Author: Hannah Chung

Writing to inspire people has always been my passion. I am dedicated to coming alongside you on this journey called life and seeing how we can encourage each other <3

Stepping Into a New Year

“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

Jeremiah 29:11

As 2019 draws to a close, so does the decade. And with that comes a lot of reflection. Every year, God seems to be sending out a different message to me, and I’m sure others can relate to this.

In 2019, a lot happened in my life. I would even say it was one of the most eventful years of my life. With that comes a lot of new relationships, grief, surprises, fear, excitement, and regret. I have said goodbye to many this year, and I’m sure that a lot of you have had to do the same. I know that as I get older, I will have this happen more and more, but it doesn’t make it any less difficult to have to watch loved ones grieve or be the one grieving yourself. This year has been hard as I have watched many that I care about make decisions that I know will hurt them later on, yet I am not in control of anyone’s life. All I know is that through all of these changes, good and bad memories, God still was trying to teach me something this year. He has also blessed me in numerous ways throughout the year, such as helping me discover my love of public speaking, giving me new people to care about, and giving me the inspiration to start this blog, just to name a few.

God’s Message to Me This Year

I will be the first to say that everyone is on a different journey, and we all are being told different things at different stages of life. But for me, I think that God’s message to me this year that I want you to think about as well is to continue to have hope and know that if I am patient, I will be less discouraged. God will never fail, and He will never stop caring.

What I want to Leave You with in the New Year

For any of you who dealt with loss, heartache, discouragement, or for those of you who had victory, excitement, and joy this year, I want to leave you all with one thing as you step into the new year.

No matter what’s to come, no matter what has happened in the past, you will never be worth any less or have failed the One that cares the most about you.

There are always going to be people who get in your way; who discourage you and tell you that you’ll never be worthy. There are also always going to be people in your life that love you like there is no one else in the world, who will always want to help you, and who are willing to listen to you. Sometimes, it takes seeking out these people, but they will always be there. If you reach out in your time of need, you are much more likely to experience God’s love shown through others.

My word to you this year is hope. Have hope that things will get better, have hope that you are the person you were meant to be and you are still growing, have hope that there is more to come than what you can see right now, have hope that you have been created for a reason. But most of all, have hope that God will fulfill His promises in your life no matter how bleak things look right now. Most of all, don’t get discouraged if this appear to not be going the way you plan. Oftentimes, you will end up grateful that they went the way God wanted them to.

With that said, have a very blessed new year, and I look forward to when we can catch up again!

“Perhaps this is the moment for which you have been created.”

~Esther 4:14

Update from “The Challenge”

“One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching.”

Gerard Way

Remember that Challenge…?

So…anyone remember that challenge that I gave about two months ago about going out and doing something that would strengthen who you are? Well…honestly I forgot about it until today when I was going through old posts. But, I realized that I unintentionally did the challenge and that is something that I can share with you! If you did it or “unintentionally” did (haha) then please share your stories with me 🙂

One of My Flaws

I will be the first to say that I have MANY flaws as an individual. One of them would be not doing the things I know I’m supposed to when I know I should and then letting the opportunity pass me by. Another would be not telling people how I feel when I feel it and then inwardly allowing the feelings to grow stronger until I tell them at the wrong time or just too late. These two flaws go hand in hand, and I ended up tackling both of them last weekend.

How I Ended Up Doing “The Challenge”

First one ended up being confronting a person who has been doing things that have caused me to be upset, passive aggressive, and annoyed over the past several years. Yes, that’s a long time to not really say anything even though I gave those “nine-ish” hints. I can safely say that she is mad, but I feel a lot better because I know that I did the right thing. It was hard to say those things because even though I had that people-pleasing side that didn’t want to say things, I also have that inner fire that wants to explode once in a while when the opportunity presents itself. But the thing I’ve learned from repeated experiences like this that it’s just good to go upfront and be gentle but honest. And I’m glad that I was finally honest.

The second was slightly more difficult even though it has shorter lasting consequences. This weekend I was at a pretty emotional event and I saw some people that have been the cause of pain for me, particularly in the past year. I knew that I needed to welcome them to the space though because it was a place where they could grow. But it was so hard, and I knew that my efforts weren’t appreciated. However, I still reached out and did all that I could to be kind and make them feel like how I would’ve wanted to feel. I’m sure that they may hurt me again in the future or that maybe they learned nothing from the experience. But I know that I did what was right, and that’s what’s important. I’m not going to regret what I did.

