Our coaching session on the human intrinsic of “progress” was incredible, and I wanted to share the beautiful thoughts I gathered from this session from the group and from Erwin McManus:
-Every human has a need for progress.
-“Make sure you have some area in your life where you are taking control of your progress, and you find it enriching and satisfying.”
-Even if it is just perceived progress– it elevates.
-“Hope is rarely rooted in reality. Hope is rooted in something that does not exist.”
My favorite thought:
When people have progress, they don’t feel disdain or hate for others. Instead, they feel abundance. When people hate the progress of others, it’s because they have become convinced that the progress of others somehow takes away from them.
-Don’t be held back by the failures of the past.
-You are designed for growth. Contentment is not being happy with what you have (or more people would be content). It’s about joy and contentment in who you are becoming and the world you are shaping.
-Focus on the person you are becoming.
-They can beat the belief out of you that progress is possible, but they can’t change the fact that you are designed for progress by God. That they can never remove from your soul.
-Being blocked from progress leads to trauma and depression.
We are designed and created for progress. Who are you becoming and where do you feel the satisfaction of your growth? If you aren’t sure, it is time to be intentional.
There we were. All of us in the moving train car. A small bullet of speed moving underground (much too slow). All of us like shards of glass soon to be dispersed into a million little directions, launched into our day. But before that, we are sharing space. We are avoiding eye contact and making our silent statements.
First, there is the older man with the striped button down shirt tucked under a black leather jacket. His jeans are youthfully tight (too tight). His hair is a mess. He looks familiar, like an old celebrity I should care about. He has a weighty camera around his neck. He has boots and red glasses. He stands for a bit and then gets a seat.
A tall leggy green-eyed young woman gets on the train. She has a baby pink satin bomber jacket with asian art on the back. Dragons or something. Her hair is high. Her mint green skirt is higher and so short. Our eyes are glued to her long legs as she leans against the poll. Her skirt has a dangerous slit that leads to God-knows-where. I am afraid that if she wobbles and falls over, it will be embarrassing for all of us. She finally wedges herself down onto the blue subway bench next to me. Her skirt so short, I am sure it’s her butt directly on the bench. She starts online shopping and looks at a Saint Laurent calfskin bag on Vestaire Collective. She is engrossed.
A young man against the doors is also looking at her legs with effort– or whatever he can see from his angle. He looks stiff, like he is clenching every muscle. His blue suit is new and still has the little thread on the back flap. He looks deeply uncomfortable. Like a twelve year old dressed like a salesman. He looks so stressed and almost sweaty, I look away and let him stare at the Saint Laurent girl next to me, unchecked.
Lastly, in walks a chic young woman. She has leopard print loafers, jeans with holes in them (but still chic) with a cropped cut. She has a leather jacket and a lime green bag. The bag is stunning and has a magnetic closure. It pops against her edgy but chic outfit. Her hair is pulled back revealing simple and understated gold earrings and an elegant hair clip. The bag is unlike anything I have ever seen. I finally find it later online. It’s a Wandler cross-body bag. (This only matters because I was proud I found it because I had no idea what brand it was). I tried taking photos of my Kindle to get a shot of her chic outfit in the background.
She won the game on the train. She was the most chic. She was the most interesting. There was something about her that made me want to try harder. She seemed creative. Inspired, almost. She was original. I guess we all were, except for the suit kid.
There we went– a random group of strangers staring at each other– all getting off at different stops and going in a million different directions. Silent statements made. Our messaging never truly turned off.
“You are not meant to be a house cat. You were meant to be bold, adventurous and to chase something. You were meant to be a lion. Stop sitting around living in safety, comfort and fear. Stop being a house cat. Be the lion you are and go after the life you want.”
Jon Gordon
I had the incredible gift of seeing Jordan B. Peterson (the great JBP), live this week. It was surreal. His tour for his new book, We Who Wrestle With God, is exciting. He does an insightful review of sacred stories and the things we can gather from them.
Moses at the burning bush reminds us that our interests call to us, fire = life and transformation, and what draws us is often not superficial or chosen by us but the divine is trying to send us a message through it and it chooses us. God’s calling on Moses (who says he can’t speak) teaches us that when God calls, he doesn’t care what you feel you can or can’t do or what is uncomfortable. It doesn’t matter if you are introvert or extrovert or have a disability. JBP mentioned God calls us each to do what He asked Moses to do: stand up to tyranny, speak truth, and lead people out of slavery.
