Have you ever found on some days that you start thinking yourself right into a frenzy? Well, that was me this morning, actually, this has been me all week. My mind likes stillness but is constantly operating at warp speed. I much prefer early morning quietness and calm thought over the noise each day brings, but lately, it seems my mind cannot find its’ quiet peace. I have a morning routine of what I call, my Jesus time, but even in that, I’ve not been able to focus my thoughts. Thinking is vital, but too much of it or thinking the wrong thoughts can be torturous.
First Post Jitters
This is my very first blog post, so there has been some manic thinking taking place, and some nervous butterflies in my stomach. I’ve been working on my ‘about me’ page and have been fighting thoughts from the enemy who keeps telling me, you are not good enough, you don’t have the looks you need for this task, you’re not sharing the right things, you have nothing to offer the world through this website. Those thoughts have been draining my energy along with some other of life’s daily challenges.
I ended up being the middleman again in an emotionally stressful situation yesterday, as that seems to be the role I’ve taken on within my family. Then, of course, didn’t sleep well last night. The result of not resting well, unfortunately, lead me to be unusually frustrated and a little snippy with a customer representative for our trash service. Now feeling guilty, I’ve had to ask for forgiveness for that.
I’m using some vacation days this week so I could work on this website and be home with my grandma to get her to her doctor appointments, but it’s felt like one distraction after another has bombarded my mind. I have a sneaking suspicion that it’s the devil who is pulling out all the stops, and maybe my own unconscious beliefs about myself that are doing their best to derail me from getting this content out. But, I’m determined to not let any of that get in my way.
Less Thinking, More Resting
The “Less Thinking, More Resting” title I felt was important to use for my first blog post because it’s in our thinking that we win and lose our battles. It’s where we either decide to take hold of our dreams or watch them fade away. When we wrestle with ourselves in our minds, it equates to self-destruction at its finest, at least it has for me. It stops us from making progress and shuts down our ability to actively pursue our dreams, and ultimately our destiny. We basically tell God, “I’m putting my purpose on hold.”
Most of my life it seems I’ve been telling God “wait, I’m not ready yet,” and it has made me soul-sick and has grieved me to the point where I felt like I lost myself. A part of me actually believes that all these health issues and stress responses I’ve experienced over the last four years are somehow related to me not living a life I know in my Spirit I ought to be living. We were created for a higher purpose, infused with energy and vibrancy, not to live in a state of constant exhaustion and confusion.
I was making decisions that were not lining up with where God planned for me to be. I knew I had more in me than I was giving, and that doesn’t make you feel very good on the inside. It’s funny how we can sense those promptings in our spirit, yet we allow our flesh to override them. Sometimes without even realizing it, but not showing kindness to myself both physically and mentally in the past, had brought about a level of frustration in my life that was indescribable. Not giving myself permission to live at my greatest potential, knocked the wind right out of me. I’m sure some of you know exactly what I’m talking about and I sympathize with you to the highest degree. It’s no fun trying to get through each day with minimal passion or zeal.
Seasons When You Feel Stuck In Life
Even in our perceived “stuck” seasons, God can be moving in mighty ways. He has certainly worked on my character during this season and has been teaching me how to love people in a greater way, to know that my real job is to go out and represent Him, even if I feel stuck in other areas. He has improved my attitude since I’ve given Him more gratitude, so don’t you dare give up hope! God is working internally, even if you don’t see it externally yet.
“Frustration happens when you are sitting in a place of movement.”
-Bishop TD Jakes
That quote spoke to me so strongly because, when we’re stuck in our heads, we are not moving, we are just running our thoughts around and around our invisible halo and we need something or someone to bust us out of that cycle. Our thoughts and emotions trick us into believing we are doing the right thing by stalling so we can “better prepare”, but that simply in most cases, is just not true! We believe we can reason our way out of bondage, but my experience has taught me otherwise. We were created for progress and to be actively pursuing what makes us come alive in our souls.
I felt God nudging me two years ago to start this website, which I did, but then I let it sit for those two years and did really nothing with it. I just stayed stuck, trapped in my thoughts about it. I had almost talked myself out of it completely, making excuses that I didn’t have time to work on it based on fear and perfectionism. I was in that pattern of thinking, “well if my circumstances are not perfect and if it doesn’t look or sound perfect that I can’t get it done, and what if nobody reads it or likes what I write?” Just seeing what I’m writing about those thoughts, makes me uneasy. We cannot let those thoughts and perceptions stop us from living a fulfilled life. Shortly after I started working on this website again, it was like there was a relief of strife within myself – a freedom and relaxation that came over me. I’m taking that as a confirmation that I’m headed in the right direction.