Takeaways…

The quote talks about watching your life before your eyes and not regretting any of it. I have had my life flash before my eyes– twice. Maybe more. And honestly, there are things that I’m thankful I did and there are things I know I could’ve done better. And after thinking more about this challenge, I know that I am going to strive to take more risks, not worry as much about what others are thinking of me, and work towards becoming more of who God wants me to be, even though that’s hard. But I want all the challenges you either are presented with or give yourself to help you also become the person you were created to be. The worst thing I could wish upon you would be living a life full of regrets. I’m young and I have many already. A person who was and still will remain a hero to me focused his life on living without regrets. And I’m giving you that mission too. Do everything as though you are going to remember it in ten years and like only the One that’s important is watching. You won’t regret it 🙂

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

-Joshua 1:9

The Fear of Believing

The presence of fear does not mean you have no faith. Fear visits everyone. But make your fear a visitor and not a resident.

-Max Lucado

I’ll let you in on a little secret. I would never consider myself superstitious. However, there is this weird thing I do when I begin hoping that something will happen or something seems somewhat promising. I will think to myself, “Oh, that will never happen. Don’t count on it or believe.” Then I think that the chances of it happening are more likely than if I had a positive attitude about it. And I’ve begun to realize that this tactic which makes me think that I am safe from the grief of being hopeful about something just to have it fall through by denying the possibility is hurting me more than anything else.

I’ve been thinking more and more about it, and honestly, my mentality that something will have a higher chance of it working out by having a doubtful attitude about it is honestly ridiculous. I would probably work harder to make dreams a reality if I actually believed that they could work out. But more importantly, I’ve let this mentality affect my faith.

I’ve let this lie slip into my head a lot recently: “God doesn’t care about what I’m going through or how I am feeling.” I’m worried that if I believe that God cares, then when bad things happen, God was intentionally allowing those things to happen.

This sentence might make you a bit upset…

The truth is, God IS intentionally allowing these things to happen. To you, to me, to everyone. All that pain, all those confused feelings.

So…then why should we believe?

Because God is using those things to make you a better person. He believes that you are strong enough to fight through the doubts, the insecurities, and the pain. And He believes that those are what will bring you closer to Him.

Frustrated yet?

Honestly, it makes me upset sometimes. I feel like it takes a lot of faith to believe that God is using these rough things for a reason and that He has a plan through it all. Mostly, I wonder why God could ever believe that I would want to be closer to Him after all these hard things happen. But the truth is…I do. It’s because throughout all of these challenges, God is the only One that stays constant, who stays there with you through everything. There are a lot of people who say they will always be there for you who either move away, slowly drift apart, or who were saying it simply because it sounded right.

Have you ever noticed how you feel a lot closer to someone after they have been with you through one of the worst moments of your life? I have, at least. I think that it might not make sense, because those are often the times when you are least like yourself or at least who you want to appear as. But in reality, it’s those people who are the ones that have proven loyalty, trustworthiness, and are putting those things into action now.

That is what God does when he allows rough seasons to hit. God is proving that He will bring you through the times you thought you could never make it out of. He is showing you that He will provide even when you thought nobody cared. He is showing you that people love you, that people need you, and that someday He is going to use you for incredible things.

Are you going to end with “you just gotta have faith”? Because I’ve heard that line before…

No, I’m not going to end with that. I don’t think faith is as simple as those sayings go. Faith means vulnerability. Faith takes bravery. And faith is not something that is easy to come by. But a lie that often revolves around faith is that it is a process in which you have to go at alone. You have to somehow have that “revelation” that makes everything suddenly seem real for you. That might work for 1% of the population (or more, but no one I’ve known…) but for the rest of us, there are other things we can do to grow our faith constantly. One of those things is being surrounded by people who encourage it. Hearing real stories about what God is doing and feeling God’s love from others can definitely strengthen our faith. In addition, spending time getting to know God and journaling to see how prayers are being answered is helpful.

My final word to you

We all have doubts. We all have low seasons. I’m in a low season right now, actually. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t have faith. It just means that we have to work a little harder at being brave enough to believe. Yes, God cares. Yes, God is listening. Yes, God is allowing these things to happen. But it’s for a reason. And yes, you are going to have doubts, even if you are in a season where life couldn’t be better. Sometimes those are the seasons where it’s hardest to believe we even need God. But trust me, after the hard stuff hits again, you’ll remember why. Ultimately, don’t beat down on yourself for doubts. Just remember that it’s all a test, and God is always going to be there waiting for you.

