Author: KatSnead

God First; Family Second! I love all things coffee ☕️! I'm a business owner.. A Chronic Illness Endurer.. An advocate for living your fullest life.. & everything else in between💃🍷🏄🍴🎹🎼✈️💬. Just trying to figure out what MyShare is in this world. Looking forward to taking this journey together. I would like to THANK YOU for allowing me to be me. Sharing the little that I know and all that I love! I acknowledge that this is, truly, for myself, but if I can leave something substantial with you for just a moment ... then I am at peace.. & I thank you for that gift. Love honestly, Laugh uncontrollably & Eat WELL .. ~ Kat

Balance, Life, Productivity

Clean Up Your Mess

February 23, 2021May 25, 2021by KatSnead1 Comment

Hi, there, 2021! So, we are 3 weeks into FEBRUARY & I am only now getting back into the swing of things. My bad, everyone! I had a few loose ends to tend to for me to “close” 2020 properly. You never want to bring over the old muck from the previous “whatever-fill-in-the-blank-you-want-to-insert-here” (ie: place, job, year, relationship, etc) into the new one.

Ya, clean starts are always refreshing. Although, I don’t want to mislead you nor get you off the hook. A clean start doesn’t mean simply leaving everything as is behind or a free pass to mess things up again. It means that we need to clean up our mess permanently.

I’m actually, really excited to write about this today because I know it’s going to make a few people upset enough to actually do something good for themselves. I’m going to make a massive assumption that everyone wants to leave 2020 in the rearview mirror (alongside all of life’s mistakes, lol). So much so, that you are completely open to just walking away from all its consequences, newness, hurts, struggles, uncertainties, and solitude. Trust me. I totally get it. I’m right there with you, but there’s a right way to leave things behind.

Over the past several months, I’ve spoken to a lot of different people about a lot of the same things: “here’s what life gave me, what should I do with it?”

Clean up the mess that you’ve made!! For good.

I think, for most people, it’s easier to just sweep things under the rug, rather than acknowledging the mess and cleaning it up right then and there. We’re all going to make mistakes, but growth only happens when you can admit that you’ve made a mistake and then correct it.

Let me share an example with you.

I incur a debt
I miss a payment
I know I’ve missed this payment and now I not only have the original debt, but the added interest to pay
I leave it be, not wanting to deal with it (this is when you “make a mess”)
Time passes and now I’m freaking out because I’m guessing what I owe has doubled in size and I don’t have the money
I leave it be, not wanting to deal with it (this is how you “make the mess” bigger)

You know … our fear is usually driven by the unknown. Since I continue to ignore cleaning up after myself and paying down the debt, I freak myself out about the negative possibilities without any actual facts. Then I make myself become stuck in my mess. So what should I do now?

Remove your hands from over your eyes and ears!!

Acknowledging the debt or issue is key
Get all the facts
Come up with a plan to fix / pay / reconcile / clean up whatever it is that needs cleaning up
Start cleaning up your mess

It’s actually not that hard. We just have to get over ourselves and our pride and commit to healing / cleaning / fixing / correcting the situation. Once you have everything laid out in front of you, it’ll be easier for you to process your next steps. I hope that seeing how simple the clean up could be, helps you face the unknowns that you’re dealing with. Now, the process may be difficult, but it’s a process nonetheless, and you’re committed to doing it.

I wrote about debt but I know that there are so many other things that everyone is dealing with, as well. This clean up process is applicable to most any of it. Regardless of how painful it is to remove your hands from over your eyes and ears and see or hear about the hurt you’ve caused others or the mess you’ve created for yourself, it’s imperative that we do it.

I’m hoping that you’re coming into this year with boldness and trust … trust in your process. Embrace your progress. Give yourself a running start by laying everything you need to deal with, out in front of you. With eyes wide open, start the clean up process.

Life, Wellness

I Just Can’t

July 29, 2020July 29, 2020by KatSneadLeave a Comment

Ever feel like just laying there. Not having to do anything. Really, even if you HAD to do something – you play a Jedi mind trick on yourself and resist up until the very last minute only to STRESS yourself the heck out to do what you really needed to do.

