You Should Quit Social Media for a Week

I've wanted to go on a social media break/cleanse/fast/whatever for a while. I had tweeted that I was more afraid of not coming back than not succeeding. Pre-blog, I was only on Snapchat and Pinterest. I just don't see the value in social media for personal use, so getting used to using it so often and so "seriously" for the blog took time. I felt that tasting a social media-free lifestyle again would cut right through what I've managed to build online in the last year.

I hate mindlessly scrolling through Twitter and Instagram, which is the primary reason I've wanted to give it up or, at the very least, cut back significantly on my consumption. I'm not adding value to my life, and by the end of my scroll, I've wasted half an hour or more watching all the Buzzfeed Tasty updates, DMing my friends animal videos, and double-tapping photos posted by people I don't even know.

A friend that I worked with this summer told me that no, I would come back because I would use this time to think about how I can use my platform to inspire and encourage others. It only takes one person to read my too-long Instagram caption for someone's day to change.

The Things We Don't Talk About

I've had a lot on my mind lately. All things "we don't talk about." We don't talk about them because they're touchy subjects, and we don't want to rub people the wrong way. We don't talk about them because we live in such a politically correct culture that we might get roasted just voicing an opinion that isn't considered "okay" to hold.

So. Today, I'm talking about the things we don't talk about because I wanted to. I think that, in our ever-changing world that more and more wants to smother outliers, they need to be said.

+ There is one overarching theme of Christianity that is (supposed) to be found in all denominations: love everyone— that means every race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, sexuality, gender— as Jesus loved us. Christians do not judge and do not hate.

+ We live in an amazing era of body positivity and acceptance, but don't be blinded by the glamour of it: an unhealthy weight, under or over, is still unhealthy and could be the result of an eating disorder. There is a difference between being naturally curvy/thicker and being overweight, just as there is a difference between being naturally thin and being too skinny.

Three No-Brainer Tips for Writing a Book

I reached a big milestone a few weeks ago: I finally hit the 30k-word mark on my first book. I've been writing it since October 2014, and the fact that I am now at just shy of 34k words (about 16k from my goal of 50k) is so inspiring. I won't lie: I'm still overwhelmed by the number of words that are left to write, especially when I consider that I've been working on this book for nearly three years, but progress is progress.

If you're writing (and if you're not, here's why you should be), or have written, a book, I don't need to tell you how difficult it can be to sit down and write chapters and character descriptions and create plot twists. I've mentioned before that I'll have weeks when I crank out 5k words in a day, and weeks will go by when I won't touch my draft. I have noticed a few patterns in my writing "binges," so to speak, which I'm sharing in today's post: tips for writing a book.