Embracing Boundaries: A Story of Health, Hope, and Honoring Self-Care

As the New Year unfurls its wings, I, Shaniqua, reflect upon a moment that shook my world – my granddaughter's health crisis. It's a story woven with fear and hope, a narrative that underlines the episode of 'Free Concepts Unmask' where we celebrate not just new beginnings, but also the unspoken heroes in white coats who work miracles every day. Join me in a conversation that goes beyond mere resolutions, delving into the essence of self-care through the power of setting boundaries. It's about transitioning from a perennial people-pleaser to a self-compassionate individual who understands that sometimes, saying 'no' is the healthiest choice you can make for yourself.

In the spirit of gratitude, I extend heartfelt New Year wishes to each listener, sharing the collective breath we held and released as my granddaughter embarked on her road to recovery. This episode is an offering of thanks for the support that poured in, a testament to the incredible community we've built together. I invite you to share in the appreciation for every second of health and happiness, and to carry that warmth and encouragement through 2024. Let's navigate the uncharted territories of this year, arm-in-arm, with the unshakeable belief that together, we can face whatever lies ahead.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to Free Concepts Unmask, where we motivate, educate and elevate. I am your host, shaniqua. Happy, happy New Year to everyone. 2024. Woo, thank you for a new year.

Speaker 1: 0:17

Every time I have a new year, I feel like I can start all over again. Whatever stuff I went through the last year, I try to make it better the next year. I feel like it's a new beginning for me. I don't know if anyone else feels like that, but I feel like it's a new beginning, a new start, so I'm so grateful for that. Listen, guys, I had a scary, scary, scary thing happen December the 28th. My granddaughter had seizures and had to be rushed to the hospital and she was released on December 31st, which was such a blessing. But when I tell you, I was in that hospital just praying, praying, praying for healing and for God to definitely work his magic, whatever it was he needed to do work his miracles, okay. But listen, she's doing much better. She had a virus and was dehydrated and fever. They think that's what it may have been. The neurologist washed her 24 hours and didn't see anything. So that's definitely a blessing.

Speaker 1: 1:37

I want to thank you to all my prayer warriors. I went on Facebook and I said listen, y'all, I need my prayer warriors and what I love about my prayer warriors I don't even have to really go into what's going on. I just sometimes I just say, hey, I need my prayer warriors, my granddaughter's, in the hospital, and then everybody just starts praying and they lift up in prayer. So I'm so grateful. I'm so grateful also First and foremost of course y'all know this to God. But I want to thank Children's Hospital, scottish Rite, sandy Springs, georgia, and that's how you. They did a phenomenal job and they are so passionate and caring about these children. They were so awesome and I really I take my hat off to them because they really showed. You know, she was cranky and just wasn't feeling well and you know she would kind of hit at them and she's one guys, so she hit at them and things like that, but they knew how to handle it and they understood. So thank you to Children's Hospital. I thank you to all the people out there that were praying. I'm so grateful for my son and his wife. They did an awesome job. She acted right away and calling 911. And I'm just so grateful and I know that was a scary experience for them as parents, but we got through it y'all. So that's all that matters.

Speaker 1: 3:14

A lot of people, you know they always ask me about God, and you know my relationship with God, and these are. This is one of the things that has happened in my life that I know that there's a God. When you start praying, things change, Okay. So, speaking of prayer, we're going to go ahead and go into prayer before we jump into our topic. Father God, in the name of Jesus, god, I thank you so much, god, for everything, everything that you're doing in my life, everything that you're about to do. Thank you for the healing of my granddaughter. God, I ask that you continue to just bless us, keep us, strengthen us, protect us. God, have my listeners to have an open mind, open heart, to be able to receive whatever word that you have for them. God, I thank you for this platform to be able to share my experiences, to encourage people through their journey. So, god, I thank you. In Jesus' name, we pray Amen, amen, amen.

Speaker 1: 4:15

Listen, I am all for resolutions. I notice that when I'm scrolling on my social media, I've seen a lot of Debbie Downers or people that are like oh god, I don't want to hear no more resolutions. Let's not do that again. But I'm all for you changing, evolving and wanting to even make the effort to change the things that you see that's an issue or problem. You know if you're smoking or drinking or if you feel like you need to lose weight, you know it's okay. Reinvent yourself as many times as it takes for you to get it right. If you start and say, okay, I'm gonna exercise, and say you do it for a week or two and then you fall off. You know, go ahead and don't have grace with yourself. Don't be so hard on yourself and go ahead and start that next week. Don't give up. Keep trying. There's nothing wrong with trying to become who god needs you to be. You know that transformation has to occur. That's how we gained wisdom and knowledge in our lives. That's how we we're tested and we learn our lessons through struggles and trials and tribulations. And there's nothing wrong with wanting to change and to do better and be better. Okay, now.

Speaker 1: 5:37

Topic today is going to be boundaries. Let me tell you something about this y'all. Can I give it? Can I get real with you for a minute? I've always been a people pleaser, always wanting to make everybody else comfortable, always wanting to put a smile on other people's faces, even if I'm not comfortable, even if it bothers me or if it makes me, you know, just feel bad or sad. I just put other people before me. I've learned to set boundaries. I didn't even know what that was. I've learned to say no, okay. And that was really difficult for me because I somehow felt like I wasn't, um, a good Christian or, uh, you know, I love the Lord, so I'm. You know, I want to do whatever he wants me to do, but god does not want you to put more on you. You know that that you can handle, especially when you feel overwhelmed and you're stressed out and you feel triggered.

