Navigating the Fine Line Between Sharing Personal Lessons, Reflections, and Connections and Staying Silent

June 25, 2023June 16, 2023 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

In a world filled with constant communication and a multitude of platforms to express ourselves, finding the right balance between keeping our thoughts to ourselves and sharing them with others can be a real challenge. It’s a struggle I often grapple with. I’ve always found myself caught in a bit of a balancing act when it comes to sharing my thoughts and experiences and holding back for fear of judgment.

It can be incredibly disheartening when someone has tried to diminish our voice or make us feel small. It’s natural to develop a sense of hesitation and reluctance to share our thoughts and experiences after going through such an experience. When someone tries to undermine our voice, it can make us question our own worth and the value of what we have to say. We might start doubting ourselves, thinking that our thoughts aren’t important or that they won’t be well-received by others. It’s a tough situation to be in, and it’s completely valid to feel hesitant about sharing after such an experience.

However, it’s important to remember that the opinions and actions of a few people don’t define the worth of your voice. My thoughts, feelings, and experiences matter, and they have the potential to make a positive impact on others. I won’t let one negative group discourage me from sharing and connecting with others.

I believe that if my own struggles can help someone else feel validated or less alone, then it’s absolutely worth opening up and being vulnerable. After all, what’s the point of going through tough times if we can’t learn from them and lend a helping hand to others? When I’m faced with that decision of whether or not to share, I always ask myself if it can make a positive impact on someone else’s life. I’m not doing it for attention or sympathy; it’s about creating connection and empathy.

Sharing our vulnerabilities can create this beautiful space where others feel safe enough to open up too. It’s all about fostering a sense of community and supporting one another through the ups and downs of daily life.

Finding the right balance between what’s personal and what’s meant to be shared isn’t always easy. It’s a bit like walking a tightrope. I’m learning to listen to my instincts and figure out which stories are meant only to be written down and worked through on the pages of my journal and which ones are meant to be shared with the world. It’s an ongoing journey of self-discovery and learning to trust my own voice.

At the end of the day, I value both my privacy and the opportunity to connect with others. There’s something incredible about knowing that our struggles aren’t isolated incidents. By sharing our experiences, we can create a sense of solidarity and hope. It’s like shining a light on the path for someone else who might be going through a similar journey.

So, as I continue navigating this delicate balance, I hold onto those moments of self-reflection and solitude, where I find calm in the pages of my journal. And at the same time, I embrace the chance to reach out, lend an ear, and remind others that they’re not alone. Because together, we can make the world a little brighter and the struggles a little easier to bear. Thanks for being here to listen to what I choose to share.

I would love for you to follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.

Lifestyle

The Crashing Ocean Waves of Grief

May 9, 2020May 9, 2020 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood2 Comments

One year ago, in the courtyard garden of the Spaulding Hospital Cambridge, I sat crying under this beautiful tree. One of my favorite people had just passed away. It’s hard to believe that an entire year has already gone by. 🌸

I miss her all the time! I think of her often. Whether it’s because I think of something funny she said or did, or because of something I wish I could text or tell her. She would have HATED social distancing and isolation! 🌸

Last night my Grandma passed away…😭 Due to her age and medical conditions, it wasn’t a surprise, but at the same time, I wasn’t expecting to lose her last night.🌸

She was a spunky lady. She always had an interesting story to tell, her nails perfectly done, and sunglasses on. 💅😎She was the epitome of the Shakespeare quote from Midsummer Night’s Dream “Though she be but little she is fierce” I’m going to miss her, but I know she’s so happy to be reunited in Heavenwith my Poppop and their dog Chase.🌸

Grief is a crazy thing, it’s like standing in the ocean being hit by waves. Sometimes the thought of the people I’ve lost makes me laugh and sometimes I cry.🌸

There’s no expiration date on grief. It could be twenty years later when you feel the wave crash against you as if it just happened yesterday. For now, I’ll take the waves one at a time…laughing and crying. 🌸

If you love someone, tell them. Don’t wait! You never know when you might not have another chance.🌸

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11🌸

I would love for you to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.

Lifestyle

The Answer to the Single Most Important Question Ever…?!