“The LORD waits for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for him to help them.”

Isaiah 30:18

True Joy = Gratitude

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

Albert Einstein

Welcome Back!

First of all, I’d like to apologize. (I know it’s a Nine thing to apologize too much, but this time it’s for good reason!) I really planned on keeping this blog up, and I have not been doing an adequate job of that, considering it’s been almost a month since the last time I posted. Honestly, I won’t get too into it, but life has been extremely crazy. However, that has meant that I have thought of some new things to talk about, including a new series!

Speaking of that New Series…

My new series is going to be all about joy. Joy is an important thing to me, and as a Nine, I do try to keep things positive, however I struggle with thinking the best thoughts sometimes. It can be easy to slide into a negative cycle, and hopefully we can grow together through this!

Today’s Takeaway:

The number one way to have joy is to be grateful. That means saying thank you to the guy that picks up your trash, the person that holds the door open for you, the people in your life that have always been there for you. Any time there is an opportunity to say thank you, do it. Sometimes, I feel like expressing too much gratitude (if that’s such a thing!) would be the wrong thing to do. Like, I’ll randomly feel thankful for certain people in my life, but I won’t do anything about it because I feel like they will think it’s weird of me. But then I realize how a random “thank you for being there” or just extra appreciation would make my day. And I’m sure many of you might agree to that feeling too. Suddenly, all you’ve been doing for others has paid off just by a few words.

If you notice what you have, you will have an immediate “spirit lift”. Trust me on that one! It will let you realize how many prayers have been answered that you haven’t thanked God for recently, how many people may need your help who you were overlooking, or just how amazing it can be to be alive. I’m saying all this during one of the hardest seasons of my life and during a season that I know has been insanely difficult for many loved ones. Why am I going on and on about how amazing life is right now? So that I can keep going with hope and joy into the future. And I hope that you can too.

Practical Tips for Becoming More Grateful

  • Thank random people (like strangers or people you don’t know very well) who do things for you. They are often under-appreciated.
  • Thank people who are close to you just because. They will greatly appreciate it.
  • Keep a journal full of answered prayers, and if you keep a regular journal, write three things that you are grateful for each day.
  • Take a moment to breathe each day and reflect.
  • Realize all that is happening in the world right now, and how you have an important role to play!
  • Read some inspiring verses or stories.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

~1 Thessalonians 5:18

The Unseen

“The truth is, we all face hardships of some kind, and you never know the struggles a person is going through. Behind every smile, there’s a story of a personal struggle.”

Adrienne C. Moore

Quick Update!

Hey, first of all, sorry that it’s been a while. I’ve been incredibility busy and I know that there probably aren’t a lot of you readers out there, but I want to be committed to this blog, so I will be working harder on updating this.

The Unseen

So yesterday, I was reading my devotional for today, and the verse was about God seeing everything even when other people don’t see it. Last night, I read it the way I usually do, that God sees the good things we do even when we are not appreciated, which is very encouraging. But, as I thought about it more today, I think that this verse could also be interpreted in that God sees all of us who feel unnoticed or that our situation is not understood by others.

Have you ever read a book and then later saw the movie, only to understand the story much better after seeing with your own eyes what the author was picturing when she wrote the book? (Yes, I know you are probably not wanting an analogy right now, but hear me out) Well, I feel like seeing something for yourself rather than just hearing about it or seeing words explaining it makes that thing seem so much more real and relatable. Obviously Jesus has experienced all the pain and the joy that we have on Earth, but I think that just imagining Him watching and experiencing everything WITH us is pretty powerful.

Anyway, I guess my message is that for all of you who feel insignificant or like no one really gets what’s happening to you, God always will because He is present in every moment. And, a lot of people actually do understand or want to understand because they care about you.

On the flip side, when you see someone in the hallway tomorrow or at the grocery store, and you make an instant judgement about them (come on, we all do sometimes), just remember that you may not know the whole story. Even with friends, not everyone is a “sharer” and it can be easy to overlook the ones that don’t volunteer information frequently. But that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve the same kind of compassion and patience that everyone else does.

So, a challenge for today/tomorrow (since it’s pretty late now) is to try to understand other people, those you might not even know, in a new light. Everyone has their own story that is just as important as yours. Your story is important and the people that truly care about you will be willing to listen when you need it.

