Have you ever felt something just tugging at your spirit? I have been trying to ignore my inner voice telling me there’s a piece that is missing. While I am on a journey towards getting comfortable with myself, there is so much more that is necessary to feel fulfilled.
For you, it may be different, but I am a deeply spiritual person who is afraid of sitting with God on a regular basis. What will he show me about myself that I may not be ready to learn? How can I not hold myself accountable once I know better? I admit it, I am sometimes happier staying ignorant than taking that leap. And boy, have I been running. Keeping myself so busy with other noble efforts and telling myself that I don’t have the”time”. But no matter how much I try to lie to myself, the truth is always tapping me on the shoulder.
Be honest with yourself
One purpose of this blog is to encourage authenticity and truth. To that end, it’s just as important to share the lows and uncertainty as it is to celebrate the wins. I am still very much in the beginning of my journey towards a better me but there is still a lot of work to be done. It’s interesting, right? Being human is so complex.
On the one hand, I’m thoroughly enjoying exploring my creativity again and gaining confidence in that area. On the other, I am still struggling to make time to study God’s word. I pray regularly but I know it’s not enough. Prayer helps me get things off my chest but when I read the bible, God fills me with new information and understanding. It’s hard to describe and it feels exciting and scary all at the same time. My head swirls and I always have so many questions. Questions that the average person either can’t or doesn’t want to answer so that instant gratification of knowing isn’t there. I can be pretty intense sometimes so it can be a very overwhelming feeling. Signing up for that on a daily basis is challenging but I’m going to try again.
Every fiber of my being keeps telling me I’m not whole and that God’s word is a missing piece right now. I’m not trying to convert you to my religion or any religion for that matter. I am asking you to listen to yourself about what’s best for you.
Pay attention to the medium
It’s important to understand how your body and mind tell you something is wrong. It could be a voice, a feeling or for some, an actual physical reaction. I tend to get a feeling of guilt and then a thought or idea pops into my mind similar to remembering a to-do item.
Don’t discount your emotions for one bit as it might be your subconscious giving you a hint about what you need to focus on. I sometimes get headaches when I’m overly stressed but I need to do some more research to see if I experience other physical symptoms when I’m going against the grain of my purpose. I can say that I have more energy and generally, am in a better mood since making the switch towards working on my priorities.
Determine your peak hour of presence
If you’re having trouble figuring out what that things is for you, I will share something that works for me. Soon after I open my eyes each morning and right before I pick up my phone to start endlessly scrolling, there is a moment of clarity I experience. In the silence of a new day, I know exactly where my focus should be. I may choose to do something else and often do but I know what I should do. It might be night time for you but I’m going out on a limb here to suggest everyone has a point of awakening at some point during the day.
Make note of your thoughts
If you don’t know how I feel about putting things on paper, check out my post The Importance of Writing it Down. Buy a really cute notebook that makes you smile and keep it next to your bed or close to the couch (if you’re like me and fall asleep there often). When those moments of accountability hit you, write down what comes to mind. Don’t try to organize it yet. Think of it as a purge. You’re just getting it out of your head. Do that for 3 days and then you can start evaluating your list.
Pick your focus areas
Maybe you are being called to focus on your spirituality, marriage, family and health. Just remember, you are only one person. Try not to take on too much at once cause if you’re anything like me, there’s plenty to work on. If you were at work, you probably wouldn’t work on 4 projects at once. Don’t tackle more than 2 items at one time. On a personal note, I have decided to focus on spirituality and marriage but that doesn’t mean I have everything else on lock. It just means that I have limited time and I have chosen to put that time towards those 2 areas to increase the impact of my efforts. You don’t have to rush into a decision but I found that my focus areas naturally bubbled to the top. I hope it works out like that for you as well.
Make it real
While this is should be a personal and individual exercise, I know that if I don’t create accountability, I won’t do it. So me sharing my plans with you is one step of making sure I stay on top of my goals. I also create tangible next steps like planning a date night or buying a journal on my calendar just like I would in business.
When I started this blog (again), I promised to be upfront and honest on this journey. I am not perfect and I definitely don’t have it all together. The goal has always been to share my authentic experience with the hopes that it can help you on your journey too.
I have looked into getting a study bible to make reading the bible interesting. I am interested in this one right now but haven’t pulled the trigger as yet. If you have any recommendations or tips, I would be more than happy to listen. Stay mindful, friends!
GOD will surely continued to bless,strengthen and uplift you,he will give you the courage to do this marvellous work to be a blessing to someone .GOD bless you.
Thanks so much. I am trying to let God lead me. 😘