Sentence of Isolation or Window of Opportunity? By Rhonda Wise

Sentence of Isolation or Window of Opportunity? By Rhonda Wise

Over the past few months I have had to deal with some physical issues that have led to the doctors putting a lot of limits on what I can and cannot do.  I’m the type of person who loves being around others and usually hates having to depend on others for anything.  In fact, for the last 5 years I’ve generally faced life with a “God and I can do anything” attitude, staying strong for my kids, family, and friends. So when the doctor said, “ You can’t drive for at least 2-3 weeks. You can’t lift heavy objects or even walk without being attached to a tank of oxygen,” it kind of threw me for a loop.

At first, I was tempted to go into a dark place, feeling sorry for myself and wondering how on earth I was going to get my kids to and from school, pay bills (without working), and basically keep life going at all.  I felt like I was being given a sentence of isolation and being punished for something I had done. Fortunately, I had friends and family that reminded me of some things I learned through my experience with The Journey Training.

In The Journey Training I learned that I always have a choice and I was challenged to see circumstances that I face from a different perspective.  Even the Bible says, “My brothers and sisters, be very happy when you are tested in different ways…” (James 1:2)  In every situation, we have a choice on how we view it and respond to it.

I was seeing the restrictions placed on me by the doctors as a sentence of isolation and a form of punishment. I was dwelling on the fact that I couldn’t get out and do all the things that I enjoyed and be around those that added to my happiness.  I saw myself as weak, stuck in the house, alone and broken.

As I was talking to a friend about my situation, they gave me a different perspective that I could possibly choose to see.  They brought to my attention that there are people who pay large amounts of money to go someplace where they can be alone, have time away from everything and to refocus.  They told me that I was being given this kind of opportunity for free.

A light bulb went off in my head and made me say “hmmmm”. How could I look at my situation differently than a sentence of isolation?  How could I turn this situation into a window of opportunity?  What could I do during this time of limitation that would take me closer to my dreams after this season of rest was over?

As I contemplated these questions and realized, I actually had a choice, new thoughts came to me.  I could: spend more time with God, journal about where I wanted the next phase of life to look like, allow myself to get the rest I needed to heal properly, spend time dreaming more, and a multitude of other things.  Instead of focusing on the “bars on the prison window”, I could focus on the light of the sun that was shining through it and all that the light could possibly represent.This brightened my attitude, increased my energy level and allowed me to enjoy the season I was in instead of dreading it.

What are you facing right now?  Are things that are beyond your control placing limits on what you can do?  How can you turn your focus from the prison bars to the sunshine?  The Journey Training and the friends I made there have truly changed my life and given me tools that help me in everyday life continue to reach for my dreams and actually live life rather than just exist in it.

 

The Trouble with Buffets  By: Alison Loyd

The Trouble with Buffets By: Alison Loyd

As a child, Ryan’s Steakhouse was a regular weekend dinner. That was buffet heaven! I could eat anything and as much as I wanted. Unlike when I ordered, I didn’t have to answer for my choices until it was already on the table. The best part – The dessert bar! Frozen yogurt with all the toppings! It just didn’t get any better than that!

As a recovering food addict, there came a point when buffets stopped being my friend. In fact, in bondage to guilt and shame, my dining experiences were often ruined. I would walk up to the buffet and the foods in front of me looked so good, but there was a voice that said, “I’m beckoning you. Don’t you want me?” That voice competed with one that said, “You shouldn’t eat ANY of this.” Buffet foods CALL MY NAME by the sight of them and often my choice becomes either overindulge or deprive myself.

When I order my food, on the other hand, I have more control over the decision. I can see what it is I really want without being distracted by the sight of all the other food. For instance, my favorite meal right now is asparagus fries and a salmon salad from Marlow’s Tavern. Delish! I crave this meal. Something INSIDE of me desires it!

In her book, Women Who Run With the Wolves, Clarissa Pinkola Estes, tells stories of women and then gives an analysis of the symbolism in those stories. In one of them, she compares the spectrum of our cravings to a smorgasbord (a buffet). Sometimes, we can look and see what we are hungry for. Other times, we have to look deeper at our cravings. It’s a metaphor for intuition and instinct.

Intuition is defined as “knowing something by a feeling rather than by facts.”

Instinct is defined as “something deep inside of you that feels so familiar you have to listen to it.”

I don’t have great eyesight, but I have a lot of intuition and instinct. There are things that I just know. They don’t come from my eyes. They come from inside of me.

Problems come into my life when I allow myself to get so distracted by what is going on around me or the number of choices I could make that I forget the truth that is inside of me. I allow myself to be overwhelmed by the buffet of the moment, just like I used to at Ryan’s Steakhouse, and I make choices that aren’t the best for me and others.

At The Journey Training, I learned tools to sort through the distractions – the buffets of the moment. I was reminded that everything I need to get what I want in life and to be who I was created to be is inside of me! I learned how to slow down my mind, to pause, to quiet the voices, to focus on the truth.

“Out of all the voices calling out to me, I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.”

The buffets of life are always going to be calling your name. If you’re overwhelmed by all the voices calling your name, how do you choose what is best? Go with your intuition and instinct. Enroll in the next Threshold class!

We All Need a Barnabas By: Harry Standley

We All Need a Barnabas By: Harry Standley

Each morning when I come to work I check my email for any overnight issues and then I head out to walk the floor in the data center and then move across to the main building to make sure everything looks okay. This morning while I was in the data center I noticed a young man pushing a small box along the conveyor. The box was not quite heavy enough to take advantage of the moving wheels that could have taken it all the way to the truck for shipment. The box had a destination or purpose if you will.

