Over the last few years, I’ve learned just how important habits are. When used for good, they can be so powerful and life changing. But when used for bad, well, they can become dangerous. Bad habits (ie: swearing, staying up late, etc) are easier to develop than good habits (ie: waking up early, reading your bible regularly, etc), and are also harder to break than good habits. It’s so easy to break a rhythm that’s for your good. It’s much harder to break a bad habit. Trust me, I’ve learned this the hard way. Currently trying to break my cussing habit, and it’s harder than it seems. I’m also trying to develop a habit of waking up early to spend time with God, and let me tell you, that’s been almost impossible.
That being said, here’s a list of 5 habits I’m trying to implement into my life. I hope you guys find these helpful. 💛 Please remember to start slow, and be kind to yourself when you mess up, because I can guarantee you, you will mess up. You’re only human, not a superhero. It’s okay if you mess up. Just remember to get back up again after messing up, k? Every day is a fresh start. 💛
Putting a Glass of Water Next to Your Bed
Friends, your body needs this so badly. Especially if you’re the sort of person who forgets to drink water throughout the day. It’s so important to start your day with a few sips of water (please don’t chug the water, that will only upset your stomach). Plus, keeping a glass of water next to my bed helps me to remember to drink water throughout the day. Whatever I don’t drink in the early morning, I try to drink later in the day.
Adding lemon juice, fruit, or even a little bit of sugar can also help motivate you to drink more. Just don’t leave flavored water out for longer than 4 hours 😉
Making Your Bed First Thing in the Morning
Due to my health issues, making my bed when I first wake up isn’t always the easiest thing, but I’ve found that it can be so helpful for getting my mind into the right mindset after I wake up. Obviously, I wouldn’t recommend this if it’s too much for you physically– as my health has gotten worse over the last few months, I’ve learned just how exhausting even simple tasks like making your bed can be.
If you can make your bed though, please do it. 💛
Reading the Bible at Least Once a Day
I’ve found that reading my bible, especially in the early morning, is so helpful for my soul. When I leave my room, I’m immediately hit with a thousand different worldviews, and it’s so hard to discern which ones are God-honoring and which aren’t, especially if I haven’t spent time in God’s Word first.
I also like to, when I have the energy, read a few Psalms right before bed. This is especially good if I haven’t gotten in any time with the Lord earlier in the day. Plus, it helps set my mind on all that is true, lovely, and pure (Philippians 4:8-9). Something about the Psalms soothes my intrusive thoughts– not perfectly, but just enough that I can fall back asleep.
Cleaning Your Room Daily
I’ve always had a tendency to have a messy room. When I was about 12-ish, my room was so bad that I couldn’t see the floor 😂 I can’t find a photo of my room at it’s worst, but I did find this photo that shows just how bad it was at its’ best 😂
Anyways though, the point of that highly disturbing example *shudders* is to show that cleaning your room is extremely important. Whenever my room gets messy like that (usually when I’m depressed), my brain feels super messy and foggy and confused. Keeping my room clean helps my brain to feel better, and also helps keep me productive and motivated (: Let me know in the comments if you guys want a room tour (I promise my room is a lot prettier now than it was when I was in middle school 😂)
Working Out at Least Once a Week
This is definitely harder, especially if you have a chronic or mental illness, or are neurodivergent. Finding energy to workout is really hard for me (due to low executive functioning and very low energy), but I always feel so much better when I make the time to. Even sometimes just a short walk with Sushi counts as a workout– I like to double these as prayer walks when my attention span is feeling up for that.
My personal favorite workout YouTuber is Callie Jardine (:
Thank you so so much for reading this post, friends! 💛 I’m incredibly thankful to have you guys reading my posts– it always makes me smile (: I hope you were able to find some good inspiration for living a healthier lifestyle.
Friendly reminder that it’s okay if you have days (or even weeks) where you can’t maintain any healthy habits. I completely get it. Please be gentle with yourself. 💛
If you enjoyed this post, please consider giving it a like, a comment, and follow me for similar content! Ily all so much 💛
What habits are you working on making a part of your routine? Let me know in the comments!
Hey, sweet friends! I hope you’re all doing well 💛 Today I have a post that I’m very very excited about. I’ve honestly been waiting excitedly to write this post for a while now 😅 I’m pretty sure you guys are already familiar with Chat GPT, but in case you aren’t, it’s an AI program that is basically a genius. I can’t decide whether to be fascinated or terrified by it 😂 I’ve decided to have it introduce my current WIPs for me, and I’m very excited to see what it comes up with.
Friendly reminder that Chat GPT wrote these synopsis’ for me 😉
For my main WIP, Little Flowers, I gave Chat GPT a very simple sentence prompt, asking it to “write me a synopsis for a YA romance about 4 sisters, named Chloe, Ly, Honey, and Adri. It is a contemporary retelling of Little Women. featuring autistic girls, mental illness, french boys, and sisterly bonds.”
It’s response however was very far from the actual story premise 😂
“Four Sisters and a French Boy” is a heartwarming YA romance that follows the lives of four sisters named Chloe, Ly, Honey, and Adri, who are navigating their teenage years while dealing with autism, mental illness, and their unique sisterly bonds.
