Jades Random Thought's

Category: Motivation & Mindset

A place to  get together  and encourage each other.

  • “My Blogging Journey So Far: A Beautiful Disaster”

    “My Blogging Journey So Far: A Beautiful Disaster”

    First of all, I want to give a huge shoutout to Taylor Standford. Honestly, I wouldn’t be where I am today without her guidance — and by “where I am today,” I mean sitting here writing this paragraph instead of binge-watching reality TV. Who is Taylor Standford? Glad you asked. She’s basically the blog whisperer — the Yoda of blogging, but taller and with way better Instagram aesthetics. She helps people start blogs and then gently shoves them out of the nest so they can fly on their own (or at least awkwardly flap their wings until they get the hang of it). If you’ve ever dreamed of sharing your wisdom, your recipes, or your cat’s daily schedule with the internet, click the link below and begin your blog journey.

    https://taylorstanford.com/blog/how-to-create-a-blog

    Choosing a Blog Name

    This blogging journey has been a wild ride, let me tell you! Tech-savvy? Ha! I once tried to reboot my computer and accidentally made it take a nap for three hours. Coming up with a name for my blog? Pure chaos. I didn’t want to trap myself into one topic—like “Back to Our Roots,” which sounds cool until you realize it basically forces you to become an amateur herbalist and beauty guru overnight. So, I went with Jade’s Random Thoughts—because why limit myself? Now I can post about anything from why my cat judges me to my secret talent for burning toast. The possibilities are endless… and slightly terrifying.

    How It Is Going

    Although starting this blog wasn’t exactly the wild, confetti-filled party I had imagined, I’m hanging in there. Sure, I wish I had a few more subscribers—maybe even enough to start a small cult of newsletter enthusiasts—but hey, patience is a virtue, right? Blogging isn’t hard; figuring out what people actually want to read? That’s the real brain-bending, hair-pulling puzzle. In just one month, I’ve racked up 1,116 views—which is mind-blowing! I mean, someone out there actually cares what I ramble about. My goal is simple: write posts that make you go, “Ah, finally! Someone else has survived the chaos of life and lived to tell the tale!” Because let’s face it, we’re all human, scrolling through life online, thinking, “Okay…so what did you do to fix this mess?” And honestly, I need all the help I can get.

    What I Would Have Done Differently

    Well, I wish I had started this journey when I was younger—back when my brain could actually absorb the magical secrets of blogging without feeling like it was learning rocket science. Poor Taylor, bless her, has been my blogging lifeline, patiently answering my…let’s call them “quirky” questions. Honestly, even if my blog magically stops getting views tomorrow, I’m thrilled because 1,116 people have peeked at my little corner of the internet—and that’s basically a small army in blog-world. So, what would I do differently? At this point, not much…unless someone invents a “blogging cheat code” in the next month. It’s only been a little over a month, and I’m sure my future self will be facepalming over all the stuff I’ll learn along the way.

    Wrapping it Up

    If you’ve made it this far, wow—thank you! I appreciate you more than coffee on a Monday morning. So, here’s my journey so far: I still have most of my hair 🙃😅, which is a win in my book. I know this post is a bit shorter than my usual novel-length rants, but I’m not into filler content—I like to get straight to the point, like a ninja with a keyboard. Has this blogging experience been amazing…or a total disaster? I’ll say I’m somewhere in the middle 😆…kidding! So far, it’s been a good ride, going about as well as a slightly tipsy tightrope walker might expect. Any new adventure comes with its highs, its “wow, I’m a genius” moments, and its lows, AKA “what the heck was I thinking?” Moments. But really, it’s all about the adventure along the way. So until next time, go forth and have a blessed day…or at least a day that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

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  • It is Okay, Not to be Okay

    It is Okay, Not to be Okay

    We Deserve to be Heard

    We’re somehow led to believe that our problems are like that embarrassing family photo—better off hidden away while we plaster on a smile and pretend everything is just peachy. It’s as if our lives are too messy for some people to handle, like trying to explain TikTok to your grandma. We should absolutely be able to share our woes and get the support we need to dodge the emotional tidal wave that’s about to sweep us away. Seriously, we deserve a lifebuoy when we’re flailing around! But instead, we get those cheerful “You okay?” greetings that are basically just an invitation to gossip, leaving us feeling a bit like a reality show contestant—everyone wants the juicy details, but no one wants to help.