Ok, so I have to admit that I don’t want to do this. I mean, I DO! I’m so excited to write for you guys today, but if I can be honest… I have not been myself lately. My body is just so heavy these days. Heavy from the inside out. I can’t even explain it or articulate it well enough for you to understand … but I just haven’t been motivated to get at it. Get at anything, for that matter. Some days, the indifference towards people, towards my current situation, towards what’s happening in the world…. settles in way too well.

In my heart, I want all that I do to be intentional, to be meaningful, to make a difference in someone’s life. I mean, I want to do it, but my body won’t move. It just want’s to resist making something happen. I have an internal dialogue between the “I can’t-s” and the “just do it-s” going on more often than not. And lately, most days, the “I can’t-s” … win. So I just am. Laying here. Distracted. Then I look up from my phone or whatever the current distraction is at the moment, and it’s nighttime. Like, I should be asleep kind of nighttime. Then I have to force myself to get something accomplished. This usually means that whatever I HAD to do ends up with mediocre results. So I end up taking more time re-doing it or revisiting the project and it takes twice as long to complete. It’s been a vicious cycle as of late.

Have you felt the same way or maybe are you feeling that way right now? The heaviness of it all. As if, for some reason, the weight of the world is on your shoulders. Every major decision is left to you and you can’t handle it anymore. Well, for me – I’ve finally had it. I had to force myself to simply do. It’s not easy. But I do want to tell you that it’s ok to feel heavy. It’s ok to want to just do the mindless things for a moment. Whatever it takes to help you reset; BUT eventually, YOU. HAVE. TO. MOVE.

You just have to do it. One movement at a time. Then the whole muscle memory thing kicks in and before you know it, you’re in your groove again. Whether it’s working out, writing, a hobby, even work. Keep at it. Try and make it a point to not allow the “I can’t-s” to win TODAY. Now, Try that EVERY DAY. Don’t let your current circumstance direct your actions for too long. If you need a day, take a day. If you need a week, truly check out for a week and get away from it all to clear your head. It’s fine to need that time to yourself. But no matter what, you have to regain focus at some point. Becoming stagnant is not an option, if you want to grow.

Focus on the “I can do this today!” Focus on what’s ahead of you; something you’re working towards instead of what’s in your way and stopping you from obtaining that goal. You see, you’re still looking forward … moving forward, but the vision needs to be readjusted. If your days feel heavy, just keep moving. Simply, one foot in front of the other. Eventually, you’ll make it to where you should be.

Life, Wellness

Summer Declutter

July 13, 2020July 18, 2020by KatSneadLeave a Comment

Ok. I know you’ve heard of “Spring Cleaning” or even “Fall Cleaning”, but I have something new to throw your way: the Summer Declutter. I think that cleaning things out in the Spring as well as in the Fall are really important and necessary, but I typically do my heavy lifting right around August. Which is why I’m sharing this with you in July!

You see, August works best (for me, anyways) because it happens to be my “lull” in life. It’s after the summer vacays and staycations. Plus it’s before the hectic school/work/church/life balancing act has to happen. As an added bonus, it allows me a little bit more freedom to indulge in the cozy-weather, lazy time with family and friends and into diving right into the holidays. And, truth be told, with everyone quarantining, don’t you have a little bit of space in your schedule to fit an organizational day or two in somewhere?!

Recently, I stumbled onto an article from HGTV about why fall cleaning is better than spring cleaning (check it out at: https://www.hgtv.ca/cleaning-and-organization/photos/fall-cleaning-more-important-than-spring-cleaning-1930941/) and I’m totally on board with all of their suggestions. Now, while that article talks about the nooks and crannies to address while physically cleaning certain areas of your home, I want to talk to you about decluttering your life! (too much?)

Well, let’s narrow it down to 4 main areas:

Your Planner
Your Finances
Your Obligations
Your Space

This is where is gets fun (rubbing hands swiftly together – with only one eyebrow raised)! Is it weird that I’m giddy about organizing my life?! Don’t answer that…..

You see, it’s so important to get your mind right and control your surroundings before things around you get hectic enough to control how you react. I am all about “setting the tone”, “controlling your outcomes”, “expecting the unexpected”. Now, even though I KNOW that I truly control nothing, there’s something that puts me at ease in the preparation of – at least – being prepared enough to deal with the unknowns.

