Aaaaaaaand Monday, we’re back at it again. How was your weekend?? ICYMI in last night’s CURation (get the CURation by signing up here!), yesterday we did an Escape Room! Have you done one before? I HIGHLY recommend for a big group of family slash friends…just not if you get claustrophobic or fear being locked in one room until you figure out how to get out of it. 😉

The short version of our experience: We thought we were *killin’ it* with the clues…until we learned that we had missed a REALLY OBVIOUS one the entire time. We had been so focused on the rest of the noise in the room – the red herrings there to throw us off course – that we missed a literal (Yup, we missed a friggin’ DOOR) that opened up, quite literally, an entire additional room of possibilities.

Comin’ atcha today with a new Mantra – to cut the noise.

Lately, I’ve felt so distracted. Can ya relate?

I’ve been distracted, distant, and just feeling like my priorities have been all outta whack.

And lately, I’ve also given far too much leeway to what others might think in decisions related to my own stinkin’ life. No bueno, yo. It’s time to:

This is a NOISY world. The bustling city of hustlers, the bustling home of hustlers, bustling families, bustling internets – everything is bustling, everything is saturated, everything is gogogo. Cars honking, babies crying, people yelling, noise noise noise.

And beyond the literal noise of it all, there’s the noise that comes from just too much happening too much of the time. Content coming at us from every direction, choices to make at every turn, distractions available wherever we look. Noise noise noise. Sometimes, it’s just too much.

In my own life, noise almost *always* leads straight to Burn Out Station. If/when I let too much random noise creep into my life, I lose focus. I lose confidence. I lose a sense of direction, because I’m trying to let noise guide my path instead of God (whoa now, deep). And since noise can be envisioned as a literal swirling sea of rubbish overhead…that’s a WHOLE lot less effective a guide than, oh I dunno, the One who created it all in the first place.

Cut the noise.

Put on your blinders, girlfriend.

Cut the noise. Be willing + able to ignore the swimming sea of *everything* that’s constantly encircling your head, to solely focus on what actually matters to you in your life. The things that matter, the tasks that matter, the people that matter…and cut the rest.

Be willing + able to intentionally ignore the sea of 24/7 noise to focus on what really matters.

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Drop ’em like flies in your mind, because at the end of the day, they literally don’t matter.

It might sound harsh, too – but it’s a lot harsher on *yourself* to put an expectation there that you’re going to do #AllTheThings with/for #AllThePeople and do it #AllTheTime. You won’t do it all – you can’t. None of us can. You’ll just find yourself overwhelmed, overworked, + over it all in the end, right back at good ol’ Burn Out Station. Cut the noise before it becomes too loud. And this can be so much harder said than done, I know. I know because as someone who usually cares way too much about way too many things, I sometimes need constant reminders from my inner circle about what matters, and what doesn’t.

That coworker who keeps giving you sideeye because you got promoted before them? Cut the noise. Their insecurity is not a reflection of you – it’s a reflection of THEM.

That random chick who keeps subtweeting you? Cut the noise. Social media is pro for this – until she musters up the chutzpah to have an *actual* conversation with you, her passive aggression is completely irrelevant, immature BS not worth a second of your digital breath.

That guy you met on Tinder who you actually really liked, but who’s now stringing you along because he wants to play the field and “keep things open”…and you not-so-secretly actually want a real relationship? Cut the noise. You only live once, in the least cliche way possible. You can be on different pages with different people for different reasons, but when it comes to lovelovelove, find someone who is on or who can GET on your page lickety split.

That family member who keeps giving you you-know-what for deciding that you actually don’t want to use your biochemistry degree in a lab, but rather, want to make your dream of owning your own clothing boutique happen? Cut the noise. Your life is yours + yours alone. If they want to get a biochem degree and don a lab coat, they can. Until then, you’re the only one whose head hits your own pillow at night, and you need peace with your own decisions to sleep soundly. Everyone and their mother has an opinion – not all of them matter.

Opinions are like butts – everyone has one. Pick and choose which ones matter to YOU.

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When we fail to hit a goal, chances are, it was partly because we let too much noise cloud our process. This is almost always a piece of my puzzle if/when I fall short on something. Whenever I get sidetracked, start multitasking, or fail to plan…I’m basically planning to fail. Because the noise of the world has space to creep in, and I’m not in the right, focused headspace to not let it. So in comes the noise, and out goes any chance of staying on track to make it happen. Womp.

To cut out the noise + stay on track, I think it comes down to the breakdown of NEED vs. WANT, and then acting accordingly.

First + foremost, what do you NEED to achieve? What’s GOTTA happen no matter what for normal life to proceed on schedule?

Do that.

Second thing’s second – what do you WANT to achieve? What’s on that list of “if I have time, I’d lovelovelove to do _______“?

Do that.

For me, my goal is to wake up and first read my devotionals + Bible app – NOT all of my social media. I had been failing miserably at that, and last week was my breaking point – I got a bit disgusted at my own inability to do the damn thing already. HA. I need to cut out the noise of random social media notifications to focus on what I actually need to do: Prioritize God. If I have time after, then I can scroll Instagram – but if and only if I’ve done the “need” first. Capiche? 😉

When we become too consumed with what other people think of us, we’re letting the noise of the world overpower the noise of our own hearts, or the peace from knowing what the One who really matters thinks of us.

To cut out the noise + feel peace in relationships, I think it comes down to realizing which relationships are actual relationships that matter in the grand scheme of things…versus which “relationships” are just a connection that social media says is so. Remember that not all Facebook friends are created equal – we aren’t obligated to treat them as so, either. So if someone you barely know is expecting an inappropriate amount of your time or energy justbecause it would benefit them in some way – you aren’t obligated to give it. You’re allowed to say no.

Which relationships NEED nurturing, because they’re the most important in your life?

Your immediate family, your best friends, your grandparents – nurture those that mean the most to you.

Then, which relationships do you WANT to nurture, because they’re important and you want them to stay on good course?

Other great friends, those good souls you meet along the way…etc.

Someone can get in your face or space for whatever reason, expecting a piece of you. They are noise – and it’s up to you how to adjust the volume in your head.

Some folks are just noise – and it’s up to you how to adjust volume in your head.

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