Set in a small town in the US, the sisters are raised by their single mother who works long hours as a nurse to support their family. The girls are very close, but each has their own struggles to deal with. Chloe, the oldest sister, is the responsible one who takes care of her younger sisters and struggles with anxiety. Ly, who has autism, is passionate about art and struggles to communicate her feelings. Honey, the third sister, is a talented musician who is coping with depression. Adri, the youngest, is a spunky and adventurous girl who is trying to find her place in the world.
Their lives are turned upside down when a French exchange student named Pierre arrives in their town and is placed in their home. Pierre is charming, handsome, and speaks little English, making him a bit of an enigma. The sisters are all drawn to him in different ways, but it’s Chloe who ends up spending the most time with him. As they spend time together, Chloe and Pierre develop a deep connection, and Chloe finds herself falling in love.
However, their happiness is short-lived when Pierre’s exchange program ends, and he has to return to France. Chloe is devastated, but her sisters rally around her and help her through the pain of their separation. As the girls navigate their own struggles, they also learn the importance of sisterhood, forgiveness, and the power of love.
“Four Sisters and a French Boy” is a contemporary retelling of Little Women, with a diverse cast of characters and themes that explore the complexities of mental health, autism, and the bonds of sisterhood. This heartwarming novel will leave you rooting for the sisters and their journey towards love, self-discovery, and acceptance.
Chat GPT
I personally thought this was hilarious. Pierre is literally the most cliché French name ever 😂 and oh my word, it actually sounds like a story I’d read. I mean- it wasn’t accurate at all, but it was entertaining. Even though it got the title wrong 😂
In actuality, Little Flowers is about 4 sisters who end up befriending a quirky French boy who moves in across the street from them. Chat GPT’s description of Chloe was fairly accurate– although Chloe doesn’t have anxiety and is so much more than just the “responsible older sister.” Ly’s description was actually accurate to Honey, so that’s kinda cool. Ly herself though, is a writer type and not into art at all, and is not autistic (she does have ADHD though). Honey’s description was not at all accurate to any of the sisters, and Adri’s was very simplified.
Also *cough* Chloe doesn’t fall in love with “Pierre” I’m keeping his actual name a secret 😀
Overall, I’d rate that synopsis a 3/10. It was well written, but had nothing to do with my actual project.
For my second WIP, Comeback Kids (also known as Project Sunshine), I gave a pretty good summary of the plot, in my opinion, and I was pleasantly surprised by how good the synopsis Chat GPT came up with was.
“Naemi has been confined to her bed for a year, trapped in the aftermath of a devastating accident that claimed the lives of everyone she loved. She feels lost, alone, and has lost all sense of purpose. But everything changes when she meets Milo, a charming and mysterious boy who seems to understand her in ways that no one else can.
Milo has his own demons to confront, and Naemi is drawn to his strength and determination to overcome them. As they spend more time together, Naemi begins to find new reasons to live and starts to believe that maybe there is a future for her after all.
But just as Naemi starts to heal, the past comes back to haunt her, and she’s forced to confront the truth about the accident that changed her life forever. With Milo by her side, she must find the courage to face her fears and learn to let go of the past in order to embrace a brighter future.
A heart-warming and poignant tale of love, loss, and redemption, this young adult romance novel is a must-read for anyone who has ever struggled to find their way in the world.”
Chat GPT
There’s not much I would critique about this synopsis, aside from the fact that Naemi’s accident didn’t kill everyone she loved. It was only 3 of her friends, and she only truly loved one of them 😅 Other than that though, it was pretty accurate.
I’d rate that synopsis 9/10. It actually sounds like a legit book synopsis.
This next WIP is actually currently in the early stages of writing, but I’m already obsessed. I’ve had this story in the back of my mind for a while, so I’m really excited to finally be working on it seriously.
“Bee County” is a touching middle-grade novel in verse that tells the story of a group of unlikely friends who come together to face their fears and overcome their struggles.
At the center of the story is a manic pixie dream girl named Luna, who is always on the move and never stays in one place for too long. When she arrives in Bee County, she quickly becomes the talk of the town with her quirky personality and free spirit. But as the days go by, her friends start to realize that Luna is not as carefree as she seems and needs saving from her troubled past.
Enter a boy who feels like a ghost, struggling with the loss of his mother, twin sisters who couldn’t be more different, one popular and one a recluse, a boy without legs, who is a whiz at fixing cars, and a literate goat, who just loves to read. Together, they form an unlikely alliance, each bringing their own unique talents and struggles to the group.
As they spend their days exploring the county and finding adventure, they also discover the power of friendship, courage, and the importance of being true to oneself. Through the magic of verse, readers are swept up in the lives of these charming characters and their journey towards self-discovery and acceptance.
With its vibrant cast of characters and poignant storytelling, “Bee County” is a touching and unforgettable novel that will captivate middle-grade readers and leave them with a renewed sense of hope and wonder.
