4 Grown-up Lessons for Everyday Life In The Age of Loneliness & Cancel Culture | VULNERABLE SERIES

Shopping. Binge-watching Netflix. Taking a luxurious evening bath. Tweaking our skin-care routines. Getting a trendy facial or a 60-minute aromatherapy message. Going to a two-week spa retreat . . . these are some of the examples of endless self-care go-to in the world around us today.

A fave Van Briggle Pottery: “Despondency” from the Met Museum, New York.

For many of us, our default disposition especially when life beats us down isn’t vulnerability but a a go-it-alone posture. The above examples of “self-care” activities are often designed for us to partake in alone. In these moments, if you’re like me, you’ll choose self-preservation over vulnerability any day. Like having a kid-free “self-care Sunday”, you’ll prefer to work alone, make decisions alone, muscle through struggles alone, get credit for your accomplishments alone. 

I am notorious for ‘getting into my shell’ like a tortoise when life hurts, just to survive.

-VM

• 4 Grown-up Lessons for Everyday Life In The Age of Loneliness & Cancel Culture | VULNERABLE SERIES
• Are We Ready To Talk About Loneliness? (Part 1) | Vulnerable Series
• Between ‘Fatigue’ &; ‘Fathead’ Is ‘Father’. Here’s Why | Happy Father’s Day
• Befriend Your Imperfections, Mommy | Happy Mother’s Day
• #1 Move Nobody Will Tell You About Purpose

One of my favourite wall art pieces!

Thing is, the go-it-alone posture gives us control and allows us to avoid vulnerability. The problem with that is, God doesn’t think much of the go-it-alone approach, especially in the service of others. Jesus didn’t go-it-alone during his time of ministry; he doesn’t go-it-alone now (John 10:22-39; 14:7-14). And when he sent followers to preach and do miracles, he sent them in pairs, so they wouldn’t go-it-alone either (Mark 6:7-13; Luke 10:1-12). Clearly this is important. But, why are pairs or groups such better units for service than is one person, on their own? 

Before we get into it, listen to the recent episode of Phenomenal Life with Vicky Meg Podcast. We’d love your feedback @phenomenallife_with_vickymeg on Instagram. Like, download, and share our episode links with others to lift them them up. We don’t mind voice massages on the Podcast as well via anchor.fm 😍

Are We Ready To Talk About Loneliness? (Part 1) | Vulnerable Series

It’s not always easy to put yourself out there. But, taking risks is important in every facet of life, because risks help us understand our bounderies.

Yes, vulnerability can open us up to pain, embarrassment as well as rejection, but it can also be a gift.

-VM

I’m learning through the help of my loved ones, tons of journaling (which I take very seriously), reading and listening to different iconic figures whose perspective I hold in high regard, that vulnerability can be a gift. Yes, it can open us up to pain and embarrassment, as well as rejection. However, done right, it can also bring us authentic connections and acceptance for our authentic selves and the world around us.

• 4 Grown-up Lessons for Everyday Life In The Age of Loneliness & Cancel Culture | VULNERABLE SERIES
• Are We Ready To Talk About Loneliness? (Part 1) | Vulnerable Series
• Between ‘Fatigue’ &; ‘Fathead’ Is ‘Father’. Here’s Why | Happy Father’s Day
• Befriend Your Imperfections, Mommy | Happy Mother’s Day
• #1 Move Nobody Will Tell You About Purpose
• Love Letter to the Queen Mother | Mom Series
• Girl, Get Up!
• Dare to Laugh!
• How To Save Room For Growth In Your Life To Sustain You Forever | #SoftLife
• 6 Universal Enemies of Personal Greatness

I have to admit that vulnerability scares the crap out of me because with it can come loneliness birthed from feelings of shame, guilt and fear either from past experiences or present circumstances. But, I’m also learning that it is very necessary to ask the questions that we’re most embarrassed to ask and to give the answers we’re scared to say out loud.

Between ‘Fatigue’ &; ‘Fathead’ Is ‘Father’. Here’s Why | Happy Father’s Day

Father’s Day isn’t nearly as big as Mother’s Day. The florist isn’t overworked, card sales aren’t nearly as profitable, restaurants will be half-filled, and church attendance pales in comparison. And to be honest, fathers aren’t celebrated as much as single moms on Father’s Day and on Mother’s Day.

• 4 Grown-up Lessons for Everyday Life In The Age of Loneliness & Cancel Culture | VULNERABLE SERIES
• Are We Ready To Talk About Loneliness? (Part 1) | Vulnerable Series
• Between ‘Fatigue’ &; ‘Fathead’ Is ‘Father’. Here’s Why | Happy Father’s Day
• Befriend Your Imperfections, Mommy | Happy Mother’s Day
• #1 Move Nobody Will Tell You About Purpose

To all the good ones!

On Mother’s Day, influential figures especially those on social media in the past decade, all across most parts of the world, praise Mom for her sacrifices, and everybody weeps. But on Father’s Day we talk about absentee father’s, deadbeat dad’s statistics are recited, and we lay on the guilt for not being there for the kids.

Before we continue celebrating the good ones, why don’t you hop onto Phenomenal Life with Vicky Meg Podcast to listen to the latest episodes of our Podcast where we delve on all things Personal Development? Your day (and maybe life 😉 ) maybe better for it.

If you look up the word ”father” in the dictionary it occurs just before the word ”fatigue,” and just after the word, ”fathead!”

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Befriend Your Imperfections, Mommy | Happy Mother’s Day

Hard as it may be for me to admit, allow me the space to do: I’m not even perfect at being imperfect. Some days I still try really hard to be a ‘supermommy’.

