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Tag Archives: introspection

Rebound and recover…

30 Saturday Mar 2019

Posted by Gaynor Kast in Uncategorized

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direction, faith, family, forgiveness, Friends, God, grace, Heal, heart, introspection, lessons, life, love, mercy, Prayer, purpose, Refection, time

I’m writing this post from the place I visited exactly two years ago. The view remains spectacular with a few extra “nice to see” things and my life has done a complete 360 in every possible way.

For those who read this blog, you would recall the plan was to take a one year sabbatical and then allow life to unfold. Well, the one year sabbatical did happen, just not the way I had envisaged. And the year that followed was anything but a stroll in the park.

As I reflect on the last two years, I don’t believe I can adequately describe the intensity of the challenges that knocked on my door. But, what I do know with every fibre of confidence is that God remains faithful.

When I tell you that I had no idea life could two feet you (it’s a Sydenham saying) and bring you to your knees… it can. It’s not pretty and it’s certainly painful at the “best” of times. I was tried and tested from every possible position but had the grace to press on because I knew that God remains faithful.

I am also extremely blessed to have a solid group of faith-filled women and men to support me unconditionally. They know who they are and to respect their privacy I will not mention their names. But, there is one woman who I believe is a complete angel on earth and who took me under her wing and wiped my tears and prayed me through the most dire times – Aunty Karen Wallace. She is more than amazing. She certainly epitomises God’s love and compassion. And has without doubt secured a special place in my heart.

I’m all about being fearlessly authentic, and when I say there were times I felt like I could not go on, that every ounce of my strength was depleted and the will to live was running on empty, but between God and aunty Karen, I’m alive and energised to continue walking on purpose.

And so, if at any point you find yourself at a place where you feel hopeless.

A place where you feel completely lost.

A place you where feel like a drifting yacht on a rough sea.

A place where you feel like nothing makes sense anymore.

A place where you feel like your heart has been ripped apart.

A place where you feel like you don’t want to open your eyes to face another day.

Know this… God has a plan. God is in complete control. God has your back. He created YOU with a specific purpose and all He expects is unwavering faith and complete obedience (no matter what the circumstances). He does not need you and I to help Him unfold the plan He designed perfectly and with the right time-frames. Just place your hope and trust in Him.

There were many lessons I’ve jotted down over the last 24months, one of the more crucial ones was to pay attention to the people who are willing to stand in the ring and take the punches with you; those real people (not the fair-weather types) who hold your head up and keep you standing and smiling.

Most importantly, don’t fight the separation process. We know that some people are only meant to be in our lives for a reason, season and lifetime. Holding onto someone whose expiration date has come and gone will cause more chaos and distraction. Again, just trust God’s lead.

And finally, it’s perfectly fine to release (forgive) and love some people (family included) from a distance. Anything or anyone that threatens or obstructs your peace and Divine purpose has no place in your life.

If you are reading this post and find yourself in need of encouragement, allow me to suggest that you pour your heart out to God… be still enough to listen to His voice (yes, He still speaks) and hold onto your faith like never before.

And once you’ve allowed yourself to heal, stand up boldly and go out there and rise and thrive… because God can and will always be the anchor, compass and all-round Navigator you need at any given moment.

Love. Love. And more love coupled with equal portions of boundless faith, grace and mercy be yours this day and always!

When to let go…

28 Tuesday Feb 2017

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2017, Australia, Book, Chapter, courage, fabulous, faith, favoured, Flight, heart, introspection, lessons, life, people, perspective, Proverbs 3:5, purpose, Situations, thank you, Travel

This year started off in a way I could never have imagined. A trip to Brisbane (I left a piece of my heart there) for two weeks, gave me such great clarity and insight on a both a personal and professional level.

Brisbane was everything and more – see the pictures below. The people were warm, kind, supportive and oh so friendly. And the sight-seeing made me feel like Alice in Wonderland.

 I must confess that I reluctantly boarded my flight back… there’s an undeniable vibe about Brisbane that’s so hard to ignore or describe. You have to experience it.

Maybe one day, my suitcase will find itself on that side of the world, but, for now…

 Back to the point of this post.

I’m the kind of person who always overthinks every single thing and has a plan. Even a plan B or C (just in case). Well, 2017 has shown me that all the best paid plans in the world mean absolutely nothing, when something or someone has run its course in your life, let it go…

Holding on longer than we ought to will cause you unnecessary pain and frustration.

  • Know when to reflect.
  • Know when to take the lessons.
  • Know when to close the chapter.
  • Know when to close the book.
  • Know when to let go.

And just step away.

  • Step away from that place.
  • Step away from that situation.
  • Step away from that person(s).

If these last few weeks have taught me anything, taking a step of faith can be daunting but oh so liberating… Proverbs 3:5. You owe it to yourself to put YOU first; and never ever settle.

Thank you for taking the time read.

Stay fabulous and favoured xxx

 

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Someone out there needs you…

28 Tuesday Jul 2015

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action, choices, distractions, fabulous, favoured, grace, heart, introspection, purpose, time out

I’m big on taking time out. Anyone who knows me knows how I fiercely protect my regular “me time”.

Apart from the much needed R&R that we all need, it’s also a perfect opportunity for introspection.

Last night I found myself reflecting on my purpose and want to share a few points to get you into action; if you find yourself in a bit of a rut.

Here goes:

* What’s your purpose?

* Are you committed to fulfilling that purpose?

* Do you allow distractions or the opinions of others to derail you?

* Who directs ALL your choices/ decisions as you choose to live purposefully. Man or God?

* Do you feel like throwing in the towel when the going gets tough or draw strength from His all-sufficient grace?