    Help the future you

    Well, I wanna say it’s ok to not be ok. It’s ok to cry and have that emotional meltdown 😢. Believe it or not, when you have a good cry, you can then deal with the problem in front of you more clearly. When you cry, you’re not just making your face red and eyes puffy. You are releasing the hurt you feel and the pain you feel. It may not be better after one cry session you might have to have multiple of them. But each time you have a good cry, the cry is not as deep, or the duration isn’t as long as the one before. You owe it to your future self to get the help you need. Only you know what that looks like. It could be as simple as a talk session with a friend over coffee or perhaps more complex. You need to talk about a session with a licensed therapist.

    It is OK, To Ask for Help

    Now I’m not saying you have to be overly sensitive and cry over every little thing that goes wrong. I’m talking about those breakups and the bad news that you weren’t intending on hearing. Or the possible childhood abuse effects on our life, like anxiety, angered easily or perhaps insecurity.  It’s easier to be in denial than admit your hurt.  

    I know so many people in my own personal life hide how things affect them. Like they have things under control when you know they are a ticking emotional time bomb. But we need to get the help we deserve when we don’t know how to handle emotions on our own. Not everyone knows how to handle what they are feeling. It ok to ask for help to get on the right path to helping you feel better.

    Who wrote the book if you have an emotional moment, your weak? Why are we listening when it clearly doesn’t help. I think it’s just the opposite. You are strong enough to show these emotions to let yourself feel the emotions and feel hurt.If you keep it inside, you will eventually explode, and that can be dangerous, just like an actual explosion.

    Be Strong

    Do you know how strong you actually are to be so vulnerable to show emotions. We are taught to hide it because people have mean comments  when they see someone cry or however you choose to release the hurt. But, if more parents taught their kids what to do during a meltdown and how to handle negative emotions. America might not hear about school shootings because our kids would not suffer in silence they would learn to deal with whats going on in a positive manner.

    Photo By: Joysight 

    I know what I’m asking isn’t going to be easy. There are so many ways to deal with situations, whether it’s a break up, death, abuse, or bulling just to name a few strong situations that have strong emotions tied to them that some of us have to deal with. we can break the cycle with our own kids and teach them to handle emotions and that it’s normal to deal with what they are feeling.

    How to deal

    There are many ways to deal with our problems that happen in life, that leads to strong emotional build up..  Talk to someone  about it. Even if that person has no answers, just speaking out loud what’s going on with you can help. if you’re not the talking type, write it in a journal so you can look back and see how far you come. You can also scream in the woods. Also, going on a run is another way to deal with situations.  I know I said it’s ok to not be ok. I meant that you go ahead and have that good cry.

    Photo By: LITTLE SHINE

    A good cry will help more than you realize, then  comes the road to help yourself heal so you can become more focused on a better future. If  this sounds like something you’re going through, I want you to know pain doesn’t last forever. And you’re not alone. There is light at the end of the tunnel, which can lead to a beautiful place.

    Photo By: Pexels.com

    Buried

    I’m a survivor of child abuse, and guess what? I spent years playing hide-and-seek with my pain. Spoiler alert: it turns out my emotional baggage gave me a few mental scars as souvenirs! They sneak into my future choices like an unwanted party crasher. I’m sharing this post because I’ve learned firsthand that ignoring past or present emotions can turn you into a real-life piñata—just waiting to be whacked! It’s totally okay to have a good ol’ emotional cry, like a toddler who just saw their ice cream fall. Just make sure you don’t set up camp in “poor me” land; you’ll find yourself buried under a pile of self-pity, which is less fun than it sounds. Trust me, it’s like trying to navigate a bumper car track on your way to healing—it only leads to more crashes! Your future self is out there, giving you a thumbs-up for taking time to fix those inner boo-boos. So, grant yourself a little emotional rehab—after all, you deserve to feel fantastic!

    Photo By: Pexels.com

    The Ending

    I hoped I helped someone who reads this post. I know this post is heavy in topic, but it needed to be said. This is not a topic I  take lightly. I want to encourage you to face what’s hurting you. Whether it has been  a week or 20 years.  If you made it this far, I think you can agree that you need to make a change so you can move on from whatever hurt you’re dealing with.