Speaker 1: 6:42

A lot of people will continue to use you, abuse you in any way possible, because they know that they can. And if they have problems which you said in boundaries is because they know they can't use you like they used to be able to use you. Now you're saying no, now you're not answering the phone all the time like you used to. You're actually taking time for you, you're sorting out your own life and there's nothing wrong with that for having peace of mind. Finally, you know, know is a complete sentence. It really is.

Speaker 1: 7:19

So if you say no to somebody, don't feel bad about it, don't even feel like you have to explain yourself, because at the end of the day, you're going to try to explain and they still are going to want their way, so it doesn't even matter if you explain. Communication is key and it's good to say you know, hey, I don't like the way you talked to me the other day, or you know I don't like when you said this. It kind of triggered me. Um, you know you can, you can, you can go there. So that way they will know that this is what triggered you, you know. Or this is this makes you feel bad.

Speaker 1: 7:56

But if they don't care, even after you explain, sometimes you have to think about removing yourself, because some people like drama, some people believe it or not are toxic and they will keep using you, they will keep doing whatever it is that ticks you off, makes you feel uncomfortable, makes you feel less than they don't care, because they want what they want and they feel entitled. Well, guess what you're entitled to, how you feel as well about things. Do not second guess yourself. Do not put yourself in an uncompromised position just to please someone else, to make them happy all the time. Now, if you're married, of course you're compromised and things like that. On certain you know um things, but at the end of the day you have to be happy, you have to feel fulfilled, you have to be okay and have peace of mind and sit with that and it's nothing wrong with taking care of you.

Speaker 1: 9:00

First, self love, self care, is so important. I didn't know that before I was taking on all these different things. I got, you know, so much on my plate and now you want me to put some of your stuff on my plate and I'm putting some of somebody else's stuff on my plate and now I'm stressed out. And who should I be stressed out with myself because I'm allowing it. So when you continue to allow these things to happen to you and you don't make a stand, then you can't be mad at nobody. But you, you have to learn how to say no and that's okay. Listen, we're here to serve, you know, and love on one another and it can't be kind. And and then you know, do things and you know, and Be Christian like you know, so to speak. But at the end of the day, if it's overwhelming you and you're feeling stressed out and you're feeling used and you can't function well, then it's not healthy.

Speaker 1: 10:01

So this year, 2024, we are going to learn how to have healthier relationships. We're going to learn how to set these boundaries and stand on these boundaries and not bend them For people and guess what, if they don't want to go along with it and they have a problem with it and they keep talking to you and triggering you and treating you, mistreating you and you know, let it go. Sometimes you may have to disconnect from these people because, at the end of the day, you want to be surrounded by people that support you, love you and care about your well-being. Okay, so I just wanted to throw that out there. Definitely, do not feel bad about it. You know we have family members, we have friends, we have co-workers. We have so many different people that we deal with day to day that we really have to set our boundaries and Not feel convicted. You know, by saying no or feel bad, you know that you told someone no, if you can't do it, you can't do it. Okay.

Speaker 1: 11:05

So I wanted you guys to know that if you have any Questions or if you want to write in and talk about something that's important to you, if you want to get some advice from me. I am a very wise woman and I don't mind at all. I will keep you anonymous if you want me to. I will read your letter and I will Give you my advice. Okay, so definitely, email to free concepts podcast at gmailcom. That's, free concepts With an s podcast at gmailcom, and I want to leave you with a little bit of affirmations.

Speaker 1: 11:51

Okay, I want you first to know that I love you. I'm so proud of you. If no one has told you that, and Stop being so hard on yourself. Show yourself a little grace. Okay, give yourself grace. God gives us grace. He gives you know, mercy, forgiveness. You got to give yourself grace, forgive yourself for a lot of things. But the affirmations I want you to repeat after me I Love me, I Accept me for who I am. I Am beautiful, I Am handsome that's from a man out there. I Am a value, I am enough, I Am amazing, I am different, I Am unique and I love who I am and I also love who I'm becoming. So when I leave you with that, just know that no matter what anybody thinks of you, it's only what you think about yourself.

Speaker 1: 13:01

People gonna talk whether you do good or bad, guess what. Don't worry about what they say, cause either way you're not gonna be able to win. Okay, they gonna talk about you. You know when you're doing good, they gonna talk about you when you're doing bad, so you might as well. Just what do you? So do you boo, boo, love and embrace who you are? Know that God has so much more for you that this is just the beginning not the end, but this is the beginning. Anytime you feel like that something has ended, just know that something else is about to begin.

Speaker 1: 13:38

There are different levels, and just know that we have different tests. That takes us to those levels. If you pray for patience, god gonna set you up and he gonna test you with your patience. If you pray for whatever it is that you pray for, basically you're gonna get those tests. So you might as well put on your armor and expect those tests to come your way so that you can go ahead and pass those tests, so you can go ahead and reach the next level. There's gonna be different seasons in your life and they're not gonna always look as good as the last one, but it's okay. Just know that God is doing something in you and this season and he's transforming you into who you need to be so that he can get the glory and so you can fulfill your purpose. So God bless you all.

Speaker 1: 14:28

I hope you guys have a happy, happy new year. Enjoy it. This is just what almost week two, so enjoy it. I hope you guys have a wonderful week. I will definitely be back next Monday. Sorry, I took a week off because I had to regroup and get it together from the scare that I had with my granddaughter, but she's better now. Thank God, and I thank God for you guys for listening. Thank you for your support. From 2023, and guess what? 2024, I'm expecting more of your support, more of your love and just grateful and honored that you even took the time to listen to free concepts. Have a wonderful week, god bless you.