Sharpen Your Tool

There are things in life that have to be moved around. Things have to be rearranged, removed/added, and you have to be a participant. You have to be willing to endure those things you have no control over and act accordingly with those things that you do. Act accordingly…meaning listening to your inner self when it tells you to move. We have to learn to stop fighting what is already written for us. This just prolongs the inevitable.
We are here to live out our purpose which God will present to us more than once. It is only when we are ready to own it that things fall into place. We often ignore those feelings because we are unsure of ourselves. It takes time to strip down from what everyone else says is good for us. It takes time reject those feeling of failure and insecurity.

We have to know who we are inside out and declare all the things God has already promised to us. Only then can you begin to live your truth. We can’t dress up the Truth to our liking. It is what it is 100% of the time. That is why the truth is better NAKED. Are you ready to be totally Naked?
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Faith Is An Action Verb

 

Many of us voice how much we believe in God. We say that we trust him to do just what he said he’ll do. We wait around for our “Big” moment. We spend hours in prayer, hoping for God to remove us from our current situations. We are often left disappointed when we feel that God is not answering. Have you ever thought that maybe while you were busy waiting on God, God was waiting on you? During a car ride with my boss we discussed faith and how so many use it inappropriately. He talked about faith being an action word. He  mentioned that God will  carry you when you can’t go any further, but you have take steps towards your goals.

Believing that God will change your situation is not enough. Waiting for God to give you the life you have been dreaming of is a waste of time. God is not in the business of giving out hand outs. An important part of having faith is to act on what you believe to be yours. To quote a good friend of mine, “God is not a wizard or a genie.” There is no shiny lamp to rub or wand to twirl. Faith is an action verb that requires our participation. It is easy for many of us to feel sorry for ourselves. We fall into depression because it seems that our lives are not going as planned. It is important for us to ask ourselves in those moments, what have I done to change my circumstance?

God is there as a support system. God is there to close the deal. He will provide us with the tools and help we need to carry our purpose, but we have to take initiative. We have to step out on faith. If we want to reach greatness and live the lives we desire, we have to take action. This is how we show God that we trust him to give us what we ask for. Keep this in mind the next time you feel disappointed in how far you have gone in life. What steps are you taking to get what you want? God can do all things, but he wants to know that you trust him enough to be involved in the process.

So remember FAITH is not effective when we are idle. We must take a leap or even a few steps and God will see you through. Keep moving!!

Expect Great Things

It is much easier to expect failure and live a life of low expectations. If we don’t ask or require much, we can avoid disappointment. Many of us fear those thoughts that we can’t control. There is something in us that yearns for greatness, but we often shy away from it. What is it that makes us feel like we don’t deserve the best? I am still uncomfortable receiving a lot of attention or compliments at times. I constantly remind myself  that it is ok to receive good things into my life. Take a moment, wherever you are and tell yourself “It is ok to receive good things.” This may seem silly, but trust me it works.

We have to become accustom to expecting great things in our lives. Why would we believe that someone else deserves good things but we do not? Once you allow yourself to expect goodness, you will no longer concern yourself with what others have. You can learn to be happy for others and be inspired by their journeys. You will stop and think; if they can, I can too. So today I am asking for you to think of you. What do you want for your life? What steps can you take to get there? If you know that God has blessed you with good things, own them. Don’t run away from your purpose.

God expects greatness and we should too! Start living your truth today!!

 

 

Remove All Things Working Against You…

Many of us spend a lot of time involving ourselves in things that just don’t matter. We live for bad relationships, dead end jobs, and insignificant hobbies. I call it self sabotage. We think of every way possible not to deal with our purpose. We jump over it, walk around it, and slide under it. We talk about how we want to better ourselves. We even dream about it at night. But when the sun rises we spend our time doing everything else but that “Thing” we say is most important.

What is it that causes us to put everything in front of our purpose? Is it fear? Maybe we don’t believe we deserve to have the best. Whatever it is, it is toxic to our greatest potential. Now take a moment to really think about those things, those people, those places, that are dimming your light. Think about the things that you are involved on a daily basis. Ask yourself what do they add or subtract from the steps you are taking to improve your life.

Significant other:

+Do they support your dream/purpose? Do they listen and try to help?

-Do they talk you out of making huge leaps? Do you find yourself feeling like they don’t understand your purpose?

Family/Friendships:

+Do they support your dream/purpose? Do they offer words of encourage or share similar interests?

-Do you often feel you have nothing in common? Do they often speak negatively about your plans of action? Do they spend a lot time complaining or gossiping about others?

Job/Career:

+ Do you feel a sense of purpose? Will it help you get to where you want to be? Are you happy?