    Thank you for reading this. I couldn’t have a blog without an audience. Without you, I would be just talking to myself, and that doesn’t look mentally stable. (Punt intented) Until we meet again, have a blessed day, and God bless

    If you’d like to help me stay slightly less stressed (and mildly caffeinated), consider buying me a $2 cup of coffee. It’s cheaper than therapy and keeps the blog running!”

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  • How To Be Your Own Best Friend

    How To Be Your Own Best Friend

    Will You Be Your Friend

    I don’t know about you, but I didn’t exactly like myself for a long time (still working on it — self-love is apparently a lifetime subscription, not a free trial). In my 20s, I wanted everyone to like me, which is hilarious now because that’s literally impossible. You can be the juiciest peach in the world, and someone out there is still going to hate peaches. Realizing that was a tough pill to swallow… and not one of those tiny easy-to-swallow pills, either — I’m talking the horse-sized vitamin kind you have to psych yourself up for.

    But here’s the thing — there are people out there who will absolutely treasure you, but first you’ve got to treasure yourself. And let me tell you, I was not a fan of my own company at first. Now that I’m in my 30s, though, I actually like hanging out with myself — which is convenient because I’m kind of stuck with me forever.

    So, here I am, trying something new and throwing myself into the mysterious world of blogging. (How am I doing? Please clap.) At the end of the day, building a relationship with yourself is a lot like starting a new friendship — there’s a little awkward small talk at first (“So, uh… what do you like to do for fun?”), but before long, you realize you’re actually pretty great to be around.

    So here’s the big question: will you accept your own friend request? (I promise you won’t regret it!

    Author: herintrovertedlife

    What is Self -Love

    • Embrace self-compassion: replace harsh inner criticism voice with a loving voice.
    • Set healthy boundaries: Learn to say “no” because your time and energy is important.
    • Practice positive self talk: Learn to speak to yourself with love and encouragement but most of all support.
    • Engage in self: Eating well, exercising, reading a book or spending time in nature.
    • Accepting yourself unconditionally: Learn to accept your weaknesses and strengths and understand your worth is not tied to achieving perfection or meeting what others think.
    • Pursue your own goals: Love yourself enough to learn new skills, and try new activities that bring you happiness.

    Create a Bond with Yourself

    When I buy gifts for my friends, I get ridiculously excited to give them — like, I’m basically a golden retriever waiting for them to open it. And the more we hang out with our friends, the stronger that bond grows, right? Well, the same thing goes for ourselves. When we take time to spoil ourselves — whether that’s with a fancy coffee, a quiet night in, or just saying “no” to something we don’t want to do — we start to actually like ourselves a little more.

    The trick is to learn how to self-analyze without turning into your own harshest critic. Ask yourself questions: “What actually makes me happy?” “What do I not love about myself — and can I fix it, or just accept it?” And then — here’s the important part — answer yourself the same way you would if you were talking to a friend you care about. Yes, that means having an actual conversation with yourself. (Pro tip: wait until you’re alone, or people might start asking if you’re okay. Or just own it — you’re deep, not weird.)

    Author: elsvry

    Speak to Yourself with Kindness

    If you’re a good friend, you’re not just going to sit there and nod when your friend starts talking bad about themselves. No way — you’re going to look at them like they just said aliens built the pyramids and give them a full-on pep talk. That’s what good friends do. Well, guess what? You’ve got to be that same kind of friend to yourself. Yep, it’s time to give yourself a pep talk — out loud if you have to. (Bonus points if you do it in front of a mirror. Extra bonus points if you use a dramatic superhero voice.)

    Because deep, deep down, you know that little voice in your head talking trash isn’t telling the truth. And if some of it is true? Cool — that’s where you make a game plan. For example: “You say I’m fat?” Okay, what can we do about it? Go for a 20-minute walk after dinner, dance around the living room like no one’s watching, or join a gym and get yourself a support squad. The point isn’t just to change your body — it’s to change how you feel about you.

    Practicing self-kindness doesn’t have to be all bubble baths and scented candles (though those are great, too). It can be as simple as taking baby steps to improve your situation and cheering yourself on along the way. Before you know it, you’ll stop being just your harshest critic and start being your own biggest hype-person.