I know that if I plan accordingly, and allocate my finances appropriately, then I can truly commit to my most important obligations, then have my space to appreciate and enjoy it all.

Planner:

Set your schedule to include the most important elements of your days. Things like meditation, exercise, meal prep days, reset days, date nights, and of course work and creative times.

Finances:

Quit spending just to spend!! Be super intentional about what you’re spending your money on. Create a budget for yourself and start Christmas shopping early so that you don’t get hit all at once.

Obligations:

Minimize your obligations. You don’t have to feel guilty about not making time for everything nor everyone. Focus on the important things. I promise you that once you’re fulfilled, you will naturally have time for the other things.

Space:

Create a space around you without clutter so that your mind and soul (when in said space) also feels the freedom to rest and breathe. Save space for you and you alone so that you can be replenished regularly.

Are you ready for your SUMMER DECLUTTER?! It’s time parse it all out & get rid of whatever is holding you back from closing out the year well!

Balance, Productivity

Multi-tasking

July 9, 2020July 12, 2020by KatSneadLeave a Comment

With everyone #WFH (working from home) these days, “multi-tasking” between home life and work life has probably become an added skill on your LinkedIn page. But are you really accomplishing more? Are you really that much more productive? Only you can answer those specific questions, but I’m here for you to walk though successfully multi-tasking.

Since I’ve been working from home way before the shelter-in-place forced the remote-working culture on the world, people have been asking me for advice from how to set up their home work space to being disciplined enough to not binge on a bowl of cookies while working; in pajamas (at 10:00am) – you get the idea.

Whether you’re just WFH for the time being or this is in your unforeseeable future, the very first thing that you need to define is the difference between work and busy work. Think of it like this: WORK is what pays your bills; the tasks and projects that you need to submit; deliverables due by a certain time with an expectation of higher-level thinking and/or focus. Then BUSY WORK is what you can do to support your work (ie: organizing/sorting through emails, checking updates, mailing out items, returning phone calls, etc.) Once you have those two things defined, then you can move into multi-tasking between work life and home life … but not quite yet. It’s important to build out those two catagories on paper because you need to appropriately block out your time to accomplish both.

FACTORS:

Space
Time
Goals
Tasks
Tasks in lieu of …

SPACE: Create a space that mimics your office desk. This way your mind doesn’t have to absorb yet another change in your work life. Now, if you don’t have all of the fancy equipment that your corporate office can offer, try to at least invest in cords & supplies that can help transform household furniture into an upgraded work piece. Here’s my home/mobile office.

Amazon Items: iPad Mini case with keyboard, HDMI cable to turn my TV into a 2nd computer monitor, Mic Bundle & Bluetooth headphones. The Planner is from Tools4Wisdom.

TIME: Make sure to allocate your time appropriately. If you think that you can make dinner while on a conference call, you’re deceiving only yourself. You”ll end up burning something while not catching exactly what was just delegated to you – it’s a lose-lose situation. Know when you are your most productive/attentive and schedule your important tasks and calls during that time. What’s worked best for me is to get my husband and my daughter situated into their schedules then let them know that unless someone is about to lose a limb, I’m not available to feed, help, answer questions, or problem solve for them during these specific hours. This way I can fully focus on my WORK. I’m a firm believer of giving your commitments 100% of yourself during the allotted times. Being present (whether for my family or my work) is my number one!

GOALS: Make sure to set achievable DAILY/WEEKLY goals for yourself. If you skip this skep, I promise you, the “groundhog day” effect will consume your WFH experience. Be intentional about what you’re doing.

TASKS: These are your “must-do’s” for the day. List out what your deliverables are. Prioritize them according to brain-power-required tasks and deadlines. I often like to do the task that requires the most focus first then work my way down the list. I know that most people will want the satisfaction of checking things off of their to-do list so then they will zip through all of the easy tasks first. Most always, one will hit their mid-morning slump (regardless of what time that is) right before they are about to tackle the biggest ask of them. Then they realize that they don’t have the bandwidth to make it happen – & make it happen well – so then it gets pushed aside “until tomorrow.” So learn to prioritize early on.