There was the story of Job, and the reminder that God is not oblivious to the fact that life is so deeply unjust. But Job did it right, and shows us the injustices don’t excuse our bitterness or anger. Instead, Job said he had faith no matter what. He was rewarded for that.
JBP discussed the story of Cain and Abel, and how both brothers represent the choice we are all faced with– will we choose bitterness and a murderous spirit and want to do it our way, expecting God to come groveling saying he was wrong (as Cain did) or will we be Abel and humbly give the sacrifice that is required (accepted by God)? Cain offered God a second rate sacrifice in his arrogance and was jealous of his brother who was accepted for giving all. His anger consumed him, and he became murderous. The story of mankind doesn’t change. That was his choice. That is our choice. What choice will we make? Will we dare to sacrifice?
JBP discussed sacrifice as the mark of true maturity because it means work. It means envisioning a future. A society that rejects this is a society in decline, and they pay the ultimate price as Cain did. Everything falls apart.
The story that most impressed me was the one of Abraham. Scripture is a giant book of stories that revolve around sacrifice and also, adventure. God calls us each to adventure, he said. Abraham was a wealthy old man in his tent and God called him to leave it all and to embark on a journey with him. It was a journey filled with sacrifice. Sacrifice transforms us little by little.
God told Abraham the secret to life– if you go on this adventure with me, if you sacrifice and allow yourself to be transformed, you will be blessed, you will bless those around you and your offspring will bless the world. JBP highlights that God extends the same invitation to us– he asks us to embark on an adventure, to sacrifice to the point of transformation, which requires humility, and the result of that will be blessings for us, for those around us and our offspring with bless the world.
I know for a fact that the invitation to adventure is true. God extends a wild ride beyond imagination to all who listen and stop and walk slowly toward whatever burning bush appears to us.
How do we embark in an adventure? The answer is always the same, sacrifice. By doing hard things. I was listening to Tony Robbins the other day, and he broke down the recipe for changing your life:
Feed your mind and strengthen it every day. There are times where we wonder how to prepare our mind for something better, greater, unseen. The answer is intentionally feeding your mind with growth and inspiration. Meeting God every morning. Almost everything around us is a device or path for mindrot and anxiety. But intetionally feeding your mind with good and challenge is key to shaping it and establishing new habits.
Feed and strengthen your body. When we shape our body, we do hard things.
Find a role model that reminds you that the worst times don’t last forever. Someone of character and mental and physical strength.
Take massive action. At some point, Abraham had to pack his boring tent and move if he was going to follow God’s invitation.
Give more than you expect to receive. Wild generosity is the only way to live. Cain was stingy and offered God second-rate offering. God rejects this and the reason why is because it destroys us. Giving reminds us to embrace gratitude and faith, rather than the opposite.
If misery comes knocking, and it always does, shut the door. Find your burning bush and walk up to it as Moses did. Accept the invitation and do the hard thing. Pack your tent. The men who walked with God became His friends. Little shifts lead to big results.
As Jon Gordon says (and as Abraham did) it’s time to stop living like a house cat. You are not only called to adventure, you were created to walk with God on that adventure. Anything less will leave you like Cain, fleeing, bitter and alone. Be the lion. The God of angel armies calls your name. He asks for all.
My photo while at Fonthill. (Don’t steal my photos!)
By: Gabriela Yareliz
We got an unseasonably warm and sunny day at Fonthill Castle, Henry Mercer’s home and tile empire headquarters. The sun was dancing with the daffodils and revealing to us the clear nature of the stream below the castle terrace.
Who is Henry Chapman Mercer? That is a good question (I had no idea before). He is described as an “archeologist, artifact collector, tile-maker, and designer of three distinctive poured concrete structures: Fonthill, his home; the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works; and the Mercer Museum.” (Source) The Doylestown native was also an attorney. He came into his wealth through a wealthy aunt who set him up. I found his multi-hyphenate nature so fascinating. As I have mentioned before, the people who I find the most interesting are the ones who seem to have lived 40 lives in one. He is definitely someone who falls into that category.