    Author: PositiveThinkingforBeginners

    Loyal to Yourself

    When you have a close friend you spend a lot of time with, you build this unspoken alliance — like a secret “Bestie Avengers” pact. You cheer them on, support their wild life decisions (even the questionable ones), and help them through the rough stuff. Well, guess what? You’ve got to do the exact same thing with yourself.

    If you’ve got toxic people around you, love yourself enough to say “Nope, not today!” and slowly swap them out for people who lift you up instead of drag you down. (Think of it like spring cleaning, but for your social circle.) Once you do that, you’ll notice your boundaries start popping up — kind of like those little fences in a cute garden. And then? Boom. Confidence starts to grow.

    And when that confidence kicks in, those snarky comments or rude opinions won’t knock you over anymore. You won’t be ducking your head or trying to disappear into the wallpaper — because you actually like yourself. You’ve built a friendship with yourself, and you know what’s true about you and what’s just background noise.

    You are a beautiful person — now all you need to do is grab that mirror, give yourself a wink, and say, “Dang, we look good.”

    Author: boredpanda

    That is All for Now

    And there you have it — once you actually get to know yourself, your whole focus does a 180. Suddenly you’re glowing from the inside out like you swallowed a lightbulb (don’t actually do that). People will notice and probably start asking if you’re secretly in love or joined a fancy spa membership.

    Don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself if you have to — Beyoncé does it every album cycle, and look how well that’s working out for her. You are absolutely worth it. Just please, don’t be the person who complains about everything but does nothing to change it. We all know that person, and they’re exhausting.

    You are a strong, unique, beautiful human — like a rare collectible action figure but way cooler. Just be patient with yourself, because Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a solid relationship with yourself. (Although Rome also didn’t have Netflix, so maybe you can get there faster.)

    Anyway, I hope this pep talk has helped someone today. Stay fabulous, drink some water, and don’t forget you are the main character in your story. Until we meet again, have a blessed day.

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  • What We Focus on Matters

    What We Focus on Matters

    By Jade Baca-Slater

    Author: Dana Gordon

    Re-Wiring our Brain

    Sometimes it is what we choose to focus on that determines our mood and how we see our day as a good day or bad day. You literally have to train our brain to go against our nature.

    Our nature is to focus on the bad things in our lives. I am not sure why that may be. Someone can give me 5 compliments, and it is hard for me to accept them. They can turn around and give me 1 negative comment, and I will remember it for the rest of the day. Why is that? Perhaps we can learn to focus on the compliments and say ” thank you” and smile.

    When We are at Work

    The boss could say “you did a great job, handling that stressful situation yesterday.” and “thank you for coming in early when I needed you”. However I will need the reports on my desk by morning.

    Just like that, you forgot about the compliments that were just given. It wasn’t a negative conversation, just not something we wanna hear, am I right? Just say you’re welcome. No one said it would be easy, I myself struggle with this as well. When you are good at your job, it is easy to feel like you are being taken for granted.

    https://www.pinterest.com/kurdsqueen/

    Starts at Home

    When we choose to focus on the positive things in our life the day seems to be easier to get through. One small positive thought can set the whole tone for the day. I try to be soft in nature in the morning. Say good morning to your family. Try not to get angry in the mornings over the little things.

    That being said, sometimes situations happen that are out of our control sometimes. It might be tripping over the cat multiple times as you try to get ready for work, or maybe it is your little one fighting with you over every little thing that gets your blood pressure to rise.

    When my youngest child was little, she would fight with me almost every day with picking out an outfit. The reason was  she has texture issues ( if you know, you know). I found out that waking up 20 min earlier than usual gave her time to have that possible meltdown. When I did this, the morning routine went smoother, and we were all less stressed.

    I was focused on giving her extra time for a possible meltdown which gave me more of a calm feeling in the mornings.

    Thinking outside the Box

    I could have yelled and screamed, but the end result would have been both of us getting stressed. Taking the time to think outside the box and a little trial and error you can find a solution to having a better moring. Which sets the tone for the whole day.

    Focusing on anything positive will help your day. Positive thinking breeds positive actions. Because if you don’t focus on the good in your life, you will only see the bad.

