selfcare – GREENLiGHT

In Sickness And In Health

The four walls

The sickness

The ceiling

The fan

TV splattered with tulips

Body weak after a long weekend of writhing nauseous turmoil

Nothing around me felt clean

I washed. Scrubbed. Disinfected

Yet unclean it still felt

“It’s all in your mind” they shouted.

Indeed it was. Indeed it was.

Now I Wait for that time of energy, pump and pageantry. That time of laughter and sumptuous indulgence to return.

Oh what joy unspeakable and full of glory. Our Lord God remains in charge.

The Influence Of Dying For Likes…

Do it for the Love and not for the Likes

Yep it’s real. People are physically dying for likes. Social media has changed the world. A self professed influencer lost her balance in an attempt to do a crazy jump. She passed away. In other news, in the middle of a category 4 hurricane warning for evacuation, a couple went deep into the seas holding onto a gorge to take a picture … for the likes. And there are many more

The Ultimate Sacrifice

Christ died for the ungodly. He willingly gave his life for you and me while we were yet sinners. We didn’t deserve that death but he did it anyway.

Let’s be like Christ and live our lives not for the likes but for the love.

Blessings overflow

Be Yourself But….

There’s a craze going around with thoughts such as be you; be your best self; and you name it, it’s yours. These are all centered on the “me craze.” Everything is about being me, me, me. Live your best life! And yes ….I often subscribe to these.

But…

And yes there’s always a but… there’s a balance. Use caution. Be yourself but be careful of your intake. This means be careful of what you put inside your head. It goes to your heart. Undesirables create feelings of negativity, apathy and sadness when your desire to please goes astray. Desirables create feelings of positivity, purity and optimism. Make sure you follow the right crowd.

Yes, be you but remain humble. Be Christ-centered, not self-centered. Be confident in who you were made to be but make sure you walk circumspectly as being wise. It’s a thin line and you can fall off easily if you go astray.

Blessings overflow.

What Advice Would You Give To Someone Who Sees The Work They Do As Part Of Who They Are?

Interview on career and our identity gave rise to questions from interested listeners. Here I share my take on this interesting topic post discussion with Retirement Guru Patricia Reid-Waugh.

A career is an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person’s life and with opportunities for progress. For example, a child who goes into the family lineage of what they do…lawyer becomes lawyer, doctor becomes doctor, business owner hands down business to the child/children.

A vocation is a divine call to the religious life. Or a strong feeling of suitability for a particular career or occupation. For example, a physician who feels led to heal.

Advice

What advice would you give to someone who see themselves as having a vocation so that the work they do is part of who they are?

Sometimes a vocation and a career can be intertwined. Diving deeper, a careerist can remain in the same career for many years but enjoy the work in different settings, environments, or companies. So too can a person who has a calling and becomes committed to a vocation. The main difference can be gleaned as one who does a job as a means of survival in exchange for a salary to cover basic needs, wants and desires. This compared to other who will do it even when not being compensated. It’s a commitment to their very existence

Identity Issues that Arise

First, we will look at the definition. A career identity is a structure of meanings in which the individual links his own motivation, interests, and competencies with acceptable career roles.

Against that definition many individuals cannot see themselves as anything but their career. It’s more like a clutch. Executives and senior managers flaunt their titles so others can know who they are. It’s what they identify with. Individuals with lower-level jobs also identify with it and are often ashamed to share that they collect the garbage, for example. Yet turning that around, garbage collection can also be a calling. Just imagine where we would be if the rubbish in our cities were not collected.

A more direct and personal example relates to myself and what I shared about in the interview. I ate, slept, and dreamt about my job. It was more like a duty. There was no difference between me at work and me at home (when I was there). I gave it up when I had my little girl who was basically being raised by a nanny 4-5 years after she was born. As I reflected, I felt the tug of my calling to leave pharmaceuticals and go into direct healthcare where I could impact suffering patients because of my administrative strength intertwined in caring for others. I enabled physicians to work without having to bother about plans for recertification or regulatory compliance needs. This was something I believe was laid on my heart as a Christian. Today, as an author, I am led to make a difference through my experiences which have had the ability to impact individuals not only in my local community but also worldwide especially through my book Ditch It. Switch It and GreenLight: When God Says Go

My commitment to the Lord has helped others achieve his will purpose for them. I do that as a coach, a writer, author, organizational leadership specialist.

Another example relates to my pastor who passed away recently. At his funeral he was seen as a father, grandfather, friend, confidante, mentor and a student. This shows that we can wear many hats. It just depends on how we interface in our different roles as well as how we see ourselves. I believe one of the biggest challenges we face is accepting ourselves for who we are and who we are being led to be. We do not remain static in our roles.

How To Deal With Identity Issues?

Secondly, lets take a closer look at how we deal with the identity issue. Most important, do some introspection. Ask yourself these questions which were discussed in the interview.

How do you think about your job outside the office?

2. How do you describe yourself? How much of this description is tied to your job, title, or company?

3.How would you feel if you could no longer continue in your profession?

Asking yourself these questions (especially #3) will open the avenue to manage these identity issues.

In closing alleviate the identity issue with taking regular breaks (i.e. vacation). Stress is a significant factor that will hinder even the best of us.

What are your thoughts on this issue? Do share. We would love to hear.

Blessings overflow

Your Body Is The Temple. Treat It Right….

Your body is his temple.
Treat it right. Exercise. Eat right.
Think pure thoughts.
Breathe
Inhale positivity.
Exhale negativity.
Read the word.
Let it sink in.

On Becoming You…

Sometimes it looks like you’re going nowhere or that you’re headed in the wrong direction. I’m learning that the decision itself is rarely the point. The point is becoming more fully ourselves in the presence of God, connecting with Him and with each other, and living our lives as though we believe He is good and beautiful. The point is being honest about where you are and what you need and then looking around in your own community for people to walk with you and with whom you can walk. I spent years wishing people would support me only to later realize I was waiting around for something to come to me when I was perfectly capable of going out and getting it. I’m convinced God is less interested in where we end up then He is in who we are becoming. Whether we’re employed or unemployed, encouraged or discouraged, filled with vision or fumbling in the fog. More than anything, our Father just wants to be with us. The most common way He shows His “withness” to us is in the actual, physical presence of other people.

Emily P. Freeman,

Where Will It Lead?

Life is a matter of choices, and every choice you make, makes you. ~John Maxwell

The choices we make we should first consider where they will lead. Is it Marriage, love, children, new job, college, new contract, new house? Always contemplate the future. Where will your choice lead you?