February 9, 2020February 1, 2020 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood1 Comment

The answer to the single most important question: “If I were to die today, would I spend eternity in Heaven with God?”

What happens when I die? Where will I spend eternity?

Your relationship with Jesus Christ is where you will find the answer to these questions.

The Bible tells us in 1 John 5:13, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life…” God wants you to know where you’re going to spend all of eternity!

In order to spend eternity in Heaven with God, you must personally receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

The Bible teaches us that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, that He was buried, and that He rose on the third day. Jesus’ sacrificial work of redemption made it so that all people can be saved!

Bible tells us that eternal life is not something we can earn or buy, but instead, it is a gift.

God’s gift is eternal life with Him.

The thing about this gift is that before you can get it, you first have to realize that you need this it. Romans 3:23 tells us that “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

All of us have sinned by breaking God’s rules. Some of the rules are broken by things that we have been doing, and some of the rules have been broken by things that we haven’t been doing. We have all sinned in one way or another.

Romans 6:23 tells us that the price for those broken rules is death. That death isn’t just talking about our physical body dying, but about our spiritual body as well.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

When our physical body dies, our spiritual body will go to one of two places, either an eternity in Heaven or an eternal death apart from God in Hell.

God doesn’t want to be separated from us! Romans 5:8 says “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

The price of our sin is death, but Jesus Christ already paid the price for our sins when he died on the cross.

Jesus came to earth as God in the flesh. He lived a perfect life and voluntarily took our place on the cross, all because He loves us! He took your place, He took my place, He paid your price with His life. He loves you!

The Bible tells us in 2 Peter 3:9 that “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

Any time you get a gift you have to accept it in order to own it. It is no different with the gift of eternal life, you have to turn to Christ and place our full trust in Him alone.

Romans 10:13 tells us that “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

If you have never trusted in Jesus Christ to be your personal savior, you can do it right now! It is as simple as believing in your heart that Christ is the only way to have eternal life in Heaven and saying a prayer that is something like this…

“Dear Lord God,
Thank you for the sacrifice you made in sending your only perfect son to die on the cross for my sins! It should have been me sentenced to that horrible death, but you Lord, gave Jesus to save me from the punishment that I deserve. Thank you for this free gift of salvation! Amen!”

You will never regret that decision! This decision has changed my life! If you have just trusted Christ and received the gift of eternal life, I would love for you to tell me!

I would love for you to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.

Lifestyle

How Injuring My Arm and Gaining Weight Changed My Life and What Else I Gained In The Process

February 3, 2020February 3, 2020 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood

It was a freezing cold 9 degree January morning last year when I found myself on the ground in the parking lot. It all happened so fast I didn’t realize that I had slipped on ice and fell until I was on the ground. My first thought was that I hoped that no one had seen me fall, my second was I was afraid I had broken my new pyrex dish in my lunchbox. Don’t worry, the pyrex was safe…my arm on the other hand…not so much!

What I thought was going to be a simple sprained wrist has turned out to be a year-long road of recovering with no definite end in sight.

The healing and recovery process has been very humbling. I’ve been forced to learn so much and grown so much through all of this! I’ve learned to take things one day at a time, one task at a time. There have been lots of tears along the way. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in over a year. I’ve learned the extremely hard lesson of asking for help. Let me tell you, it is unbelievably hard to go from being a “strong” person to having to ask for help for everything from putting on a bra, to taking off a shirt or opening a tube of toothpaste. My husband and children have been such a support and help throughout this whole thing.

Sadly for me, due to my arm injury, I have been unable to exercise. Previously, exercising was my life, my identity. I literally didn’t know what to do with myself once I couldn’t exercise! Also due to my extreme decrease in activity and my enormous increase in cookie consumption, I have steadily gained weight over this last year. I think in total I have gained about 20+ lbs… but I’m not exactly sure because I have not been weighing myself.

benefits of weight gain | lookingjoligood.blog — Lucky for me I get to wear this beautiful brace when I sleep at night

If you had told me last year that I would have gained 20 lbs due to my injury, I would have been devastated. Devastated!!! Gaining weight was my biggest fear. The thought of even 5 extra pounds was terrifying, never mind 20! I strived daily to be healthy, fit, and trim. I spent hours working out and weighing my food… Fast forward a year, my temporary disability has given me a new perspective, as well as new priorities.