    Author: zaratzian –https://www.pinterest.com/zaratzian/

    I really hope you find this encouraging and uplifting because that’s what I am trying to do here. Encourage anyone who reads this post. Or if this post just brings a smile to your face, then I have done something right. Until we meet again, have a blessed day.

    Hey, if you would like to support this blog, you can do so easily. Just click the button below. You can buy me a cup of coffee for $2.

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  • The Little You, Needs You

    The Little You, Needs You

    Can you remember what it was like to be a child? I can, sort of… but mostly in flashes. As we grow up, we slowly forget our little selves—and that’s exactly what happened to me. The moment I turned 18, my younger self felt like a distant dream, just background chatter in my brain, like some old cartoon playing on a loop I couldn’t turn off.

    As adults, it’s so easy to forget the foundation that makes us who we are. I’ll be honest—because this blog is all about being raw and real—I have a wounded inner child. And right now, I’m trying to heal her. Honestly, she’s a little dramatic, throws the occasional tantrum, and insists on ice cream for breakfast—but hey, who wouldn’t want to understand that version of themselves?

    How do I plan on understanding my inner child? Well, the first step is acknowledging that she exists—and that’s often harder than it sounds. What adult really wants to admit that the way they handle their emotions might be rooted in their inner child? For the longest time, I ignored mine.

    Then something happened that gave me a real epiphany. Back when I was a young mother with three kids aged 6, 4, and 2, I would get overwhelmed so easily. I was trying to go to college while keeping the house as organized as possible with three little ones running around. I admit, I yelled a lot. I lost my temper more than I care to remember. My children would often quiet down when I got frustrated. Looking back, I realize I was parenting the way I had seen my parents handle six kids—without truly understanding what that meant for my own children or for myself.

    Our triggers as adults—those little buttons that get pressed in an instant—often trace back to the injustices we felt as children. If we face them head-on, we might just grow into better versions of ourselves. But here’s the thing: we forget we even have an inner child waiting in the wings.

    I’m not here as a psychiatrist—or claiming to have all the answers. I’m speaking from a vulnerable place, challenging myself to reconnect with my inner little girl. To ask questions like, Why do certain situations set me off so easily? I’m not saying every adult struggles with this, and I’m certainly no expert.

    To make it easier to picture, think about the movie The Adam Project. The story is wild: a guy from the future tries to come back to find his wife, but the landing goes wrong, and instead, he ends up running into his 12-year-old self. Imagine that—the awkwardness, the confusion, the chaos! But also, the chance to understand your younger self, to face the past, and maybe even offer a little reassurance.

    That’s exactly what I’m trying to do with my inner child—face her, talk to her, and maybe give her the love and understanding she didn’t always get. It’s scary, awkward, and yes, sometimes hilarious—but also incredibly healing. And honestly, who wouldn’t want a little time-travel moment to hug their younger self and tell her, It’s going to be okay?

    To make it easier to picture, think about the movie The Adam Project. Ryan Reynolds plays Adam, a guy who accidentally bumps into his 12-year-old self while time traveling. If you know Ryan Reynolds, you know he’s sarcastically funny—and he wastes no time being mean to his younger self, calling him weak and pathetic. Long story short (without spoiling too much), the movie is really about learning to listen to your inner child and work together—even when it’s awkward, frustrating, or hilariously insulting.

    That’s kind of what I’m trying to do with my own inner child—face her, talk to her, and maybe give her the love and understanding she didn’t always get. It’s scary, awkward, and yes, sometimes hilarious—but also incredibly healing. And honestly, who wouldn’t want a little time-travel moment to tell their younger self, You’ve got this… and stop crying over spilled milk!

    If you take a moment to reflect and realize you have an inner child wound, that’s actually the first step in the healing process. I’ll end things here, but before I go, I want to say this: the purpose of this blog isn’t to accuse anyone of having a wounded inner child. It’s simply to encourage anyone reading this who knows their little self needs attention—you’re not alone. That little version of you needs your love and care more than you might realize.

    I hope you enjoyed this unusual topic, and I wish you a truly blessed day. If you did enjoy this post, feel free to sign up for my newsletter so you don’t miss anything new—I’d love to stay connected. And of course, I’d love to hear from you, so leave a comment if you can. If you’re a little shy, that’s okay—just hitting the like button works too.

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