TASKS In Lieu Of: Commuting takes what?… 10 minutes? 70 minutes? Whatever tasks that are on your to do list today, allot your commute time to a task that may be on your busy list that you just need to get done. Tasks that not so important to your work or something at home, but a task nonetheless. Good examples are cleaning out the junk drawer, organizing files (paper or electronically), updating due dates, going through old clothes, etc. These tasks can happen while I throw in a load of laundry or listen in on a webinar. Now, you obviously don’t have to do it during the actual time that you used to commute, but use that time for these BUSY WORK tasks. By the end of this “shelter-in-place” era of our lives, you’ll be surprised at how many “little projects” you’ve been able to tackle and how much more your life flows within each day, without becoming overwhelmed.

The ultimate to-do: organizing the Junk Drawer

So that’s it. These are some of the things that I’ve learned through trial and error, as well as, some burnt dinners – LOL! If you’d like to hear more about each of these areas on multitasking, come and check out my podcast: His Kind Of Lady, launching TUESDAY, July 14th, 2020 on Spotify & Apple Podcast.

I’m so excited to hear back from you to see what you were able to accomplish today!

Be Intentional ~

Wellness

TRANSITIONING into a better ME

October 4, 2019October 5, 2019by KatSneadLeave a Comment

After recently getting married then moving 2000+ miles away from family, church, friends, and work (basically – life), I lost a little bit of who I was. A 40(ish), Fabulous, Independent, Booked calendar, Corporate in the mind, Non-profit in the soul, kind of woman. I put a lot of work into being that kind of woman. Now with this transition, I put a lot of pressure on myself to be this perfect housewife and stepmom, at the cost of me. This transition has been a bit crazy, internally … wanting to become someone/something else all because of a status change. I was easily lost in the things that I felt I NEEDED to do for my family instead of focusing on how I can make myself a better person so that I can be there – present – with and for my family.

So today, I did something amazing: I CHOSE .. MYSELF! I decided that I was not going to clean the bathroom, fold and iron clothes, nor do laundry (well, for the moment). Instead, I signed up for an online workout course, bought healthy food that I love, and worked out, unapologetically for a little over two hours.

I chose me. & I’m so happy right now that I could run another mile, lol. Well, maybe half of that. It’s good to give yourself a break. It’s healthy to think of your body, your belly, and your heart before others.

Now, let me give you some context before you blow that last paragraph out of proportion and have your inner circle sending me hate mail, lol. Currently, I’m in the Teacup & Saucer heart mode.You know, pour into yourself so that you can pour into others?! Well, sure. I’ll be the dainty little teacup choosing to constantly pour into me so that the goodness and willingness will overflow onto my husband and my daughter.

I guess I’m writing to simply express that regardless of your title, your work, your current situation in life, you are still you and you should be in love with who you are. Transition in life is inevitable so it’s up to you how you want to enter into that transition and who you become coming out of it. Choose you so that you can be the very best for others.

~ Happy Friday ~

Wellness

Change

November 6, 2017October 5, 2019by KatSneadLeave a Comment

change

Well, hello there! It’s been some time since I’ve been on here, but it feels good to be back. Wow, so much to catch up on.

Today, I wanted to write about CHANGE. Things in our lives can change in an instant. Now how will we receive this change? Will we fight the change or will we ride it out?

Now, I’d like to ask you to be honest and completely present in this moment. I’d like for you to think about a change in your life. I’m talking about it all: the good, the bad, and the unknown.

the irony is .. the only constant in our physical lives … is CHANGE. It’s inevitable.

changing color fog

People always tell me to “live out the season” – “this is just for a season” – “this is just a part of your journey, but press on and you will reach the promised land” … Oh goodness. Sometimes, I thought that it would just be easier for me to crawl into bed and stay still until that season passed. But, we can’t do that. We have to make a move. We can either flow with the change .. or resist and watch others and our surroundings change around us.

I’m sure by now, many of you know that I am a Christian. I love God and trust my faith. So change, although uncomfortable at times, is something that I (now) can somewhat handle. Embracing change is not about living haphazardly throughout your life and simply floating towards every direction the wind takes you. But embracing change means that you are present in God’s presence. Walking with Him, stepping into His will for your life. Jesus says come follow me, not come sit with me. I mean yes, you can sit with God .. but only for a season. You gotta live out the life that God intended for you to have. Recently, I stumbled across an excerpt from John Maxwell’s studies. John Maxwell (an American author, speaker, and pastor) defines successful people as:

“those that have made their major decisions early in life,

then has spent the rest of their lives managing those decisions”.