“You supported me because of my integrity and set me in Your presence forever.”

~Psalm 41:12

A Challenge to Change Resisters

“It’s only after you’ve stepped outside your comfort zone that you begin to change, grow, and transform.” 

― Roy T. Bennett

A Little Background

A pretty common preference for Nines is stability. We like having comfort in our routines, in our habits, and we don’t always change easily. We go with the flow for others, but our innate preference is to stick to what we know. But sometimes, it takes change in our lives for us to discover things about ourselves that we never knew were possible. Sometimes taking that chance, that risk, is what we needed to make our lives or someone else’s live better. A simple example of this was when I was young, I had a hard time when my mom decided to go back to work. I really enjoyed being able to have her when I needed her and I anticipated a lot of time alone at home. But if she had not gone back to teaching, then I never would’ve figured out my own passion for helping children. And, we may not have continued to go to my current church, where, thanks to giving it more time, I have made so many wonderful connections that I hope are for a lifetime. I have never been as enriched by a community as I have been by them, and now I am so thankful that God called my mom back to work all those years ago. I never would’ve anticipated those blessings, and by taking other opportunities that seem foreign, we can experience positives we weren’t expecting!

My Challenge for You

The point in all of this? Change can be good, if we embrace it and grow from it. I was reminded of that when filling out this fun little booklet that was a humorous gift to me from a relative. I thought it would just be a time-passer, but its little challenges have given me things to think about. Today’s challenge was to “go out of my way to do something I have never done before”. So…that’s my challenge for you too! I will update you on what I decide that change will be, and let me know if you try it out too. Who knows, we might just find our next greatest passion! 🙂

A Word of Appreciation

“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
— Carl W. Buechner

I was going to do a post on regret, but I changed my mind, at least temporarily. The reason is because I finally stepped back from my present situations for a moment and took a look at what I did have. And while I was feeling lonely, I realized how many truly amazing friends I do have. Sure, I can count the number of them with my fingers, but the impact they have had on my life is unmeasurable. Treasure the friends that will listen to you even when you don’t have the words to express how you feel. Those people that will make even the littlest thing that’s upsetting you matter are the ones that can never be replaced. I think that I have not put some things into perspective, which happens to me a lot (you might be able to relate). But after talking to my friends, even about stuff that was vague, I felt like I could see what was happening more clearly. I am eternally grateful for my friends that are there for me and whenever I am worried that I don’t have what I need, I have to remember that God has given me some incredible people and I would not be willing to do anything in the world in exchange for them. So, to those of you in my life that this applies to (if you’re reading this and know me then it’s probably you) I’m sorry if I’ve taken you for granted in any way. If there’s one thing in life that I know I can’t live without (besides God obviously) it would be my amazing few friends ❤ Take some time today to express your love for your friends, you won’t regret it!

“There is magic in long-distance friendships. They let you relate to other human beings in a way that goes beyond being physically together and is often more profound.”
– Diana Cortes

“A friend knows the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails.”
– Donna Roberts

“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

Proverbs 18:24

The Painful Thing About Pain…and How We Avoid It

“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”

-Corrie Boom

Common Misconceptions

As a Nine, I have often been told that we procrastinate, over sleep, and become overly obsessed with our couch and Netflix. However…that’s not really the case for me. I get up at a early/reasonable time pretty easily (except on a few rare occasions), I used to despise sleeping as a child because I thought it wasted away the day, and I am usually too stressed about deadlines to procrastinate. (Can’t say too much about the TV problem when it comes to the Flash though…) That made me question my Nine-ness when I was first learning about the Enneagram. However, I learned to realize that sleeping meant more than just laying down. It meant all the times I daydreamed about false realities to comfort myself, all the times I actually made myself more busy in order to avoid other tasks, and all the times that I mentally blocked myself from accepting the truth. I have heard experts talking about this as the not physical “sleep” Nines often take part in. This might be a coping mechanism for you too, and I want to help us both figure out another way to deal with pain.