What can I share about Mr. Mercer? He liked writing. People didn’t love his stories, but he didn’t care. (Loves it!) The welcome center has his book on display despite the fact that the tour guide called his stories “mediocre at best.” Personally, I would totally do that. Build my own museum and house and sell my own book. Ha. Brilliant.
I loved seeing his letters.
He had an interesting obsession with concrete. I loved his concrete desks and book shelves. The man loved a good book. He had many volumes on Criminal Trials in Scotland (intriguing), religious books (naturally), many Walt Whitman poetry books and other volumes on poetry (he is obviously sensitive and artistic), and volumes in a series called Naval Disasters (which I found most intriguing– where can I find these?).
He cataloged his tiles and belongings, writing numbers on them. He hung stuff wherever it pleased him. The shape of his archways, stairwells and windows were imperfect, but I appreciated his slap-it-on-there-with-intention-and-make-it-cute attitude. He placed tubs under skylights (I approve), and he destroyed some of his personal belongings while keeping others (a man of mystery! He did leave his diaries to the museum– I saw a librarian from the museum confirm this. I won’t tell you what rabbit hole I went down to discover that). He was a curious man. He liked inappropriate cartoons and also was obsessed with the part in the gospels of Jesus meeting the disciples at Emmaus (he had many different depictions of this walk with Jesus throughout his home, and it was this specific scene only).
My photo from inside his castle.
The man is most known for his tiles. He made tiles depicting “Bible, folk tales, Dickens’s Pickwick Papers, and Wagner operas” (source). They had a curious quote of his featured at the tile atelier where he said that if tiles couldn’t educate others he wouldn’t be making them. One thing I found interesting was that I don’t think tiles educate others. If you look at a story depicted and don’t have the context or knowledge of it beforehand, the picture means nothing to you. I think it is actually the inverse– only the educated can actually appreciate the detail and art in his tiles. Otherwise, it goes over your head. It’s like watching Frasier. We are a dumber society than we were before– many of the meanings in the tiles would be lost on most today. (Sadly!) We saw the biggest spider in the tile atelier! But I digress…
Just recently (today, literally, today), I completed Michael Easter’s ClearSpace app 2% challenge, where you limit screen time. Yep. Even on apps like Zillow. Who knew I opened Zillow so much? (It is a crushed-Millennial-dream haven and addiction. Looking on Zillow is like seeking the approval of a parent who hates you). The app gives you quotes and prompts to breathe or journal (I kid you not) as you try to open certain apps (and it times you). I heard about Michael Easter on a podcast (TSC Podcast: Michael Easter On How To Form Good Habits, Rewire Cravings, & Benefit From Discomfort In Your Life). I found him interesting. In the podcast and in his newsletter, he talked about how we have lost a sense of “boredom” and tolerance for discomfort, and it was this same boredom and discomfort that led people to be so intelligent and creative in the past.
How high is your boredom tolerance?
Every time I went to open Zillow, I kept thinking I could be reading Naval Disasters right now or memorizing a poem by Whitman. I think to enter the category of fascinating and intelligent, you have to be a person who embraces boredom, discomfort and slow, even in our current society. There is no escaping it. It is part of the equation. I think Mercer did it brilliantly. Not all of us have the rich aunt (or volumes of Naval Disasters), but what we do have is time and focus. We have a mind we can train. A discipline we can cultivate.
What we choose to do with that time, focus, mind and discipline is everything. When was the last time you took time to stop or engage with wonder?
“Wonder is the very engine of life.”
Erling Kagge
I am off. Off to draw or read a Mercer short story or just to look out the window and embrace the first sunshine of the week, here in NYC. Let’s be real, I will probably be searching Amazon for a volume of Naval Disasters or cataloging my most prized possessions (like Eddie). I encourage you to do the same.
“A radical new body of evidence shows that people are at their best– physically harder, mentally tougher, and spiritually sounder– after experiencing the same discomfort our early ancestors were exposed to every day.”
Here I am– a bit late. Late on many things. I literally have to do my taxes tonight. March was a month of overwhelming joy. There is sort of no other way to describe it. I was overwhelmed at work. Overwhelmed with gratitude in my personal life. I spent time with family and beautiful people who filled my heart so much it spilled over the brim. I was overwhelmed with opportunity and God’s soft leading to next steps and new chapters. I was overwhelmed with love and miracles and unexpected blessings. I guess March Madness isn’t always a bad thing.