Watching the box struggle and the young man pushing it periodically reminded me of our own lives at times. We may know our destination or purpose but sometimes we struggle to get there. I have a great wife and some great friends and when they see me struggling they come along side me and become my Barnabas – my encourager.

Do you know someone that could use a Barnabas? Do you need a Barnabas? Last night I spoke to a friend, someone that I admire very much for his wisdom and insight. I was sharing with him my purpose, passion, and desire to become a Life Coach. I shared the steps I had already taken and what I planned to do next. Everything he spoke to me just became more and more of an encouragement.

We often get stuck in ruts and are afraid to ask for help or encouragement. We start thinking to ourselves, “If I am struggling, it must not be for me.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Depending on your spiritual beliefs, that kind of statement could be exactly what your enemy wants you to believe so you will not even try, let alone succeed. How many times do we give up because we can’t seem to figure something out on our own?

As an aspiring life coach, I’ve learned that it’s important to reach out and ask for help, especially if I believe in my heart this is my purpose and passion. Just like that box that was on the road to its destination, we all need encouragement at many times alone our own path. I used to just wait for opportunity to come to me… Not anymore! If I need a Barnabas, I will reach out. How about you?

#learntoaskforhelp #youdon’thavetodoitalone #findyourbarnabas #thejourneytraining

 

Doughnuts  By: Christina Loveless

Doughnuts By: Christina Loveless

Today I was at a breakfast potluck and there were doughnuts and they looked amazing. Because of a food allergy, I wasn’t able to eat one but my friend was so excited to get hers. She talked about it a lot. Granted she’s been on allergy elimination diets for a while and she hadn’t had a doughnut in months but she was making it a big deal. Taking pictures of the doughnut, sending said pictures to other people, taking pictures of the leftover sprinkles, mmm-ing and ahh-ing. Basically, she was making me jealous.

So what do I do? I go home and pull a doughnut that is safe for my food allergies out of the freezer. But no, that’s not good enough. I make homemade frosting to put on it. Still not good enough. I didn’t have sprinkles, so I put decorator sugar on top. And now, I am feeling like I overdid it.

How often does this play out in our lives? We see something someone else has and we start to compare. We can’t just keep it simple, we have to outdo the other people in our lives. The “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality. If our neighbor gets a 60-inch television, we want 70-inch television. Bigger, better, newer!

What does all that get us? NOTHING!

During the recent Christmas season, it’s so easy to get caught up in the giving and getting of gifts that we forget to appreciate all the blessings we already have. The busyness of the holiday can often detract from the true reasons for the season. Between shopping, wrapping, sending, cooking, decorating, and visiting, on top of the regular to do lists that are already so long, we don’t have a minute to pause and reflect on what we already have and the greatest gift of all.

So please remember that your doughnut does not have to be as spectacular as your friend’s. The sprinkles don’t have to be perfectly arranged, and the frosting can be lopsided. The King of Kings has already deemed it, and you, priceless.

If we are constantly reaching for more, we will never appreciate what we already have. The secret is wanting what you have, not getting what you want. The attitude of gratitude is the key to living a balanced life. Slow down, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and think about the things you are grateful for.

Take some time in this new year to really think and do something different. Enroll now in The Journey Training. The first class for this year is just days away!

Resisting Change

Resisting Change

WHEW! You made it through Christmas! You know what comes next. That’s right – it’s time for New Year’s resolutions! That wonderful motivational time of year when we make all kinds of commitments to new goals. In order for us to achieve these new goals we must make some sort of change in the way we are living today. Our heart says we can do it and for a brief period of time, our head agrees. And then something happens and we resist the changes we need to make even though we know, deep down, it’s what we really want. Resistance to change can expose itself in many ways, from foot-dragging, to self-sabotage, to even outright rebellion. Studying universal sources of resistance gives us the ability to see when we may be resistant to change. Here are several warning signs to watch out for:

  • Excessive Uncertainty: To some, change can feel like walking off a cliff blindfolded. This anxiety can cause us to push back from anything we view as “change.” We all naturally seek self-preservation and safety, so it is common for people to choose to remain where they are to avoid the uncertainty of change. As the saying goes, “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.”
  • Everything seems different: Change naturally brings new things into our lives. But we are creatures of habit. Since we are often lulled into daily routines, change often jolts us into consciousness, often in uncomfortable ways. We can resist change if it shines a spotlight on things we’d rather have stay the same.
  • Loss of face: Change is a departure from the past. We can perceive change as admitting that we have done something wrong that requires a change. If we buy into that thought process, we often resist change to save our ego and perceived reputation.
  • Concerns about competence: If change means that our current skills become obsolete, we often resist change so that we don’t have to learn new skill sets. If things would only stay the same, we would not have to feel like we are not up to the new task.
  • More work: Change is indeed more work. Those closest to change are often overloaded and resist it in an effort to reduce the load.
  • Past resentment: The ghosts of the past are always lying in wait to haunt us. Old wounds can be reopened in times of change.
  • Ripple effects: Change can create ripples and affect others around you. These ripples can lead to disruptions in routines, workflow, and even in the way we think. Sometimes the people around us do not want us to change.

Have you already found yourself resisting change to something you really want to do? Do any of the examples listed above sound all too familiar? Are you ready to make a change that sticks?

Come join us at The Journey Training in January. You will learn tools and methods that you can immediately apply in your life and make changes that last and bring you the things you say that you want most in your life. Don’t resist this opportunity – I promise you won’t regret it!