Chat GPT
I genuinely love that synopsis so much, oh my word. It’s actually pretty accurate, although it has some inaccuracies. I’m shocked that Chat GPT knew what a manic pixie dream girl was 😂
Although, I will say that the manic pixie dream girl (Luna) is actually named Cass, and that the boy without legs (Atticus) is most definitely not a whiz at fixing cars. I might add that to the story though, because I like the idea. Also, I find the goat’s description so funny and I’m not sure why 😂
I’d rate this one a 8/10, because it was pretty accurate, and also gave me some ideas.
This last synopsis is not at all accurate for my WIP, To The Runaways. There’s too much here to critique, so I’m just not going to explain all that’s wrong with it 😂 I’ll just leave you guys with the synopsis, which has absolutely nothing to do with TTR.
In “Stars in Their Eyes,” a gripping YA novel, a group of runaway misfit teenagers leave behind their troubled pasts and set out on a journey of self-discovery, adventure, and the pursuit of their dreams.
When seventeen-year-old Mia’s world falls apart, she takes a chance and runs away to New York City, hoping to find a new start. Along the way, she meets a group of teenagers just like her, each with their own unique story and struggles, but all with stars in their eyes and dreams in their hearts.
There’s Max, a guitar prodigy who dreams of making it big on the music scene, and his best friend Jazzy, a gifted dancer who wants to dance her way to the top. Then there’s Leo, a tech genius who wants to start his own company, and the enigmatic Raven, who is haunted by her past and dreams of a better future.
As they navigate the gritty streets of New York City and face the challenges of survival and growing up on their own, the group becomes a family and forms an unbreakable bond. Together, they face their fears, pursue their passions, and fight for their dreams, all while trying to stay one step ahead of the dangers that come with being runaway teenagers.
“Stars in Their Eyes” is a powerful and inspiring novel about the resilience of youth and the courage it takes to chase your dreams. With its authentic characters, gripping storyline, and raw emotion, this novel will captivate readers and leave them cheering for the misfit teenagers who refuse to give up on their hopes and aspirations.
Chat GPT
Sorry, Chat GPT, but I’m rating this a 2/10, only because it was completely inaccurate. Was it too much to expect an AI program to write an accurate synopsis for a novel it has no context about? Potentially. Do I have any regrets? Not at all 😂
I really hope you guys enjoyed this overly rambly post! I know I personally had a lot of fun writing it (:
Have you used Chat GPT for anything fun? What do you think of it’s writing capabilities? Let me know in the comments! 💛
*I don’t own the title image. I found it on Pinterest. All credits for it go to BYUTV
A few weeks ago, I was crying while talking to my mom, and I was explaining about how hard it is to stay confident in being autistic without any good role models. I was telling her about how the ableism of our culture was getting to me, and I was so sick of never seeing autistic girls get their stories told. I was exhausted, frusterated, and so done with the lack of good disability representation in the media. All the characters with autism that I’ve seen were cliche and basic. Most of them were white 12 year old boys who liked trains and math. Either that, or socially awkward 30 year old men with weird character undertones that left me feeling uncomfortable.
And no offense to anyone whose autism presents that way, but that just isn’t relatable to me. I’m 16, female, and get mistaken as neurotypical most of the time. I can mask pretty well — although I’ve lost a lot of my masking skills over the last few years, after I begun to unmask more and more — and I don’t hyperfixate on math or trains (I failed freshman math XD). I’ve only seen a few autistic females on TV, and the ones that I have seen were typically not well represented. Take Smackle from Girl Meets World for instance. She’s geeky, awkward, and usually the punchline of most jokes. She’s made to seem like a caricature of autism, not a real representation.
Maybe that’s why I started crying when I saw the trailer for BYUTV’s new TV show, A Kind of Spark, based on the book by Elle McNicoll. The minute the trailer started playing, I was screeching with excitement (my sister was very confused at first XD). I showed it to my whole family very excitedly, and watched the first episode with my sister that night, feeling like the whole experience was unreal.
You see, A Kind of Spark is about three sisters, two of which are on the spectrum, who find out about women who were accused of witchcraft during the witch trials, and start realizing those women might have been on the spectrum, and were actually victims as opposed to the villains that England painted them as. It intertwines the stories of two teenage girls in the late 14th century, and three teenage girls in contemporary times.
I’ve never seen characters this realistic, this well represented. I love how the show normalizes autism, and doesn’t portray it as a tragedy or deformity. It shows very frankly the struggles that come with being autistic, but it also shows the beauty of it. It talks about stimming, masking, sensory issues, and more, all in a very natural matter. Each of the autistic characters are very different– none of them fall into clichés or tropes.
I wish I could make everyone watch this show. I’m only a few episodes in, and I’m already obsessed. I can’t get over how well done it is, how realistic it feels. This is the show I needed back when I was first getting diagnosed. I really hope this show is able to reach as many people as possible ❤
(Also- three of the actors are on the spectrum, so that’s super cool!!)
A Kind of Spark is free to watch on the BYUTV app and the BYUTV website, and I highly recommend checking it out! ❤ This isn’t sponsored by BYU or anything XDD I’m just obsessed with the show. Please watch it ❤
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