It has taken me a minute to come down from the high and frenzy that was March. I have slowly settled into feeling more like myself and snapping into my routines (new and old) and the day-to-day.
But that’s the thing– God’s overwhelming goodness is there each day if we are ready to receive it. There is no stopping point. All that is needed is the awareness, humility and gratitude to receive it.
I hope God overwhelmed you with His goodness in March, and continues to do so in April. Spring. The timely reminder and relief that all is on time and new beginnings burst forth with beauty and color.
Quote
“We cannot selectively numb emotions.” Brene Brown (“If you numb sadness, you will also numb joy. If you numb pain, you will numb pleasure and ecstasy.” Aggie Lal)
“If you know something’s going to work, it’s not worth working on. It requires no courage. It requires no faith. It requires no skin in the game. Whether you’re a spy or a teacher or a spouse or a painter or an abuela or an astronaut or a monk or a barista or a board-game designer, the bits that matter are the bits you make matter by putting yourself on the line for them. The unknown is the foundry where you forge your chips. Everything important is uncertain. Sitting with the discomfort of that uncertainty is the hard part, the wedge that can move the world.” Eliot Peper
“Let hope guide. And joy surprise. See this new thing taking root in you.” Magnolia Magazine, Issue No. 30, Possibility, pg. 12
“When we reach the end of our days, our life experience will equal what we have paid attention to, whether by choice or default.” William James
“There’s no place for lies in art.” Barbra Steisand
“The culture validates the integrity of the vision.” Erwin Raphael McManus
“Resilience matters in success. I don’t know how to teach it to you except for, ‘I hope suffering happens to you’. I use the phrase ‘pain and suffering’ in our company with great glee. Greatness comes from character, and character is formed out of people who suffered. I wish upon you ample doses of pain & suffering.” Jensen Huang (Nvidia CEO)
“Growing into your power starts with taking risks.” Dr. Habib Sadeghi
“I’ve always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. I don’t do things half-heartedly. Because I know if I do, then I can expect half-hearted results.” Michael Jordan
“Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” Gloria Steinem
“If you have a problem with me, text me. And if you don’t have my number, you don’t know me well enough to have a problem.” Christian Bale
“Being optimistic doesn’t mean you don’t experience negative thoughts. It just means that you don’t let them control you.” Ed Latimore
“He spoke to the winds and the waves because they were meant to listen, in the same way, he speaks to you.” Erwin McManus
“It’s a lot of hard work that goes into falling in love with your country again…” Jessica Kraus
“Lift others up. Go out of your way to make someone’s day better. The world does an amazing job of tearing people down. Be the part of the world that does the building up. It’s needed.” Unknown
“Learning is about becoming incompetent on our way to getting better. If you’re not open to the tension that is caused by knowing you could do better, it’s unlikely you’re willing to do the work to get better. As you’re doing that work, there’s the satisfaction it brings, but also the knowledge that just a moment ago, you weren’t any good.” Seth Godin
“Imagine what might come of a willingness to embrace what could be in addition to all that already is.” Joanna Gaines
“Some people get addicted to chain-smoking their problems. They spend all day going from sorrow to sorrow. It doesn’t have to be that way. You can live each day going from joy to joy—like a sunflower that turns to face the sun as it moves across the sky. It’s not about having a problem-free life, but about focusing on the light. Sunflowers still have shadows, but they are always behind them.” James Clear
“Being is an empty fiction. We must fill it up ourselves— we must invent, we must create.” Joyce Carol Oates
“And pressure, mon amour, is a privilege.” Aarti, The Duchess Academy
“You aren’t a victim, you just haven’t chosen a different identity yet.”
