I’m doing and learning in the process .

  1. I am grateful. Every day I’m trying to focus on the positive things happening in my life and the blessings I have been afforded. I haven’t struggled or wanted for anything and that is a true blessing because I know MANY people lost their jobs and are at risk of losing much more. I haven’t lost a family member or friend and I know so many lives have been lost. So everyday I wake up grateful and I write those things down before I go to bed at night. The little things, the big things, just ALL the things! We have to in order to successfully catch and ride this wave.
  2. I’m being productive. I started an online class and will start another when this one is done. I’m using this time to grow as a person and grow professionally as a speaker, writer, and social worker. If we have to be at home we might as well use this time and be productive. I am finishing tasks I started and starting new ones along the way. This is a time for us to persevere.
  3.  I am getting back to doing the things I love. I have always loved cooking and baking. I am a self-proclaimed chef! lol No–seriously, I learned to cook as a little girl watching my mom in the kitchen. When I am  cooking  and baking it just feels like HOME. And there is nothing more in this world I wish I could get back than seeing my mother in the kitchen cooking and singing–that is a whole MOOD. So if I can get any part of that back I’m taking it.  Somewhere along the way I allowed exhaustion to steal this from me. Now, I blast the music, get in my zone, and prepare whatever it is I dream of. Oh yes, if I dream it I am getting up the next day and making it.
  4.  I’m enjoying this time with my husband. Prior to this pandemic we were struggling for time. We’d just bought a house, my husband’s schedule was super busy, and he was ALWAYS exhausted. It was different for us to say the least. Now we have planted a lemon and orange tree, painted the fence, cooked together, played games, made drinks, laughed together, exercised together, binge watched at least 4 television shows (which NEVER happens because typically he can’t sit long enough or stay awake long enough to finish one episode lol). We have made the most of this time and I am cherishing every minute of it. Ya’ll, time is something you can never get back so CHERISH it. Never take anyones time for granted because it means a lot and it is truly priceless.
  5. I am paying attention to the bigger picture which is what there is to be gained from this pandemic and yes, there is always knowledge to be gained in any situation. I am learning, I am living, and I am riding this damn wave!
I would love to know what you are doing to ride this wave and what you are doing to keep living.
Never stop living…
 “There is a lesson in living.”-L. Hollins
P.S. If you missed me last month on the Austin, Texas radio show Real Lyfe Reel Talk you can listen here https://soundcloud.com/hornfm/real-lyfe-reel-talk-with-tc-speaks-march-14th-2020 as I talk about my journey to who I am today and my struggles with womens health issues.
XOXO
Lashonda
L. Hollins S.P.E.A.KS
Lashonda Hollins

Lashonda Hollins is a 33 year old Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She is a born and raised extroverted Mississippi girl currently living in San Antonio, Texas. Lashonda has successfully worked as a Mental Health Therapist and Case Manager for the last 8 years serving families and Veterans. Throughout her career she has provided Individual Therapy, Group Therapy, as well as Family Therapy. Outside of work she loves traveling the world and spending time with her husband and high school sweetheart whom she's spent that last 16 years of her life growing with. Lashonda is the founder of L.Hollins S.P.E.A.K.S and is an avid supporter of Women's Health and Self-Care. She has spent the last year of her life working towards building her career as a professional and motivational speaker encouraging and empowering women to be more informed, more aware, and more active when it comes to their own physical and psychological health. Lashonda was motivated to become blogger and a speaker based on her own health issues which includes Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), infertility, fibroids, depression, and anxiety. Her goal is to use her platform to be there for other women providing education, support, and encouragement. Lashonda wants women to know they are not alone. Facebook: @LhollinsSpeaks Instagram: @l.hollins_S.P.E.A.K.S Pinterest: L.Hollins S.P.E.A.K.S Website: www.lhollinsspeaks.com Blog: www.iksprettyinpearls.blogspot.com

1 Comment

  1. I think maintaining gratitude and staying in the present is so important!! It’s such an ample time to work on personal relationships with loved ones as well as your relationship with yourself spiritually and emotionally.