Phenomenal Magazine

Sometimes I let my expectations morph into needs instead of keeping them submitted and surrendered to God’s authority. I tend to let my desire to be a “good mom”—by my standards or the world’s—become more important to me than my desire for God’s purpose for my life to manifest in my motherhood journey.

Vicky’s Collection

Progress. Just make progress. It’s okay to have setbacks and to need do-overs. It’s okay to draw a line in the sand and start over again—and again.

Notes to Self

Before we go any further, you need to listen to our recent episodes of Phenomenal Life with Vicky Meg Podcast. It will be a day well spent. Promise!

#1 Move Nobody Will Tell You About Purpose

If you’ve ever read Rick Warren’s book, What On Earth Am I Here For? then you’ll definitely understand my point today.

You feel inadequate, don’t you, when you compare yourself or begin to live your life based off of Insta-driven opinions?

The questions “What is my purpose in life?” and “How can I be happy?” are bundled up in answering what on earth you are here for, especially if you’ve found yourself on the wrong side of life due to the pandemic. If you’re like me; you’ve probably been left asking yourself these two actually very similar yet distinct questions. I’m however painfully discovering that you can never truly understand how to find your purpose by listening to others’ opinions and seeking outside approval (Romans 8:28). Scrolling through your Insta feed under misleading hashtags such as #livingmybestlife, #blessed, or even #mylifemyway will not help you answer these questions. If anything, they’ll only make you doubt your worth, your significance and, more so, your purpose on earth in these trying times.

Love Letter to the Queen Mother | Mom Series

Hello Queen Mother, Woman of Favor, Faith and Awesomeness! It is May, and my heart is glad!

Please follow @phenomenalmag1 on Instagram for daily nourishment for the soul throughout the month of May!

If you can use anything, Lord, use me.”?

Your Majesty, Queen Mother, has it hit you how easily we can spend our entire lives striving for success but never finding real and lasting significance? Why does that happen, do you think? Could it be that we are too consumed with trying to fit into the world’s standards; instead of surrendering to God’s standards and telling Him, “If you can use anything, Lord, use me.”?

In the game of chess, the queen is the most powerful game piece on the board. Right?

• 4 Grown-up Lessons for Everyday Life In The Age of Loneliness & Cancel Culture | VULNERABLE SERIES
• Are We Ready To Talk About Loneliness? (Part 1) | Vulnerable Series
• Between ‘Fatigue’ &; ‘Fathead’ Is ‘Father’. Here’s Why | Happy Father’s Day
• Befriend Your Imperfections, Mommy | Happy Mother’s Day
• #1 Move Nobody Will Tell You About Purpose
• Love Letter to the Queen Mother | Mom Series
• Girl, Get Up!
• Dare to Laugh!
• How To Save Room For Growth In Your Life To Sustain You Forever | #SoftLife
• 6 Universal Enemies of Personal Greatness

Before we continue, though, head over to Phenomenal Life with Vicky Meg Podcast where, starting May 2nd, we will be dishing nourishment for the soul every Sunday for moms, by mom(s)!

Girl, Get Up!

If I were to write a book today, in these trying times, it would be titled; Girl, Get Up and Handle It, for so many reasons – chief being notes to self.

https://wp.me/p6asGe-2RL

The other main reason would be because the best of us women, if we’re really honest, oftentimes remain stuck in an insecure financial limbo awaiting a knight in shinning armour to save us. We may not always behave like we need or are awaiting one, much less sit on our laurels as lazy bums, but deep down, three in every five women statistically wish to be saved by a man (at least financially), because well, being ‘financially independent’, sexy as it sounds to the ‘humans from Mars’, can suck life out of you before you ‘get there’.

Before we get into it, have you listened to Phenomenal Life with Vicky Meg Podcast lately? Catch up via this link

Move and God will direct your steps

https://anchor.fm/vicky-meg2

• 4 Grown-up Lessons for Everyday Life In The Age of Loneliness & Cancel Culture | VULNERABLE SERIES
• Are We Ready To Talk About Loneliness? (Part 1) | Vulnerable Series
• Between ‘Fatigue’ &; ‘Fathead’ Is ‘Father’. Here’s Why | Happy Father’s Day
• Befriend Your Imperfections, Mommy | Happy Mother’s Day
• #1 Move Nobody Will Tell You About Purpose

Dare to Laugh!

So you know how the bible says in Proverbs 17:22 that “a joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit drains one’s strength”? Would you say it resonates with where you’re at in life at present?

Not to say that that verse isn’t true or is probably not practical, but may you re-read that verse and take a moment to really think about what that part of scripture means to you.

Yeah, unless you’re made of stone or steel, you’ve felt emotionally pinched once or more times in your lifetime.

Above all honesty, though, life’s challenges can preoccupy and often drain the life out of us. But guess what, after everything I’ve been through in the recent past (or should I just factor in the past eight years? Oh well…), I’m learning to laugh at myself before life does. Obviously not a ha-ha, rib-wrecking, ab-forming kind-a laugh but, you know, the one in which you attain a decent sense of humour and glimmer of hope is retained within.

In my quest for a bit of sanity amidst life’s homping, I recently came across a three year-old article by Gail Rogers herself in which she unpacks her best-selling read, The Courage To Laugh.

Here are five simple steps, according to her, that could help the best of us keep a ‘light heart’ even when the world seems to be inevitably going to the dogs, and despite our best efforts, darkness almost threatens to overcome the light within . . .

But before we get to that, have you listened to Phenomenal Life with Vicky Meg? We’re about to wrap up Season 2 (Soft Life Series) amidst many challenges in the recent past, what with tech issues and what not, but let me tell you, my girls and I are warriors and we shall overcome, and the season finale is gonna be worth the wait!

Please join me at the Boeremark Farmer’s Market at the Show Grounds on 27th March, at Stall #97 to try some of Vicky’s Chapatis. Would love to have you!