Three Things that Changed My Life

My creative juice tank feels low today.

I have spent the last two days avoiding this computer. My goal has been to write something once a week for a few months, in hopes of challenging myself. It’s not terribly hard, it’s just a committment thing. I had excuses all weekend which allowed me to push writing to today.

I took a 2-hour nap in a last ditch attempt to divert my brain from remembering my committment. It didn’t work and now here I am sitting at the countertop bar typing.

Editor’s Note: The writer just ran into the kitchen to try to make herself eggs and toast. It appears she is still attempting to run from her goals. She has now left the uncooked eggs and bread on the counter and has made her way back to the computer. 

Anyway, this post may be late but it SHALL BE COMPLETED!

I want to share Three Things that Changed My Life and challenge you to try one of the three items,

1. Mentorship,
2. Makeup,
3. Sharing

1.) Mentorship: My life has been greatly influenced due to those who have gone before me and chosen to help me along the way. There have been a handful of key people who have stepped in and cultivated a mentor/mentee relationship with me. Many of them have been with me for long stretches of time. I have received much correction, encouragement, and guidance in regards to my faith and relationship with Jesus; how to pray, how to set better boundaries, how to doubt well, how to think rightly about myself, how to love my husband more fully, etc. The simple choice of meeting with older (not necessarily by much), wiser women, consistently -for the long haul- has proven to be life-enriching and life-altering. The amount of times I have laughed, cried, and grown because of another women who has committed to “having eyes” on my life, is innumerable and invaluable.

There is joy and risk in being known and loved by another. 

If you don’t have someone in your life who has permission to call you out where you’re missing the mark, encourage you when you should keep going, and help you work on your weaknesses, FIND SOMEONE.

2.) Makeup: My life has had huge ramifications from a seemingly trivial decision.  I chose to put my makeup away years ago. I never realized it would become such a freeing choice ten years later. When I was in high school, I didn’t like that I felt tied to my makeup. I couldn’t leave the house without “having my face on” (“warpaint” as my Dad liked to say), I wore it for basketball games and basketball practice. It was never extra flashy…

But I could feel myself NEEDING it. And I didn’t like that.

So I put it away for a few weeks.

After the first few days of fielding the “Are you sick?” questions, the benefits were huge.

I could feel the clingy grip of facial insecurity loosen.

AND IT WAS FREEING. 

If you like makeup, wear it (I enjoy it in a much healthier way now!), but don’t be dependent on it. Be okay being yourself.

ZITS, DARK SPOTS, SAGGY EYE HOLES AND ALL SISTAS!

3. Sharing: I am learning again that I must share myself with others if I hope to have a relationship with them. As a comfortable lone ranger, I can often stay inside my head for days on end and be absolutely fine. However, I am learning, particularly through marriage, that the Big A isn’t a mind reader.

I have to speak and share and express and use my tongue to form OUT LOUD words for him to receive and translate. A simple concept, yes, but I needed to say it, because sometimes the most obvious things are the most overlooked.

I am PRESENTLY working on sharing myself more. Five minutes here, an extra sentence there, a follow up question for clarity…baby steps to connecting better with people.

So there you have it folks. Three Things that Changed My Life: Mentorship, Makeup, and Sharing.

I wish for you each to have people in your life to challenge and encourage you through accountability.

I wish for each of you to be comfortable and confident in who you are.

And lastly, I wish for each of you to share yourself with others because you are the only you there is. Unless you’re a caucasian male actor named Chris in Hollywood… then you might not be the only one.

 

cheers.