Have you ever had something that you worried about and just couldn't shake the thought? I'm going to guess that it was something that consumed so might of your time & energy only to never come to fruition.
Last weekend I had the beautiful opportunity to meet one of my business partners for the first time together in person (more to come on that below). This meant a 4 hour trip by myself, leaving my babies, and driving in northern winter conditions. I love to travel and explore, but doing these things on my own isn't something I love.
When I was a teenager, I lost several young and important people in my life in a very close time frame due to automobile accidents. I wouldn't be truthful if I told you that did not impact me. I've carried around this fear of travel and have for years let my brain spiral into negative thoughts around travel (especially now being a mama and having to worry about my 2 young children).
The day before our wedding my soon to be husband had to drive 2 hours to pick up lights for our venue. It had taken him a little longer than planned and he wasn't answering his cell phone. At first I brushed it off & then I become slightly terrified. I thought for sure that my luck would be that I find my soul mate and something tragic happens to him the day before we were married. Come to find out he dropped his phone when he was leaving home & the drive was farther than anticipated.
When I look back at these things I can see how easy it was for me to go straight to the negative & let my wild imagination run free. There's been many seasons where these negative thoughts have controlled my mind. If we aren't careful, they can even stop us from taking action.
So what if we decided to run to God who we KNOW is faithful and good, instead of running to imaginary thoughts that may never exist? Sounds great, but it certainly is easier said than done. The trick, PRACTICE!
The next time a negative thought comes into your mind stop and pause. Remind yourself that you have a CHOICE of what to think about in this moment. You have free will to decide which way your spiral goes. UP to God or down to the devil.
Another thing that helped me tremendously was sharing these fears with my small group. These women kept me focused when I wanted to spiral down, prayed for me, checked on me, and reminded me that God would take care of it all! Do you have a small circle that you share things with? Have you considered finding a group of women to do a Bible study with and grow in faith together? I highly recommend it!!
Lastly, I looked at my children and I thought what I would want to teach them. I know that if this battle in my mind is not overcome in me, they will inherit it. I want my children to LIVE life, instead of sitting on the sidelines in fear. So, despite fearing leaving THEM, I let them be my reason TO GO. I always find my best advice in the things I would tell my babies!
Now for details on my trip. Christina is my "success partner" in my health and wellness business. We each run our own businesses and are fully independent of each other. She was a former physical therapist and group fitness instructor who started into coaching for the community. When her sister was diagnosed with cancer and needed someone to be there with her, Christina stepped away from her full-time career to coach virtually as it allowed for more flexibility. She has worked her way to the top of our industry and truly is such a beautiful example of hard work and consistency.
Last fall we connected through a mastermind group & instantly found that we had so much in common. She is a self-starter, very motivated, loves to eat healthy, exercise, and most of all she's extremely genuine in everything she does.
The people you surround yourself with matter. They will keep you looking to the good, growing, breaking comfort zones, and becoming the person you were born to be.
Take some time today to evaluate the inputs in your life. Sometimes our circles change & that's OKAY! It might be a season of change for you. Change will bring growth if you open yourself to simply saying yes to God and what he has in store for you right now.
Comments