“When I believe in the possibility of miracles, I’m more likely to experience them.” Marianne Williamson
“Brave admiral, say but one good word; ‘What shall we do when hope is gone?’ The words leapt like a leaping sword: ‘Sail on! Sail on! Sail on! And on!’” As seen at Henry Mercer’s home
“Be a paradox. Build an empire. Have fun doing it. Train like a savage. Create like an artist. Dream in decades. Act in days. Lift. Run. Sweat. Learn. Build. Design. Ignore expectations. Because if you’re easily defined, you’re easily forgotten.” Zach Pogrob
“The ability to embrace uncertainty leads to ultimate freedom.” Unknown
“You don’t apologize to be forgiven, you apologize to repent. Forgiveness is a gift given from the other person.” The Chosen
“None of our leaders are punished for lying. Instead, regular people are punished for telling the truth.” Tucker Carlson
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” William James
“Outliers are people who made their contradictions work for them.” @Anuatluru
“Let the empty tomb be a reminder we won’t find new life in dead places.” RaisedtoStay
“Every man is as close to God as he wants to be.” A.W. Tozer
February was a jam-packed month. We found this beautiful coffee place called Felix’s. I tried Spring Aspen Cafe and Jack’s Wife Freda (loved their salmon burger).
We spent a beautiful day out-of-state doing important things. It was incredibly memorable. I loved my flowers that I was gifted that day. We ate good food. It was a powerful reminder not just of love and its strength but also friendship.
My strange crop-top-wearing neighbor left suddenly. He vanished. Many of my mornings were construction and noise filled mornings. That has finally stopped.
There were spring days; there were deep winter days. We saw a great sporting event where our team won.
I also worked like an animal and had a lot more on my plate than is healthy. Time for a wind down and some time off. Also, new opportunities may be opening up in March (on the horizon, perhaps). More author excerpts and features have been confirmed for spring 2024 on Modern Witnesses (happy for that!).
February was a very grounded month. One of preparation for big changes and reflection. I cleaned a lot. Ready for spring and Easter. Just a few more corners to tackle. My best friend from high school had a baby, and my best friend from Jr. High is almost due. Suddenly, we are living the chapters that, before, we could only dream about.
I witnessed a financial miracle this month. I heard God speaking to me this month. I love when we see God’s fingerprints everywhere. They invite a certain peace, and they remind us He is always with us. Sort of like how scripture describes God’s presence with His people, “And the Lord was with Joseph…” (Gen. 39:2) I picture those words spoken over each one of us).
I was excited to be inspired by amazing speakers in the Becoming Unstoppable event with Jamie Kern Lima. My notes from this event also happened to be the top post of the month.
So much goodness awaits us. Buckle up. March is here.
Quotes
“If you listen to some of the loudest voices in American life right now, they seem to have more affection for tyrants and terrorists than democracy.” Oliver Wiseman
“Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way.” Booker T. Washington
“This meeting could have been a fistfight.” @rebmasel
“I pray to be released from fear, that I might know true love.” Marianne Williamson
Intimacy means: into me you see
“You are morally obligated to do remarkable things.” Jordan B. Peterson
“Take time to reconnect with your Higher Self, remember who the f*** you are, and act accordingly.” Biohack Like a Woman, pg 108
“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” Babe Ruth
“There is nothing worth doing that is not scary. There is no one who has achieved greatness without wrestling with their own doubts, anxieties, limitations and demons.” Ryan Holiday
“The people who shut down your businesses and killed your careers are now asking for you to re-elect them so they can keep their jobs.” Samuel Fisher
“Always remember, others may hate you, but those who hate you don’t win unless you hate them and then you destroy yourself.” Richard Nixon
“Guaranteed way to lose at everything: do the bare minimum.” Neel Dhingra
“There is no order of difficulty in miracles. One is not harder than another. With God, all things are possible.” Marianne Williamson
“When a woman becomes her own best friend, life is easier.” Diane Von Furstenburg
“It’s not the load that weighs you down, it’s how you carry it.” C.S. Lewis
“Stop comparing yourself to the world’s standard. The world is a dumpster fire that is looking to destroy you. Follow Jesus and eat some healthy food while you are at it.” Dr. Austin Lake
“Real love is not just a feeling… real love is a daily decision to show up better. Real love is demonstrated when we are honest with ourselves about how our behaviors and decisions impact our partner and then we choose to find better ways to show up.” Dr. Elizabeth Fedrick
