We can be victims of circumstance or masters of our fate, but make no mistake—we cannot be both!
We are all on a journey. We don’t know what lies ahead, but we are about to find out. The real journey is the one that takes place within us.
Everything in life can teach us a lesson; we just have to be willing to learn. Everyone who comes into our life is there for a reason—some good, some bad. They shape us, form us, and sometimes break us. But in the end, they make us who we are.
When we realize that everyone around us is a teacher, we make it our mission to learn from all those we meet. Every person has a story to tell, a lesson to teach, and a dream to share.
Remember: conversations begin with a question in mind, but arguments always begin with an answer in mind.
It’s not so much the journey itself that’s important; it’s how we treat those we encounter along the way. You may recall that my word for 2019 was Connected. God created us for relationship. We live in a time with more ways to connect than ever before—but often, we fail to connect meaningfully.
Relationships are based on our stories, and our lives move at the speed of our relationships. We meet people along the way we were meant to meet, and there are others we have yet to meet who are waiting for our paths to cross so that we can share love, compassion, observations, hope, and stories—and complete our journeys.
We don’t know who or where they are, but we know for certain that they are waiting.
Life is what happens to us while we’re planning something else. We plan our lives in long, unbroken stretches—like highways connecting towns on a map—but in reality, life is lived in the side roads, alleys, and detours. Journeys rarely take us where we think we’re going. A trip takes us; we don’t take a trip.
The most intimate relationship we will have in our entire lifetime is with ourselves. The hardest—and most amazing—thing is to give up on being perfect and begin the work of becoming ourselves. No one hears our hearts the way we do. No one knows our hurts the way we do. Self-compassion means showing up to that relationship with honesty and love.
Many smart people don’t do well in life because they don’t know how to relate to others. Getting and staying encouraged is everyone’s number one need. Tough circumstances are no match for the kind of inner strength fueled by hope.
Discouragement is the tool the devil uses just before he reaches in and cuts out our heart.
Thriving people thrive for one reason—they commit to things that produce inner strength and hope. When we lose hope, we lose our ability to dream for the future. Despair replaces joy. Fear replaces faith. Anxiety replaces prayer. Insecurity replaces confidence. Tomorrow’s dreams are replaced by nightmares.
It’s a lousy way to live.
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