Decide early on … or decide right at this moment, to become fresh and/or recommitted to stepping into God’s will for you and manage or live out that faith and trust in God.

People say “change is for your own good”. Well, I remember VIVIDLY all of the major times that I said: “THIS IS NOT FOR MY OWN GOOD”! “THIS IS NOT WHAT IIIIIII WANT”” “HOW COULD THIS BE IN GOD’S PLAN FOR ME”.

When God changed my career. I didn’t want that .. THEN I listened … He said hey you’re putting yourself in the limelight. I want you to exude not yourself, but MY true light.

When God changed my financial situation. I didn’t want that .. THEN I listened .. He said hey you’re serving yourself. I want you to serve others.

When God changed my health. I didn’t want that … THEN I listened .. He said you are too focused on yourself. I want you to be focused on those around you.

Ugh … trust me .. It would have probably been easier for me to be obedient and just do as I had prayed about, but no… I was pouting and reluctant for the first bit of most of those changes. Now, I’m not sharing these things with the happy ending of: Guess what guys, I’ve made it to my promised land. No. My life, as planned as it is .. is constantly changing. But my heart has finally arrived at the place of truly knowing that God’s plans for me have never changed.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

18 give thanks in all circumstances ….

Hebrews 13:20-21

20 Now may the God of peace, …. 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him ….

Jeremiah 29:11

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

His beautiful plans never change for us. We just have to learn not to resist so that we can easily change our direction to walk with Him.

I’d like to give you one last thought: Example of going to bed.

So … you have one goal … Your goal: to sleep. You get into bed, fluff your pillow, tuck in or untuck your sheets and covers until it’s just right; then you toss and turn into the perfect position, then in that perfect moment, you know that you’re going to finally rest in this perfect place. Today I’m inviting you to embrace the change, enjoy the shifts, and the turns, and the tucking and untucking that God is doing in your life… because his goal is to get you to find true and perfect rest in Him.

I hope you’ve been well, productive, and loving life.

Chronic Illness, Wellness

We Have A Voice!

March 15, 2017October 5, 2019by KatSnead2 Comments

Ready. Set. SNOW!!

I was asked to fly out to Washington, DC this past week to be present for the National Psoriasis Foundation’s (NPF) Annual Capitol Hill Day. This is an annual event that NPF hosts to give us patients the opportunity to voice our experience and hope for Congress’ support for research funding and medication/treatment advancements. WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY?!!!

I was all set to go and pulling up to SFO International when I received a notification that my flight was canceled due to crazy amounts of snow landing the same time I was scheduled to land! Bummer! Nevertheless, my voice will not be muted. I’d like to share my story with you. The story that I was going to share in Congressman Mark DeSaulnier’s office.

HELP IMPROVE LIFE FOR PATIENTS WITH PSA

I have Psoriatic Disease. I was only diagnosed in 2012 but after knowing much more about the disease and its symptoms today, I believe that I have had it (visible at least) since around 2008. Sadly, even going to my annual physical check-ups and whatnot, the typical diagnosis would be a rash or allergic reaction to something.

I was an active individual. I was a CrossFit competitor, I was a Junior Pro-Am ballroom dancer, I was a Hawaiian and Tahitian dancer, I was a runner, I was a skier, I was a dental hygienist. Then after being diagnosed with Psoriasis, I was unable to walk especially unable to run, I was unable to dance, I was unable to keep my balance, I was unable to hold my instruments, I was “contagious”, I was always “sick”. Untreated, my Psoriasis advanced rapidly and I was diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis only within months of my initial diagnosis. It was hard when I myself didn’t understand the disease, but it made it almost impossible to be out in the world with visible markings all over me and the inability to function without pain when others were not aware of what Psoriasis really was. Even with the commercials that came out early on, Psoriasis was either: a “rash” or “arthritis”. In some ways, we (patients) didn’t want the disease to be serious enough for others to be afraid of us, but yes serious enough for the medical world to treat us with a sense of urgency.

Even with the latest and greatest medical updates about Psoriatic Disease, there are just so many unknowns.

