To say the last couple of months of my life have been a little crazy would be an understatement. The timeline from May until now went something like this:

  • In early May we visited close friends in Virginia Beach.
  • While in VA Beach we found out my husband’s grandmother passed.
  • Work has been crazy with a huge project. Meanwhile we’ve been short staffed and I’ve had to pick up the slack while also hiring.
  • I attended Summit 21 in Atlanta. (check out my previous post)
  • A little over a month after my husband’s grandmother passed away, my grandmother passed away.
  • The very next day was my husband’s birthday and we went on a pre-planned trip to Toronto to celebrate.
  • The plane had a malfunctioning cargo belt, so no bags could be checked. That left us without anything for over 24 hours.
  • The day after we got back from Toronto, we closed on our first home.
  • The same week I attended my grandmother’s funeral.
  • The next week we started moving.

If there was a timeline to illustrate an emotional rollercoaster, it would be my life from May till now. On top of all of this, I’m trying to launch my second book.

To be honest, I’m exhausted emotionally and physically. But in the midst of the highs and the lows, I’ve been very hard on myself about not doing as much as I should be (or even want to be) doing on my next book. But one day in one of my morning talks with God, He said, “Chauncey, chill out.” Seriously, He talks to me like that #Jesusismyhomeboy

If anybody truly knows me, they know I’m my own worst critic. I’m often harder on myself than anyone else could ever be. I also have a perfection complex where I want things to be done right and in a certain time at all times! My husband calls me a control freak. I just call it being organized. But sometimes life hits you. And that’s when you have to give yourself grace. I had to remind myself that I’m human. In what many won’t go through in a year, I’d experienced in a matter of weeks. I made a pact with myself, that while I might not be able to do everything, I’d commit to doing some things.

So if it was only posting a social media post on my McKenzie Mason page, I’d pat myself on the back for that. If it were a quick chat with my web designer, I’d check it off the list. If it were proofing my booking for the hundredth time, with tears in my eyes thinking of my grandma, I’d tell myself, “good job.” We have to celebrate small wins, especially when we’ve suffered big losses. At the end of the day, I just needed time to process all of it. And I did just that. Took some time.

I took additional (and unplanned) days off after July 4th to do absolutely nothing. I literally only left the house to go make a few runs for home decor. And I felt better. As I’m coming out on the other side of things, my life is starting to return to normal (at least for now). And my focus is renewed. But one thing about life is that you can never predict it. While life will always throw you curveballs, learning to give yourself grace is a needed practice. It got me through this time. And it’ll get me through the next time. We often are so graceful when it comes to others. Try extending that same grace to yourself. #weallwegot

And don’t worry…book 2 is still coming soon!