“The world you see is just a movie in your mind. Rocks don’t see it. Bless and sit down. Forgive and forget. Practice kindness all day to everybody and you will realize you’re already in heaven now. That’s the story. That’s the message. Nobody understands it, nobody listens, they’re all running around like chickens with heads cut off. I will try to teach it but it will be in vain, s’why I’ll end up in a shack praying and being cool and singing by my woodstove making pancakes.” Jack Kerouac
“People avoid uncomfortable conversations to ‘keep the peace.’ But peace isn’t the goal of a relationship. Love is. And when we love someone, we have the hard conversations in service of that love.” Jillian Turecki
“In keeping silent about evil, in burying it so deep within us that no sign of it appears on the surface, we are implanting it, and it will rise up a thousand fold in the future. When we neither punish nor reproach evildoers, we are not simply protecting their trivial old age, we are thereby ripping the foundations of justice from beneath new generations.” Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago 1918-1956
“She’s a 10/10, but she walks with God, so she’s really a 100/10.” Jamie Kern Lima
/like rain, I fall but like water, I flow like the sun, I’ll shine, everything takes time and I’ll be fine (again)/ dika agustin
“People who avoid their own feelings will neglect yours.” PHIL GOOD
“In the gym, the weight doesn’t get easier to lift; you get stronger. In life, events don’t get easier to handle; you become better equipped to handle them. Keep growing… Keep going.” Unknown
“Change is the right danger to choose.” Erwin Raphael McManus
“Don’t be afraid to change everything overnight. Book a flight. Sell your car. Shave your head. Wander through a new city with no phone, and no plan. Eat a five-star meal alone. Ask strangers how they’re doing. Follow a black cat down a dark alley. Wear something you’ve never worn. Act how you’ve never acted. Remove the programmed filter between idea and execution. Life becomes so much better when you realize, the script you’re living on, is made up. So pretend to be someone new, and eventually, you won’t have to pretend.” Zach Pogrob
“Surround yourself with humans who create their lives. People who change, more than they complain. Create, more than they consume. Live actively, instead of accepting life as is. Find people chasing down their potential. Sprint together.” Unknown
“If you’re scared of putting yourself out there, just know this: Millionaires won’t judge you for starting, broke people will. People with big brands won’t judge you for posting, anons with 7 followers will. Hate never comes from above. So who tf cares? Go for it.” Neel Dhingra
“Character becomes the measure of trustworthiness.” Erwin Raphael McManus
“One can have no smaller or greater mastery than mastery of oneself.” Leonardo Da Vinci
I was excited to attend Jamie Kern Lima’s Becoming Unstoppable event as part of her launch team. Worthy is officially out! Grab your copy. Below, I am sharing my notes from some speakers from the summit, Robin Roberts, John C. Maxwell and one of my favs of all time, Ed Mylett (author of The Power of One More). Eventually, Oprah, Maria Shriver and Ellen joined the summit (this was a sweet moment). I loved hearing about their early career stories. Stories of big decisions, faith, prayers answered, being fired, big dreams, and the things that they have overcome.
One of the things shared that I loved was when Robin Roberts quoted her former coach, “Discipline yourself so no one else has to.”
She mentioned the powerful reminder, “Setbacks are not permanent.”
Robin Roberts shared the important three “D’s” her parents taught her: Discipline, determination, and “da Lord” [sic] (truly the last is my favorite).
Ed Mylett, by contrast, discussed the “D’s” that are bad and screw us over: Doubt, discouragement, delusion and delay (you don’t need more for the next step– “the right time is now.”)
Ed Mylett shared about how we are most qualified because we overcame obstacles and adversity.
Ed Mylett talked about how he is the son of an alcoholic and how one person made a difference in his dad’s life and journey to sobriety– this person being a former alcoholic. When this person’s kindness changed his dad’s life, it in turn also changed his life as his son. He said, “I don’t think people can change their lives– I know it.”
Ed Mylett talked about Calfred Broderick’s “the one.” It is that one person in a family who is a “transitional character.” This person changes their lineage and breaks patterns and chains. To be “the one”, Mylett said you have to “love your family more than your fear.” That love is shown in doing the hard things (even when your family may not agree, care or support you).
Him and Kern Lima kept saying, “You are not crazy. You are just first.”
Another line I loved from Mylett when he was talking about how he built self-worth was, “I stopped listening to myself and started talking to myself.” He said it was time to stop believing the routine lies in his head and to start repeating to himself what God was telling him through the Bible.