Funding these appropriations asks* for psoriatic disease research along with the PATA* bill will put us in a position to truly be able to target better diagnosis and valuable treatment options; allowing patients to be able to afford better treatments and live fuller (almost close to normal or consistent new normal) lives.

People always ask me why I am so involved since I “look so normal”. And yes, today I have learned how to cope with my disease, I have learned to smile through the pain so that others can know that they can also, I have learned and practice holistic methods that can allow for better mobility, I have learned to dress so that I can appear fine with my body. BUT to be very candid .. even though there are many experiences to hurt from .. there was one instance that will have forever changed me. There was this one time that my friends and family were out swimming and as I lowered myself gingerly into the hot tub, two individuals already seated in the tub stared at my scars and were so disgusted or afraid that they cringed and quickly jumped out to avoid the water that I had just contaminated. So my answer to why I am an advocate: it’s SO OTHERS WITH PSORIATIC DISEASE DON’T HAVE TO EVER FEEL THAT HUMILIATING HURT ADDED TO THEIR PHYSICAL PAIN. Educating the patients and the ignorant. Nurturing empathy and not feeding into sympathy. Encouraging action, not isolation.

I guarantee you that someone very close to you has a form of Psoriatic Disease. That’s how prevalent it is especially at this time. Either, they don’t know that they have it yet or they have been misdiagnosed. This disease is debilitating. It is life HALTering (yes, it stops regular life in its tracks). All we are asking for is an opportunity to have the information and options right there at the very beginning of hopefully an immediate diagnosis so that we can stop IT in its tracks. And that is what this ask will give us.

I always use this analogy: When someone you deeply care about finds out that they have cancer, I’m sure that one often says “Oh, so happy that you caught it early!! Now you can start “this type” of treatment and beat it”. We don’t have the ability for early detection, we don’t have a specific roadmap for treatment, we don’t have a one size fits most type of medication because we need more research to be done, we need more funding for our researchers, we need your support, we really need your signature today.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to my one story out of about 8 million of us here in the United States alone which have many stories like this to tell. – Kat Mulingtapang, Capitol Hill Day 2017

I wanted to share this in hopes that it would encourage you to stand up for YOU! Regardless of the platform, know that you have a voice.

* Here is a link to a recap of the 2016 Fly-In day. It gives us a detailed explanation of the congressional asks that we were supporting last year as well as this year NPF Capitol Hill Day

Chronic Illness, Wellness

Where Has The Time Gone

October 2, 2016October 5, 2019by KatSneadLeave a Comment

I can’t believe that its almost been a year since I last posted on the site. Don’t let my absence fool you, though! It has been a ridiculously busy 2016 thus far .. and it has been quite a journey to just try and get “through it”.

In the madness of it all, it just happens to get done. Thank God. Endurance, I suppose, is key. Although, I feel like I’ve lost so much time just being sick, unable to move, becoming unmotivated to even think. I was so upset that I was going through it. Things felt like they were just filling up space on my calendar, but didn’t really serve a purpose.

These days, Praise God, my Psoriatic Disease has kept itself at bay and I’m the most mobile I’ve been in several years. Yet the FREEDOM of being able to “just live” it out has been bittersweet. I’m happy that I have been “cured”, but I also feel as if I’m playing catch-up to all of my dreams and desires that I had to set aside since I had been diagnosed. I feel as if I have to accomplish so much in such a little amount of time, just in case Psoriasis wants to return to my body. I always feel the pressure of time ticking away as if I’m close to not being able to move again. I have to admit though .. I thrive under pressure. I want so much to complain and make excuses about the “time lost” due to chronic illness, but I find myself so grateful these days for the experience.

Who would have thought:

.. that the times I was laid up in bed, unable to move .. that I would have the time to stop and plan things out properly according to what I am supposed to accomplish;
.. that the times that I was in pain .. that I would know it so well so that I can understand and help others through their own pain at some point in the near future;
.. that the times I had allowed my mind to wander into sadness and talk myself out of my dreams .. that it would be that very same feeling that I would use as a foundation to build my heart-empire off of;

It’s so crazy that the time that I hated the most would become the moments which I now cherish .. because of what it has made me. Now .. I’m onto the next phase of this crazy journey – picking up where I left off, so to say.

