Life Lesson: When is Good Enough Really Enough

Have you ever had one of those life lessons that hit you right between the eye?  Well, on my morning commute on Thursday, I was listening to Peace on Broken Pieces by Iyanla Vanzant.  The life lesson that hit me was "when you do not believe that who you are and what you do is good enough, that message will contaminate everything you do." This statement really made me to think about the many times that I have compared myself to someone else or believed that I was not good enough.

How many times have you compared yourself to someone else or told yourself that you were not small enough, tall enough, smart enough, cute enough, good enough to be in that ultimate relationship? Okay maybe you have not said it to yourself but your actions have proven that you do not give yourself enough credit for being enough.  As a part of living an authentic life, it is important that we accept ourselves and understand that good enough is enough. 

I began to think about how many times I have not done something because I did not believe that I was good enough.  Or the many times that I have devalued my services because of my belief that I am not good enough or worth it.  I realized at that moment it is not how others perceive me it is how I perceive myself. 

I also continued to think about the many clients that I have worked with that struggle with the same pathology.  What do I tell my clients?  Also these clients seek out my service because of my journey.  I realize that I am good enough and the belief begins with me.

Our work:  Make a list of the things that you wish to change about yourself and your current life.  The write I am good enough......

Staying the Course

Here lately I have been spending a lot of time in my car.  I have been commuting back and forth to Clarksville.  The drive gives me time to really do some thinking and also to listen to my music and/or audio tapes.  This time with self is teaching me lessons that I am learning about life and about who I am as a person and profession.

One lesson that I learned this week is that I must stay the course or find alternate routes home.  On Tuesday, there was a sink hole at Exit 8 which means that traffic was backed up to Exit 4.  This is really something because I get on the interstate at Exit 1 and I was rolling along until traffic came to a halt.  I realized then that I did not know an alternate route outside of staying on the interstate.  It may me think about the many times that I have started out on a journey and I got detoured because of an accident or traffic jam.  I could have gotten off the interstate and tried to navigate myself through Clarksville until I found my way or I could have stayed the course realizing that the interstate would open up soon and I could get back to the flow of things. 

How many times have you gotten off the interstate of life trying to find a different route instead of staying the course?  When we have set the course to reach a specific goal in life, we have to stay the course and not get side track by traffic delays.

Faith Dare: Day 17

I started the Faith Dare on August 1st and I really did not know what the dare was about. I knew that I would be reading devotionals everyday and journaling.  One of the major challenges is to fast from "self". My first thought was  how do you fast from "self".  I have fasted from television, food, social media, etc.  So how do you fast from "self"- it is truly about submission and trust in God.

I have learned more lessons about who I am.  I formulate plans in my head about how a situation should work out and then hope that God will bless my plans.  Well when I decided to go into business full time, my belief was that things would go one way.  I thought that my business would be one way but God has orchestrated me to do something different for a while.  I am working with a population that I have not worked with before and it is enjoyable even though I have a commute. 

How many times have you set up plans and they change and you realize that it was for the best?  In fasting from "self", I have learned that it is about trusting God in all things even when it is not working out the way that I expected.  Another thing has shifted, I will not be teaching both sessions this Fall as intended and I accept it as God opening up my schedule for something else.  What keeps playing in my spirit is "It is all God".

Faith Dare Day 2:Get Out of the Way

I have been blogging about the lessons that I have been learning during this season of my life.  The message that I have been hearing is "Get Out of Your Own Way".  How many times have you blamed someone or something else on the reason why you have not completed something?  For me it is many times because I get in my own way.  This clarity came to me when someone ask me when was I going to graduate. My goal is to graduate in December 2013 but if I do not it will be because I got in my own way.

I realized the other day that I was blocking myself from writing because of procrastination and self sabotage.  I go through the motions like I am writing something or doing research by reading things over and over again.  I realize that the negative self talk blocks me also.  When I set goals for myself, I get in my own way by not confronting the problem or follow through because I allow distractions to get in the way. 

Well the Faith Dare is about getting myself out of the way and allowing God's will to prevail in my life.  I am fasting myself through focusing on God and walking by faith.

So in the words of Ludacris  " MOVE GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!!!"