Barriers – Did we create them?

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Roadblocks in one's career path continue to lead many to experience self-doubt, depression, anxiety, and fear. 

Over the past few weeks, I had the privilege of speaking with women who are desiring a career change due to feeling unfilled. During one of my group sessions, someone asked how would one begin to transition from being unfilled to having a purposeful career and life. After the person asked the age-old question many ponder on a daily basis. Silence consumed the room and the group members waited for someone to respond. Then one of the women mumbled, "I wished I knew, please help us". In response to the inquisitor's comment, some of the women began nodding in agreement and admitting they wrestled with the same issue of not knowing their purpose. After an hour of spending time together and realizing they were not alone in their struggles before the meeting ended the women vowed to continue to encourage one another and hold each accountable in their quest to find their purpose.

Recently, I had a profound revelation which helped me to connect to my life’s work. For years, I traveled many roads and tested many occupations I thought would connect me to my purpose and found myself back at square one every time. Since my early twenties, God has used me to help many people with their careers, counseling, and business needs. However, I struggled with accepting what God was showing me about my life's work because I desired something different. During this time in my life I was chasing a career that would not chase me, so I became frustrated due to being unfilled and unsuccessful. I was limiting myself by not accepting my purpose from God and creating my own.  I thought I could become successful without consulting God but I failed during those time no matter how hard I tried. On many occasions, I would cry out LORD WHY, but to no avail, He would bring me back to my purpose by sending more people to confirm what he was revealing all this time. Finally, realizing God was not going to change his mind I yielded to his plan. 

Have you yielded to the plan of God for your life?

Have you tried walking through a door that would not open? What happened when it did not work out?

Until next time….

Turning around...

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Don't give up, solutions ahead. Things will work out for you just give it time for it to line up. Don't be discouraged about what has happened in your past just believe it will get better and you will see the fruit of your belief.  We may feel at times we are the only one going through a particular situation, but deep down inside we know there is someone who can relate to our life's struggles. Life deals us scenarios that force us to confront a variety of emotions that consist of anxiety, depression, sadness,  weakness, pain, and fear. Through it all, we are phenomenal and resilient and we have to move forward in our brilliance. I encourage you to believe regardless of what is going on around you and in your life. If you are suffering silently inside seek help and support from a mental health professional, doctor, friend, parent, or clergy. Remember life will get better.

The Desire To Be.....

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There comes a time in every person’s life when the desire to be greater than where you are, take you by surprise.  It is in these moments we should take the time to find out the root of our desire. Here are some questions to ask yourself to distinguish if your desire is coming from a healthy place.

Do I want more because God wants more for me?

Do I want this because some else wants this for me?

Do I desire to be greater because I want someone to see me as great?

Do I want something someone else has because I feel less than?

Always check your motives when a desire hits your hurt. Take a moment to reflect and focus on where you are and where you’re going. There is nothing wrong with your desire to be in a better place as long your motives are right. Write down what’s valuable to you and center your goals on your values.

For example, I value a healthy relationship with Christ. Therefore, my goals are going to be centered on what he has for me. This was not always the case. I used to make goals based on where I should be by a certain age, but everything came to a halt when I allowed God to change my plans. My desire at that time was centered on being seen as great because I felt less than.  Faced with these feelings I would try to control everything in my atmosphere.  Disillusioned to the fact I could not control anything or anyone, but myself. Failing helped me faced my reality.

 Our desire to be greater in him is the best desire we can hope for or dream of. God will always take us to great places if we allow him. If you are not where you would like to be; check your motives and realign your focus. Whatever you give the most attention to is the thing or person that is driving you. Remember nothing or no one can take us higher than God.

If you need help learning how to realign your focus I recommend reading The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson. It continues to be a blessing to my life. I read it 5 times and passed it forward to bless others. Every time I read this book I learned something new about my journey.

Resources:

https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Giver-Bruce-Wilkinson/dp/159052201X
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nehemiah+6&version=MSG

Self Love..You are fearfully wonderful

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The ability to love oneself and one another is a gift.  When was the last time you took a moment out of your day to sow a word of encouragement into your spirit or another woman struggling with the belief she is beautiful and capable of being all that God has her to be? There are times as women we are too hard on ourselves and one another because we dislike ourselves. I encourage everyone led to read this post to begin to spend more time with God to find out how beautiful and capable he created you to be.  Just imagine if we took the time out to sow words of encouragement in our lives and the lives of others how much better we would feel and make others feel. A few years ago, I struggled with believing I was beautiful and capable of being all that God has for me to be, but now all that has changed because God sent women into my life to sow words of encouragement.  We all need to be encouraged at some point in our lives because as women we bare and deal with so much.  It is extremely important we begin to know who we are and whose we are. 

I encourage you to purchase a journal if you don't already have one and begin to write about your struggles.  Then research the bible  for God's word to see how he sees you. This will encourage your spirit because you will begin to see how great you are. Spending time alone is some of the best moments I enjoy because I get to build my relationship with God and myself.  In all your flaws know you are beautiful and capable of being all that you are called to be.

Psalm 139:14 (NASB)

I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are your works, and my soul knows it very well.