– Are you watching the clock waiting to exit the building? Do you dread the thought of Monday? Do you feel a stagnant or empty?

Take a moment and complete this exercise. If you feel that these things  subtract from your journey more than they add; it may be time to start making some changes. Life is too short to waste on people, places, or situations that are not conducive to your purpose.

Put Effort in the Effortless

How often do you put effort in your effortless? Meaning…When is the last time you focused on what comes natural to you? Are you a good singer or dancer? Maybe you like to craft or write poetry. For some it is not so obvious. Maybe it is difficult to put into words what you do well. Some of you may say I am not sure what I am good at. Here is a good exercise to start thinking about where you should start putting your efforts.

Take out a sheet of paper and answer the following questions:

1. What is the one thing you would not mind doing if you had more free time?
2. When do you feel the happiest?
3. What is a gift or talent that others have noticed about you?
4. If you could quit your job today, what would be the one thing that you would focus on?
5. When you find yourself daydreaming; what thing occupies most of your thoughts?

Answer these questions to the best of your ability. Really spend time thinking about what makes your heart flutter. What gets your adrenaline going? These questions can help jumpstart your journey. Don’t be afraid to be honest with yourself. That is the only way you will find your truth. Remember…The Truth is Better Naked!

Accept the Gift God Has Chosen

Step out on faith…Don’t worry if they don’t know your name…God will show them who you are. We spend a lot of time in self-doubt. We let our fear of failure get the best of us. It is often paralyzing. For me, I have highs and lows. There are days when I am very determined and others when I feel I am not sure which way to go. Fear of rejection can also play a big role in our growth. We often let our perception of how we are received by others determine our performance. Even with putting myself out there through writing, I am often concerned that no one will read my material. I am human. I often become discouraged when I throw my gift out in the universe and it seems that no one is paying attention. I just have to keep reminding myself that I am focusing on the wrong thing. I have to remember that it is not my job to worry about how I will complete my journey. I have to stay focused on the steps it takes to get there. I have to accept the gift God has chosen for me and believe in his power to see it through.

I encourage you as I encourage myself to take steps everyday. Exercise  your gift in the best way you know how. Don’t be afraid to open up to the world. It is not your responsibility to figure out how others will receive you. I remember watching a clip with Steve Harvey speaking about jumping so that you can soar!! We have to take a leap of faith and trust that God will catch us. Don’t be concerned with your “BIG” debut, concern yourself with the “SMALL” steps it takes to get there!

 

Dream In Purpose

When you are deep in thought both sleep and awake, what lies heavy on your mind? Think about that “THING” that brings you the most joy. The very thought of it makes your heart skip a beat. That “THING” that you often do without someone watching or asking you to do so. You usually think about it a lot more than you actually do it. It gets tangled in the thoughts of your daily routine. Although it is very important to you, it is often the last on your to-do a list. It often lingers in the distance. You plan to make time for it but something always seems to get in the way. You have bills to pay so you have to work. You have kids to take to the park and read to. You have a significant other that needs a little quality time. Oh and don’t forget about all the TV shows you have to catch up on!

You have stuff! So much stuff to dig into before you can spend time on that “THING” that brings you the most joy and makes your heart skip a beat. Well… Have you ever thought that maybe if you focused more on what makes you happiest, it could make the other parts of your life even better? If you were living your full potential, you would be giving your best to the world. Of course, this is easier said than done. It if was easy, the entire world would have figured it already. It takes practice and patience. That “THING” needs to be nurtured and fed. Our dreams have to be willed to life. How do you find time for Dreams when your reality keeps you so busy?

When you dream…Dream in purpose. Organize your thoughts. Narrow them down so that they become more attainable. Practice writing down the things that you want. Schedule time through the week to focus on it so that you hold yourself accountable. Make a list. Brainstorm what it will take to make your dreams a reality. It is not our responsibility to figure out exactly how it will happen. God will take care of that. You just have to move in order to create the MOVEMENT. So when you dream make those thoughts count. For that “THING” that makes you feel most awake even when you are dreaming; Wouldn’t you say you owe it to yourself to see how far it can take you? Here are 5 tips to help bring your thoughts to action…

Dream in Purpose

1. Create at least 1-2 hours a week to focus on your dream. Add more time as you begin to build. (Make sure the time is blocked off on your Calendar/Planner).
2. Research groups/people who have similar interests. (Its a good idea to see how others with similar paths are obtaining their goals).
3. Limit time spent with people or things that do not enrich your life; such as negative people or mindless reality shows. (Replace with time spent on focusing on your goals).
4. Meditation/prayer is important. Speak your dreams into existence daily. Talk with God about them. (Take time on your way to work or in the shower).
5. Find a mentor. Someone who will hold you accountable. Someone who is more experienced and can help you grow.