Someone out there needs what you have.
Someone out there is waiting for you to make a difference…

I hope you will always choose purpose over selfish ambition.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

Stay favoured and fabulous x

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Are you on track?

21 Sunday Jun 2015

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Divine plan, fabulous, favoured, introspection, Obedience, purpose, reflect, thank you, Think

With June coming to an end, it’s the perfect time to check whether you’re on track.

More importantly, is your idea of being on track in line with the Divine plan/ purpose for your life?

**put your thinking cap on**

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I’ll leave you to get your praise on 🙌🙌🙌… and do some introspection. I will add though that walking in complete obedience is not by your own strength or might but purely by His grace.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

Stay fabulous & favoured x

It is what it is…

15 Monday Dec 2014

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deadlines, encourage, family, Friends, God, grace, introspection, kids, laughter, love, perspective, relationships, share, society, tears, time, work

With days to go before I get to see my immediate and extended family, I’m more excited than usual. This year it’s going to be different.

I’m waiting for them to throw their caustic comments under the guise of concern. I usually laugh it off or walk away. Not this year. This year they are going to get an earful;  whether it’s my aunts, cousins or long time family friends.

You see, at this time of the year the same script plays out. It’s so predictable that I know which are reserved for after dessert and which will come flying after someone has had too many glasses of G&T.

The comments are all the same and go along these lines:

Aunt 1: “Gaynor, have you met anyone yet? You are not getting any younger you know!”

Cousin1: “And so… is there anything you’d like to share?”

Family friend: “Gaynor, don’t you think you are being selfish… why would you deprive your mother of grandkids?”

This year there will be no flustered face. This year I will look them square in the face and respond; something I should have done a long time ago.

Rewind…

After matric (many, many moons ago) it looked like I was well on course with my plan. Take note, my plan. All the boxes were being ticked off one by one. Things really couldn’t get any better. Or, so I thought.

Working 18hour days, chasing the next big story, deadline or flying off somewhere was all part of an adrenaline rush I couldn’t live without. With each passing day the passion for my work intensified and nothing else mattered.

I had it all…. a wonderful job, loving and supportive family and friends. It was all I needed. My attempt at relationships fluctuated between total bliss and the possibility of a happy ever after but that was all until the grueling work schedule got in the way.

With hindsight, it was naïve of me to think that any man would want to take second place after a career. At the time I couldn’t see the missing link – work-life balance. So, one broken off engagement later and a serious bout of introspection, I’ve pondered: “Was it all worth it?”

***drum-roll***

Yes; because when all is said and done it’s really a matter of perspective.

So, what if I’ve missed all the “normal deadlines” that society imposes on us women? My appointed time to take the proverbial plunge and tie the knot and start a family is just a tad “delayed”. And I for one am not complaining.

My life’s journey and the lessons bagged along the way are incomparable. I’ve had my fair share of laughs, tears, heartache and a lot of other insane wobblies that made me feel like my heart would stop but you know what, I’m still standing (thanks to His grace) and all the more stronger if you ask me.

Every encounter, every interaction has been chalked down to experience and part of my character building. At times it felt like I was being panel-beated into shape but that’s the way my story was written and I’ve made a mental note to embrace it.

There were days I wished this journey was set on cruise control. It wasn’t. That’s not life. We stumble. We fall. We hibernate. We rise. We get up hopeful that the sun will rise and new possibilities lay ahead because God is the Pilot of our lives.

Let me encourage someone… if you’ve been one of those people caught up in what, when, where and how the world says you must live then I got news for you. You are uniquely designed and have your own spec so don’t allow society to dictate the pace at which your story unfolds. More importantly, drop all the different masks and just be your authentic self. The people that matter will accept you and love you for you. Even if, like me, you have a bout of OCD and can’t stop yourself from tidying tables in a restaurant 🙂

Live. Love. Laugh. But most of all never cease to be grateful for the path you walk.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

Stay fabulous and favoured x

Life’s little pleasures…

04 Thursday Dec 2014

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books, chocolate, family, Friends, God, grace, introspection, laughter, love, movies, perspective, siblings, sisters, sunrises, sunsets

I’ve been doing loads of introspection of late. In this fast-paced, diary-driven world, quiet time is essential.

I find that if I don’t make a conscious effort to shut off and out, it’s so easy to drown in the noise and pessimism. As an ardent proponent of the gratitude brigade, I got thinking about the things (in no particular order) that make my days more sunshine than gray skies…

· The grace of God – where would I be without salvation?!
· My parents – for the love, values and firm foundation in life
· My siblings – for the unconditional love, support and goofy times
· Family gatherings – the love, laughter and inevitable “drama”
· Purpose – knowing what I need to do and where I’m heading
· Friends – pure joy that should be bottled
· Mentors – makes learning and growing such a treat
· Challenges – the pain is what propels me to keep moving
· Books – I love losing myself in stories that offer perspective and insight
· Writing – how many get to play with words for a living
· Chocolate – need I say more?!
· Chocolate cake and fresh cream
· Peppermint tart
· Sleep – nothing beats a good night’s rest
· The smell of freshly cut grass
· The smell of mac & cheese or bread, fresh out of the oven
· Toasted cheese sarmies
· Sunday newspapers
· Mr Delivery for those lazy pj days
· Sweatpants and “home” T-shirts
· Long weekends
· Sunrises
· Sunsets
· Old movies – Casablanca, Gone with the Wind and the like
· Re-runs of Friends, Greys Anatomy, The Fixer

I think the one thing that I treasure the most is my “sisters” from another mother who know me better than anyone; and still love me just the way I am (*cue Billy Joel’s Don’t Go Changing). These “sisters” keep me grounded, give me strength when it’s needed most and generally keep it real.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

Stay favoured and fabulous x

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