John C. Maxwell talked about how “As long as you are learning, you are growing.”
“You always want to be a first rate expression and version of yourself,” John C. Maxwell.
“If God believes in me, why wouldn’t I believe in myself?” John C. Maxwell
Maxwell talked about sharing with others. “God calls us to be a river not a resevoir.“
Oprah talked about her early dreams and prayers and how she always kneels when she prays. She said he grandmother told her that as long as she can bend a knee, “one kneels to the greater power above you.” She talked about Psalm 37:4, which was also my favorite verse growing up, and how it has played out in her life.
“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
I hope some of these thoughts encourage and inspire you. Maybe it means praying differently, maybe it means starting to speak to yourself the truths God is whispering to you, maybe it means being bold in being “the one” or checking yourself on the bad D’s or incorporating the good D’s. Whatever it is, do it. As Maxwell says, be the first rate expression and version of yourself. Life is too short to be anything else.
I wanted to share some snippets from some of my coaching journals. I am nearing my first full year of coaching, and I have learned so much. Coaching has affirmed my desire for expansion and growth. It feeds my little hungry caterpillar soul.
tenor.com
I won’t lie, that sometimes, we feel afraid and shrink. Ed Mylett calls it the temperature check. We like the comfortable temperature and sometimes self-sabotage to keep it to that degree. As Erwin McManus says, sometimes, we are more afraid of success than we are of failure.
I went back into my first coaching journal, which was from last spring (not a stellar stage of my life for those who have been around for a minute). Here are the little gems I found in review: (I am not gonna lie– I cried on some pages. I was also so amazed at the written optimism. There are pages where I wrote, “I am not handling this well.” And yet, I continued to elevate with each passing page, clinging to God and His truths. God changes everything).
“Even to your old age, I am He. And even to gray hairs, I will carry you! I have made and I will bear; even I will carry and deliver you.” Isaiah 46:4
“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8
God has it handled. The truth defends itself.
Thank you, God, for the gift of presence.
Find independent ways of taking care of yourself. Don’t have this depend on others.
“Loving people is reminding them of their magic on their worst day.” Heard it from Dr. Edie Wadsworth
Miracles are everywhere.
Analyzing a thought:
Who would I be without this thought?
Is this thought serving me?
It’s exhausting to ignore ourselves.
The only way to stay aware is to be kind to yourself.
Receive and let go with humility.
We worship the Giver.
“Everyone who is willing to move forward, you hold onto, and anyone who wants to hold you back, you let go of.” Erwin McManus
I am doing something to bring hope to my situation, and framing it in abundance.
God owns all and can do all. I believe that.
You have more than what you need.
Let go of what is optional.
“Shame is optional.” Dr. Edie Wadsworth
“Learning from each other makes us more, not less.” Erwin McManus
“Planning is not the same as preparing.” Erwin McManus
“Urgency can change the world. Urgency is a superpower.” Erwin McManus
Have grace for yourself.
Everything is rigged in my favor.
“Our purpose is not to find joy or peace but God Himself.”
God will twist everything for my good.
I will not settle for less than my soul craves. God has placed desires on my heart that I get to pursue.
Control what is in your control.
Stay focused. Stay hopeful. Stay grateful.
I live in abundance, and God will continue to provide for me and all of my needs, no matter what I feel I have lost. Rest in His provision. God is directing my steps and won’t suddenly leave me hanging now.
Move past resistance on simple things. This will help you in the future.
Time to optimize.
Don’t be afraid of the future. Seize it.
I don’t serve my ego. I serve the work I am called to do.
Seek beauty and be intentional with joy.
I know I am here and with people for a reason, so I am trying to show up as my best self.
“Resentment is often the story we build when we believe someone doesn’t care.” Dr. Edie Wadsworth
I create safety for myself.
“Nurture yourself or you will avoid yourself.” Dr. Edie Wadsworth
“I have plenty of time to do what I am called to do.”
“The Lord is willing to do great things but on condition that we are truly humble.” St. Pio of Pietrelcina
“Elegance is refusal.” Diana Vreeland
Deconstruct what brings magic to your life and recreate it 10X.
GABRIELA YARELIZ 