Right? Everyone is busy. Everyone is the busiest person in the world.
I've been away longer than I wanted to be. The time I spend writing has to be very quiet and intentional. I have to still all of the other to-dos and needs and the little person calling on me as much as possible. That kind of time hasn't been available. Even now, my mind is running around a little bit. I'll blame the coffee.
I blame this partly on my need to multi-task. I feel like a lot of women function this way, always trying to get more than one thing done at a time. Call it productive if you want, but most of the time I just feel frazzled and leave many tasks started, but not finished. This culture prides busyness. We want to believe that the more we can cram into a day, the more successful we are or the more we are getting out of life. I have found that the busier I am, the less I can hear myself think or, more importantly, hear God speak. Busyness is a tool to keep us distracted and stunt our growth. Here's the beauty, we can always change!
These last two years have been HUGE for me in the growth department. Since January of 2015, I started a journey of personal growth: finding out what I wanted in a few key areas of life (spiritual, health, professional, home, etc.) and pursuing those goals. This process has been life-changing. I never really considered goals before. I had thought of what I wanted, but often--even in my daydreaming--I would play it safe, thinking only about what was actually possible at that point in time. I just went through life one day after another, letting immediate circumstances and feelings take me wherever they wanted. God intervened and showed me that life is so much more than just making it through the day. Are you someone who is just surviving the day-to-day?
If you have known me at all before 2015--which many of you have--you would know that I have always played very safe with sharing myself with others. I stay pretty guarded--I still struggle here--but God has shown me that learning about others and us helping each other is His will. This is the richness of life! We all have a story to share, and I want to get out there and know more about others' stories. I want to serve by learning about and loving on my neighbor.
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Mark 12:31 Well, I am not loving my neighbor if I am clamming up and hoping she doesn't look my way. Let me tell you, awkward has been my middle name. Step into my crazy: I would over analyze and make up stories in my head about what the other person thought of me. Nuts, right? But, I know I am not the only one. We all make up stories about what we think the other person is thinking or why they are acting a certain way. Let me tell you, these stories do not serve you! What freedom when, either you stop thinking about what they think, or you replace the bad story with a good one: "She hasn't called me back because she's busy. I'm sure she'll get back to me soon," not "She hasn't called me back because she heard I had a shirt just like hers and now she hates me and never wants to talk to me again." This is a silly example, but the things we come up with in our own minds are just as ridiculous! Here's the real deal though, it's not a one-time fix. It's a constant guard on our thoughts and throwing away the thoughts that are not serving us or not moving us closer to our goals. I am so far from where I want to be, but it feels good to move in the right direction.
Being in charge of my thoughts is a gift that God has given me to deal with where my family is right now. It's a choice to think the worst or think the best. Where is your head right now? Changing the thoughts in our heads can change our whole day and beyond!
Picture thanks to www.relatably.com/
Thank you so much for sharing! I really enjoyed reading, and I think we all can relate! Connelly :)
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