These are just suggestions to help get you started. You can alter them to better fit your life style! Be open and honest with yourself. Remember… The Truth is Better Naked!

D.A.R.E.

As I engage in conversation with family and friends, a common topic reoccurs. It seems that everyone feels like they should be doing more! I believe it is human nature to continue to strive for better. At times, I think we all feel stagnant. We become stuck in our routines, but then, there is that “thing” that keeps inviting itself back into our thoughts. Some of us hide it better and refuse to let it stay too long. For others, it haunts us, hangs over us like a dark cloud until we can’t resist the craving of sunshine. So many of us, including myself have a fear of letting go and trusting the process. We want it all figured out before we take a step. If you think about it, how interesting would the journey be if we knew each part of the path. What is exciting, is God has given us these precious gifts; tailored to each one of us. We just have to step out on faith and know that he did not create us to fail. As I prepared myself to start this day, there was one word that replayed itself over and again in my mind…DARE. I thought; Dare to be great. Dare to try something new. Dare to follow what your heart tells you. Dare to challenge the norm. I created this acronym to break down some essential steps towards living a more fulfilled life.  I am learning to live by these things. I want to share these steps with you I hope that it helps someone get closer to their purpose!

Dream in purpose.

                       Accept the gift that God has chosen for you.

                        Remove all the things working against you.

             Expect great things to come.

Let this marinate. This can be achieved in different ways. We all have different paths, but the goal is the same. We all want to live a more purpose driven life. Please tell me what D.A.R.E. means to you! I will go more in depth with this concept in further posts. Remember…The Truth is Better Naked!!

The “Mess”age

 Hello world! It has been quite a while since I last shared by thoughts with you. We can become so boggled down with the weight of our “Obligations” that we forget to take time out to exercise our passions. So much has occurred  that has yet to be recorded or assessed. I now have a wonderful husband, beautiful family, and a career. When you tie together marriage, children, and a career it can make for a very busy life. Although these parts of my life are absolutely gratifying and adventurous, there is still that longing to follow my purpose. The funny thing about purpose is that it can be buried deep for years and years. We can smother it with our pillows when we refuse to dream. We can hide it under our desks while we work on an important assignment. It’s often washed away by tears when we fight with our significant others. We find ways to ensure that time spent on the inevitable is postponed until we get everything else out of the way.

Why are we so easily distracted if our purpose is so important to us? Is it fear of the unknown? Maybe we are afraid that if we go after that “thing” that is most important and fail, we will never recover. So we collect stuff and we carry it around. We place it in categories. We complain about it. We discuss it with friends. We lose sleep over it. This stuff has no baring on who we are as human beings but we allow it to shape our entire existence. This “stuff” keeps us occupied. Too busy for trivial things, like dreaming of a better life! Or shall I say a more fulfilled one. It is not until the load gets too heavy to bare that we start to prioritize. Some of us are able to carry a lot more than others before we have the MOMENT. You know the one that puts everything in perspective.

I remember Oprah speaking about God’s little whispers a few years back. God will softly warn us about the mess we are creating. Many of us do not hear him until that whisper turns into a bullhorn or a natural disaster. We do what we want and what we think is best no matter the cost. Again, some of us learn faster than others. Our journeys are all different but meant to accomplish the same thing…Our best. We are meant to leap and take chances. We are here to keep on until we reach that “thing” that God has for us. It is not a matter of fact. It is not black or white. We start, stop, and start again. We can fall short and we can regress. There is no guide book to follow. We just have to trust the process. I remember reading a quote… “We do not have to know how we are going to do it, just that we are going to do it.” So this piece represents a step forward for me. I hope that it reaches one person who is contemplating their own journey today. Remember, we are born for greatness and each day is an opportunity to be Great!

A servant’s Prayer

Dear lord give me the courage and the wisdom to overcome the fear that constantly delays my journey. Let me not be concerned with the things that I don’t know or don’t have but stay fixated on my potential. I still have that spirit inside of me that will not let me rest until it is done. Now what that is; I am not sure, but dear God I will not stop until I know. I need your strength more than ever now. I pray that these words will float in the universe and ride the wings of angels.

Please don’t let me stand in my own way. I am excited about sharing my beauty with this world. I am elated about carrying out your purpose. I asked to be kept in your care and cradled in your love. I know it is up to me to stay because I know that you will never let me go. Let the negative and hurtful words of my enemies roll away like the tides of the ocean. Who shall I fear when I know who holds my future.

From the beginning to the deepest corner of my soul I ask thee to give me strength to finish this race; with open arms and a clean heart. I am determined because I believe in all that you have for me. I voice this prayer with total humility and faith in your power; in our savior’s name I pray Amen.