Our Reasons Why

People without this habit might often wonder why we feel like this does anything to help the situation. Some might guess that it’s so we can feel instant happiness instead of dealing with the long awaited troubles. Honestly, I feel like it’s beyond the instant gratification. If you’re anything like me, the last thing you want to do is be a burden to other people. I may not be a Two in the sense that I try to go out of my way to do things for other people (even though I do try to sometimes), but if I can keep my feelings and problems to myself, then I feel like I won’t worry someone. Or better yet, that I never have to find out that my problems DIDN’T concern anyone else. Slightly off topic but I feel like a huge Nine fear is that we don’t matter to anyone else. (I’ll touch on this subject in a future post). But feeling the pain of that or other things ranging from loneliness to confrontation are the things that make us inwardly shut down even if we are outwardly getting everything done. Another thing that may be a factor in how we handle difficult things is the fact that although we may appear calm on the outside, we are having a constant panic cycle going on inside. It’s not always there, but when a stress arises, we still want to hold control and our way of getting “control” is by turning off the things that are in our way.

The Hard Truth

I’m sure that everyone already knows this, but it’s an important reminder: eventually, the thing that we’re avoiding is going to happen, whether we like it to or not. We might be able to stall something, but that could make it escalate into an even greater problem or at the very least, it will still occur.

However…

We do not have to let these problems become what we have made them to be in our heads. At least for me, the more I think about things, the harder it is for me to take action. I analyze what could go wrong, how people will react, and how hard it could be to do. But if we just go out and face our problems, then we can finally move on. Moving on is so hard for me, whether it be in relationships or from certain feelings. I tend to cling onto what I know. However, the best way to move on is to address the issue right away and then be able to have peace about the situation. And we Nines love peace, don’t we? 🙂 And the important thing to remember is that we don’t have to go through hard things alone. When I see my friends going through things, all I want them to know is that I’m there for them. The important thing for us is to have those people in our lives, who are willing to actually listen and pray for us.

A Few Tips

First of all, remember that no matter what, it’s okay to be upset. It’s okay to take some time for yourself to reflect on the situation, to pray, and to find comfort. It’s even okay to take a while to process what happened. But then there has to be a time of taking action and letting go.

As for some tips for processing things, here are some that have helped me:

  • Taking a long, quiet walk
  • Journaling (Either prayer journaling or just journaling your thoughts and feelings)
  • Talking things out with a close friend or family member (sometimes it’s better to do it with someone who is unrelated to the situation so that they do not have a bias or can give new insight)
  • Making a playlist that helps you (I have a few songs that give me comfort, and when I’m going through a rough time, they have really helped me get perspective)
  • Making a list of what hurt you specifically so that you can address those things and not make the situation bigger than it really is
  • Making a list of positive people or events in your life that you are thankful for

In Conclusion…

I one hundred percent understand how hard it is to deal with things that feel out of control and it’s easy to slip into that “sleepwalking through life” mentality. But if you do that, then you will miss the good as well as the difficult. Just know that the pain isn’t going to last forever, and if you have made it this far, you have the strength to get through it. Thanks for reading this, and let me know if this was any help. I hope you all have a blessed day!

A Little About Me

An Introduction

“Never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do.”

– H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Welcome! First of all, I’m really grateful to whoever decided to read my blog, and I hope it’s as encouraging to you as writing is for me. I’m a little obsessed with the Enneagram, if you can’t already tell, but this blog will go beyond the things about Enneagram Nines. It is welcome to anyone who wants encouragement, can relate, or just feels like thinking about things for a while. I am not sure how often I will update, but I will hopefully figure that out soon so stay tuned! Below are a few things about what this blog will contain:

  • Encouragement
  • Personal insight into things related to being a Nine
  • Reflection
  • Possibly some fiction writing in the future, since that’s also my passion
  • Probably some random stuff, since that’s what often happens on blogs 🙂

A few facts about me are:

  • I’m a Christian, so you will see some verses on here!
  • I LOVE motivational quotes so you will also see a lot of those!
  • I absolutely love animals, especially horses and dogs
  • I like photography, and I might eventually start using that for my pictures on here
  • I would love feedback and your opinions on the subjects I write about!

A Little Edit Since I Began This Blog!

Hello! I just wanted to say that to whoever has been reading my blog, I didn’t end up sticking to everything I had promised. I started out focused on how it is being an Enneagram Nine, and ended up shifting to more things about faith, joy, and other traits that are important to me. If you are expecting to find things about the Enneagram from my blog, then there will not be as much, although I’m still a crazy fan, haha. But instead, I hope you find comfort, healing, and the possibility to explore more to your life and have some self-realization. After all, the Enneagram is designed to help you go on the path you were meant to take based on who you are, and I’m here to affirm that message and give some insight about what I believe God is trying to share to you today. Thank you again for reading! Love you all!

❤ Hannah