Is Perfectionism Stealing Your Progress
So, in my quest to become a better me, I have found many people who are willing to share their stories in order to bring healing to others. I’ve recently discovered a man named Mastin Kipp who created Functional Life Coaching. He shares his story with great transparency, which I found to be very helpful for my own healing journey. His focus is on healing emotional trauma and he has some fantastic nuggets of truth. This one fits in nicely here.
“Perfectionism leads to extinction.”-Mastin Kipp
Perfectionism forms in our flawed thinking from wounded emotions and sucks the life right out of us. It steals our joy and robs us of wonderful experiences. It was about six months ago, that I really started losing my drive for life and feeling empty in my soul. It was at that moment when I understood what was missing. I still had that burning desire to bring this website to life, to influence people for Christ and thankfully now, you’re reading this blog post. Imperfect or not, it’s here! Yay!
(Lettering by Raw Sugar Writes)
Imperfect action is what allows us to get things done, or at least allows us to start. We have a choice of surrendering to those emotions and thoughts that are holding us back, or we can rise above them to focus on higher/deeper truths that can propel us forward. So I ask again, are you letting your thoughts delay your dreams? The following Bible verse is so spot on for the state I’ve been in this week.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – If anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
-Philippians 4:8,9 NIV
Recognizing Damaging Thoughts
Think and put are the two key words for me in the above verse. Both are words with an active meaning. We can’t be passive when it comes to our thought life. We’ve got to take our thoughts to a higher level and outsmart the enemy. We have an active role in what we let float around in our minds. I could feel myself getting a little on edge yesterday and let my thoughts drift to the “what if’s” and “I can’t do this anymore” nonsense self-talk. In sharing this, I wanted you to know that we are all going through things and it’s our perspective towards those issues and the way we think about them that often get us in trouble. Recognizing when our thoughts are harsh, negative, or not in agreement with what God says about us, is the most important step. Then you/I can take action to replace them with healthy, positive thoughts and align them with the truth of God’s Word.
I still let my mind wander and wonder a bit too much, especially when I’m tired. Training your mind and emotions takes time, and we are not ever going to get it perfectly right. Although I feel bad that I was grouchy with the customer service rep this morning, I’m happy that I was able to say I was sorry and move on to a productive day. When we can live with a calm heart, free from strife, bitterness, anger, jealousy, envy, etc., then we can function as the wonderfully unique creation each of us is. When we can quiet our minds, the possibilities are endless of what we can accomplish. We must silence the outside chaos to give way for inner peace and Holy Spirit guidance. I quickly evaluated and refocused my thoughts this morning, enough to write this post today, which hopefully has encouraged you a smidge.
A Prayer For You And Me
Prayer – “Help me act as you would act and think as you would think, Jesus, let my thinking move me into my purpose, not distract me from my purpose. Help me take imperfect action because there is no imperfect progress. Strengthen me in my weaknesses, so they can become my testimony. ”
Besides my health challenges as of late, my greatest struggle over the last two years has been not “being” in the present moment because I’m excessively thinking. I find that my mind is often somewhere else. It’s usually good thoughts of projects, ideas, goals, or of how to solve certain problems, but it definitely has kept me from enjoying moments with my family and friends and has even kept me from enjoying my job at times. However, I have made progress, and that is what counts. (Resource book at the bottom)
YouTube Education 🙂
This YouTube video by Eckhart Tolle describes how we can follow our thoughts right into a snake pit. He has some valuable insights and is quite funny. Have a listen.
When we can come back to the state of having a calm heart and a focused mind, then we can continue on the journey God has planned for us, and we can do it with peace of mind. We can manifest our dreams and live with enthusiasm, enjoying the life we were meant to live!
Let’s let our minds rest so we can be present, present to live purposefully, and full of power!
I must disclose that this is an Amazon Affiliate link, and I have not received anything for free or received any payment from Joyce Meyer Ministries for recommending this resource. I’m sharing because of the value I’ve received from it, knowing it will help you step into the powerhouse you are meant to be.
Resource Book-The Mind Connection by Joyce Meyer
Please share this with those who may need it and let me know if this content was helpful to you in the comments section. I’m always up for deep conversation and questions.
Blessings to you!
