What gives you strength? Do you find strength in the people around you? Do you find strength in the things you do?
Do you believe that what you do gives you the strength to go forward more and more each day?
Do you believe that if you just take each day one day at a time, you will continue to gain the strength you need to get through?
What happens when you have a bad or tough day? What happens when it seems like the world is crashing down around you?
What happens on the days when you are all alone, and everyone is off doing their own thing?
What, then, will give you strength? Who then, will you rely upon?
Will you be able to find something placed deep within to lift you up? Or will you lie down, giving up the fight for your life?
When no one is watching and cheering you on, will you continue to carry on the work you are called to do?
When others are too busy to acknowledge your “well-doing” will you stop your works?
When you have become invisible, will you still be visible to those who still need you?
These are questions we must answer ourselves when we are moving about our days. Answers to these questions will challenge us to reflect on our motives and motivations of our actions, thus giving validity to our “good works.” Answers to these questions will challenge us to seek more profound meaning to our giving – Giving of ourselves, money, and time. Answers to these questions will challenge us to seek a deeper connection with ourselves. We will begin to understand or acknowledge if we are codependent upon others, needing approval and acknowledgment to live our lives. How much of your life do you alter before you allow others to see you and why? Are you afraid they will not accept you for you? Are you worried they will judge you?
When we begin to think about judgment – how others may judge you- could it perhaps be a result of your own tendencies to judge others?
Often when we are oversensitive or cautious of being judged, it is connected to our issues of being judgmental of others; therefore, we are merely projecting our issues on others. Those who are judgmental often find their strength uplifting themselves by putting others down.
Self-examination allows us to explore the foundation of our identity. Do we seek our identity outside of ourselves, or do we fully understand who we are, therefore giving out of the fullness of ourselves? Taking on or maintaining false images, developing great appearances, taking risks to be popular, putting others down who are different are all issues of loss of self-concept or identity. Contrary to popular belief, these actions do not give us strength. In fact, they become more work, thus very exhausting, draining us of our energy, strength, joy, hope, and true freedom.
As we are in a time when we are placed in a situation to sit still, may we take the time to reflect, reset, and rediscover.
Reflect on where we gain our strength, identity, and self-worth.
Rediscover new things about ourselves and how we relate to others.
Reset some habits, traits, and behaviors.
We went into this situation with many uncertainties, yet it is an opportunity to come out better and stronger, with a new and refined you.
Be true to you and give yourself the care you deserve. Take a deep dive and find the you, you never knew existed, or once lost touch with.
You can join the 40-day journey to help you with your rediscovery. Let’s Journey Together, will take you on a 40-day journey to rediscovering yourself and the world around you. At the end of your journey, you are sure to gain a new sense of clarity and confidence for the road ahead. https://bit.ly/2wSsAh9
Pick up your copy of Fresh Manna: Journey to A New Beginning ( https://amzn.to/3dWXvtI) and join me via Zoom at 7PM PST for an interactive discussion. We will continue to meet every Tuesday evening online.
Throughout the week, you will find daily questions to help you further along your journey in our private Facebook group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/rediscoveryjourney/
I look forward to our journey together, as we come to reunite and rediscovery the meaning of strength, hope, joy, faith, and freedom for the road ahead.