There are so many things I have gained this year besides weight. I have grown in ways that can never be measured on a scale.

1) I have gained a new priority for listening to my body.

Pain is not the problem, pain is the warning sign to stop and make a change. I tried for months to work out, regardless of my injury, only be to be met with increased pain, regression of progress, and sleepless nights. I learned the hard way that I physically cannot grow my muscles right now. It is not my time to get stronger, I am in a season of rest, healing, and recovery. For everything there is a season, and right now for me, this is a season of forced rest. I’m working on growing roots instead of blooming flowers. I have curves now where muscle used to be and I don’t mind it.

2) I have gained a new respect for being the patient in the healthcare worker/patient relationship.

I love being a nurse, I HATE being a patient. Having to place your trust in the care of others is not an easy thing to do. Part of my treatment has been to go to Occupational and Physical therapy. I have never felt more humbled than when I was given a 1 lb weight and had to admit that I could not lift it. Trusting the people that were assigned to give me care was a hard thing for me to do at first. I was constantly leaving my appointments and googling what they had told me. As time went on and I grew to know them, trust got easier, but being in the vulnerable position of being the patient is still hard for me. This experience will definitely make me a better nurse due to the fact that I have now walked a mile in shoes as a “chronically ill” person.

Doctors office | lookingjoligood.blog — This is the amazing view from my orthopedic surgeon’s office. I could get used to looking at that every day!

3) I have gained a voice of advocacy for myself.

I’ve never struggled to stick up for people I feel are being mistreated. I am an amazing advocate for the patients that I care for. Unfortunately, sometimes I forget to stick up for myself… After I fell, due to perceived pressure from my manager, I worked my entire shift that day. The next week I then worked three more full shifts with numb fingers, an immobile wrist, and huge bruises on my elbow, hip, and thigh. Not being an advocate for myself immediately after the incident as well as continuing to work, not only put me at risk of further injury but also was unsafe for my patients. As I sat in the doctor’s office, a full week later, I promised myself that from that day on I was going to be an advocate for myself. Since then have learned to speak up for myself when I don’t agree with the decision being made for me. Personal advocacy is not being selfish, it is a right that is necessary!

injured arm | lookingjoligood.blog — The face of a person who has finally admitted to herself that she is indeed not getting better and in fact getting much worse.

4) I have gained a love for my current body exactly the way it is.

This is probably the biggest thing I have gained. Do I miss my strong legs, muscular arms, defined shoulders, and a flat stomach? You betcha, absolutely! But even more so, I love that I have learned to love myself just the way I am right now. I don’t need to look like I did a year ago because I am not the same person I was back then. For the first time in my adult life, I feel content with my body. I am thankful for this vessel that carries around my soul every day. This body has been through a lot with me over the decades, and until now, I have never appreciated her.

5) Throughout all of this, I have gained a soul that is peaceful, a happy heart, and a content mind. No more constantly pushing myself to be a “better” version of who I was yesterday. No comparison, no competition. No more deprivation of delicious things. No more constant movement to burn just a few more calories. Just contentment, happiness and peace.

Injuring my arm and gaining weight may have had a negative impact on my physical health, but the positive effects on my mental health have been 100% worth the pain and sleepless nights.

No one cares about the 20 lbs that I have gained.

No one has even noticed.

I’m hoping to eventually make a full recovery, but for now, I still have to take it easy. Progress at times has been extremely slow, but progress is still progress. It’s hard to watch muscles shrink and strength decrease, but I’m not meant to be blooming right now, I’m meant to be growing deeper roots. Roots for future blooms… blooms that might look completely different than the flowers I used to grow.

I would love for you to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.

Lifestyle

The Best Decision in Life: A Free Gift

October 26, 2019 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

I believe that God gave us life so that we can love and glorify Him.

Many people believe that eternal life in Heaven is something that we earn through good works, or something we inherit because our parents are religious, or possibly we can attain it through good intentions. While all these things sound good, the Bible tells us that eternal life is not something we can earn or buy, but instead, it is a gift.