I love to compartmentalize things .. so it’s fitting that all of the people, feelings, and “things” in my life have its appropriate place to “live”. Well, as you know .. my life/work has a lot to do with: Coffee. So this is a perfect example of it:

cups

Imagine that the 1st row of cups represents my Church, my Family, and my Friends. Then the 2nd row represents my Businesses, my Work, and my Volunteer Organizations; and so on and so on. Well, of course, each cup or each facet of my life has many components (represented of course, by the many beans – hahahaha … sorry amused myself for a moment).

Well, the time that I had to myself .. I often thought about what my particular share is of this life. Like, what did I have to contribute to all of these components in my life? What did I have to offer? What role do I play in the bigger picture?

Then .. as I allowed myself to endure the pain (or the lesson), to feel the rest instead of the restraint, and to be ok with the blessing (not be ashamed of the condition) .. I realized that I didn’t have to (simply put) figure out which bean I was in multiple cups, but …

heart-latte-art

simply … to just fill each cup with everything I’ve got.

To my chronic illness brothers and sisters, keep going. I respect you, your journey, and your fight.

~ Be Well …

Lifestyle

The reason for the season ….

December 24, 2015October 5, 2019by KatSneadLeave a Comment

In the quiet of the busy season …

So the last couple of months have been nothing short of a whirlwind of life! I went from one event to another. Coordinating, fascilitating, performing, and wrapping up every loose end. Not to mention the holiday parties and shindigs that “you HAVE to attend”!!

It’s easy to allow the reason why I do any of this to slip from my mind and get caught up in the details or the must-do’s. It wasn’t until I got to the 3rd verse of my spoken word performance that the emotion of “why” we were doing or celebrating this season hit my heart …

"and round the finger of Mary His soft hand curled .. the same hands that stretched out and made the whole world ..." — “and round the finger of Mary His soft hand curled .. the same hands that stretched out and made the whole world …”

I almost lost myself in the feeling of what I was actually saying and started to tear up. The words took life and for a moment I was staring at my creator and savior in His glorious face. It was as if the christmas music died down in the background and the bustling season seemed to stand still in His presence. It was so overwhelmingly beautiful.

This is supposed to be my favorite time of the year because of my reason for the season, but the cold weather makes my psoriatic arthritis sometimes unbearable. Plus, the fear of chronic illness came to light when I lost my voice for two weeks .. although it came back a couple of nights before the performance. It was as if, someone needed to hear what I had to say … maybe me. In my pain, especially during the rehearsals and performances though, I felt weightless. My pain sometimes subsides when my thought is that I have to go through it for a bigger purpose. I think that sometimes God allows us to go through the rough times in our lives so that we can remember what makes the beautiful times beautiful.

I’m merely sharing in hopes that I remind others about what lights up my life ….

I can only pray to be an extension of His light to others especially during the holiday season.

Wellness

Stillness.

September 2, 2015October 5, 2019by KatSnead2 Comments

I’ve been coming here for the past 13 years, but yet it takes my breath away every time. I think, as I get older, I see this place and its purpose in my life through a different set of eyes. My view of this place seems to mirror the perspective that I have about life at that particular time.

Right now, my vision is vast; skies the limit! I’m in forever awe and humbled that God thought to create me so that I could be a part of all of this.

Being up here forces me to look inward to find “company” and outward within nature to find entertainment. I must be aware of the stillness and peace around me so that I may feel my inner stillness and peace. I’ve said this before, but I think that it’s so important to take time out and completely disconnect. These still moments in your life allows you to check in with your heart and your intentions.

It’s valuable to take the time and ask yourself where you are along your path to achieving your personal goals. Inner peace is a good barometer for knowing whether you are walking in the right direction towards God’s will for you.

Look out into what’s around you (the company that you keep, the activities that you participate in, the food that you consume, the vision or the view that you are currently focused on), do these things replenish you; do they rejuvenate you; does it help you be still enough so that you can hear your heart.

Be grounded. Be inspired. Be still.

	Compassion Over Coff… on Clean Up Your Mess
	lilkatness on We Have A Voice!
	Chris Abad on We Have A Voice!
	lilkatness on Disappointed …
	NPFjim on Disappointed …