I Can See The Light: Growing Through My Struggle Season

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Welcome back to the Ask Velvet Podcast. From the porch to the couch, this is real talk. Real life and me telling it my way. No scripts, no filters, I'm keeping it real. And today, I just want to talk to you all about what I've been up to. Where I am right now in my life and what this season has been teaching me. Because lately I have been working. I've been working on TikTok. I've been making videos, posting, and going live. I've been posting videos on Instagram. I can't go live over there yet because I don't have enough followers. But I'm working on it. I've been going live on Twitch, sometimes just sitting there talking, meeting people, getting to know people, and trying to build a community. I'm working on my YouTube channel. And of course, I'm still working on the Ask Velvet podcast. I know I need to drop some more podcast episodes, and trust me, they're coming. But behind all of that posting, talking, creating, and trying to grow these platforms, there's something else happening in my life. I'm going through a struggle season. And today I want to talk about it. Not because I want anybody to feel sorry for me, but because I know I cannot possibly be the only person going through this. And maybe somebody listening right now needs to hear another person say, I'm struggling too, but I'm still here. I'm still trying, and I still believe my breakthrough is coming. My goal with TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube, and this podcast has always been bigger than simply getting followers. Yes, I want the followers. Yes, I want the subscribers. Yes, I want the views. But ultimately, I am trying to turn what I am building into something that can bring in income. I want this to become a business. And I know that doesn't happen overnight. You see, people online who have hundreds of thousands or millions of followers, and sometimes you forget that many of them started with one follower, then ten, then fifty, then a hundred. Everybody has to start somewhere. So every time I go live and only a few people show up, I remind myself that those few people matter. Every new follower matters. Every person who listens to this podcast matters. Every person who shares one of my videos matters. Every subscriber matters. Every review matters because I'm building something. I'm building it slowly, but I'm building it. And at the same time, I'm dealing with another reality. Right now, I don't have a job. My last temporary assignment lasted about five months. And that assignment ended about two weeks ago. So here I am again looking, applying, trying to find another opportunity. And one thing I don't think people talk about enough is just how difficult it can be to find permanent employment. That's what I've been trying to find. I don't want to keep wondering when an assignment is going to end. But so far, I've mostly been able to find temporary work. Some assignments last longer than others, some are short, some are part-time. Some might give you enough hours to get by for a little while. And then eventually the assignment ends. And you're right back where you started. But you know what? I take those assignments because any little bit of money coming into the household is better than no money coming into the household. Especially in this economy. Because your bills don't care that your assignment ended. The electric company doesn't say Oh you lost your job. Don't worry about us this month. No. That bill is still coming. Your rent or mortgage is still coming. Your phone bill is still coming. Your groceries still cost money. Life doesn't stop because your paycheck stopped. And that can be scary. So while I'm trying to build this podcast and these social media platforms, I'm also trying to find permanent employment. I'm doing both. And I'm going to keep doing both. Because I have a vision that what I want this podcast and everything connected to it to become, I believe in what I'm doing. But I also have to be transparent with you all. I haven't been in the best of ways lately. I really haven't. There have been moments when I've wanted to curl up in a ball and cry. And maybe you'll felt that way too. Maybe you're listening right now and you're unemployed. Maybe you're underemployed. Maybe you've got a job, but your paycheck isn't stretching far enough. Maybe you're trying to build a business. Maybe you're trying to make something happen for yourself. And every time you think you're getting somewhere, something else happens. Maybe you're tired. I understand. Because sometimes I'm tired too. But here's what I'm learning during this struggle season. You have to recognize what you still have while you're praying for what you need. I still have my home. That's a blessing. My utilities are still on, that's a blessing. I can wake up every morning and work on something that I believe in, that's a blessing. Sometimes when we're going through something difficult, the struggle becomes so loud that we can't hear the blessings anymore. And I'm trying not to let that happen to me. That's why I pray. That's why I keep creating. That's why I keep posting. That's why I keep going live. That's why I keep talking to you all. Sometimes creating is one of the things that keeps my spirits up. And I believe that God has something for me. I don't know when, I don't know exactly how it's going to happen. It might be a permanent job, it might be this podcast taking off. It might be Twitch, it might be TikTok, it might be Instagram, it might be YouTube, it might be an opportunity I haven't even thought about yet. But I believe something is coming. That's why I'm asking you all to continue supporting me. If you listen to the Ask Velvet Podcast, subscribe. Share an episode with somebody. Leave me a review. Give the podcast a rating. If you're on TikTok, follow me. If you're on Instagram, follow me. If you're on Twitch, follow me. If you're on YouTube, subscribe to my channel. Now TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. I'm Ask Velvet Podcast. But on my Twitch account, I am the front porch gal. Those things might seem small to you, but they're huge to somebody like me who's trying to build something from the ground up. And yes, I also have my Cash App for anyone who wants to financially support what I'm building. But even if you cannot financially support me, you can still support me. A share is a support. A follow is support. A subscription is support. A review is support. Telling somebody, hey, I found this podcast. You should listen to it. It's support. It all matters. And I'm grateful for every single person who does it. Because I believe in this. I believe in Ask Velvet. I believe in the community I'm trying to build. And most importantly, I still believe in myself. Even on the days when it's hard, even on the days when I'm worried, even on the days when I'm looking at bills and wondering how everything is going to work out. Even on the days when I want to cry. I'm still here. I'm still creating. I'm still applying for jobs. I'm still posting, I'm still going live, I'm still recording, I'm still praying, I'm still believing, and I'm still moving forward. So if you're listening today and you're going through your own struggle season, I want to leave you with this. Your struggle season is a season, and seasons change. Sometimes they don't change as quickly as we'd like them to. Sometimes you're standing in that tunnel thinking, okay Lord, I see the light. Can I get there already? That's where I feel like I am right now. I can see the light. I just can't reach it yet. But because I can see it, I'm going to keep walking toward it. One step at a time, one application at a time, one TikTok at a time, one Instagram post at a time, one Twitch live at a time, one YouTube subscriber at a time, one podcast episode at a time. I'm going to keep going because I truly believe my breakthrough is coming. And if you're going through something right now, I want you to believe that things can change for you too. Give yourself permission to have those moments when you need to cry. Give yourself permission to admit that you're tired. You don't have to pretend everything is perfect. But after that moment, when you can, get back up, keep moving, keep believing, keep praying, keep working toward whatever it is that you want for your life. And while you're waiting for what's next, don't forget to appreciate what you still have right now. Thank you to everybody who listens to me. Thank you to everybody who follows me. Thank you to everybody who shares my content. Thank you to everybody who rates and reviews this podcast. And thank you to everybody who has supported me while I'm trying to turn this dream into something bigger. If you haven't already, please subscribe to the Ask Velvet Podcast. Rate the show, leave a review, and share this episode. And you can find me on TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, and YouTube. Follow me over there and watch this journey with me. Because one day I'm going to be able to come back to this episode and say, Remember when I told you I could see the light, but I couldn't reach it yet? Well I reached it. Until then, I'm going to keep walking, I'm going to keep believing, and I'm going to keep trusting God's timing. This is Ask Velvet From the Porch to the Couch, real talk, real life, just telling it my way. No scripts, no filters. I'm keeping it real. Until next time, take care of yourself, keep your head up, and remember the struggle may be part of your story, but it doesn't have to be the ending. I'll talk to you all next time.