I'm a husband to an incredible wife. I have two amazing children, who keep me feeling young. I'm all about speaking life into dead situations. I've spent over 15 years supporting families, who have experienced domestic and sexual violence.
This morning, I participated in Bible study with a group of men from a local church. I wasn’t sure of the topic for the day. But, I was eager for the fellowship. When I found out that the focus for the time would be on purpose, I was pleased. Attending the meeting, I feel was a confirmation of sorts for me. Let me explain my reasoning.
This week, I took on a coaching client to help him walk through my 13-week course to discover his purpose. At the end of this course, he will have a written manifesto for his life purpose. The focus (in short) is to help him become the change agent, that he desires to be in his life. We’ll dig into things like childhood, belief systems, talents, personality, and skills. He’ll have to comb through various aspects of his identity to discover, uncover, and re-discovery…HIMSELF! His introspection will become medicine for healing whatever has disconnected him from his purpose.
It will be a huge undertaking, and it won’t be an easy journey. However, the journey will be worth it when he’s completed it. We owe it to ourselves to ask the hard questions. We owe it to our relationships to be honest and open with our answers. We owe it to ourselves to connect with the Most High, who placed the purpose inside of us. We were created with purpose and for a purpose. All of the deep digging will be useless without connecting to the source of our existence.
If you find yourself drifting through life, ask for wisdom from on high. Your prayers will point you to the answers for working through the recesses of your heart. We are naive to think, that we can figure it out on our own.
About 4 years ago, I came across interview questions for someone you love on Brendon Bruchard’s Facebook page. I thought it was a great idea at the time, and I decided to save the post. Fast forward to this weekend, I took the opportunity to put action behind the desire to interview my father on the “A Father Heard” podcast. If you’d like to listen to Family Life: A Conversation with my Dad, here you go! This episode was the third of four in the series; in which, I sit down with members of my family.
All to often, we put things off with the hopes of getting back to it. That’s a great recipe for not completing the task. I’m very grateful, that my dad is still living. I’m appreciative for a great relationship with him. If it wasn’t for his dedication and labor of love to create a healthy relationship for his children, this conversation would have been very different. Perhaps, it would have never happened.
How many people do you know of that have strained relationships with their family members? There are far to many that I know of in my personal and professional life. As a parent, we have a great deal of responsibility for cultivating a safe and loving environment for our family. If we’ve done or job to the best of our abilities, our children will want to come home as adults to have a conversation about life.
Last week, I discovered another one of those weird and obscure holidays. I’ve heard of Talk Like a Pirate Day and May the 4th Be With You; in which, at one time I planned activities for people to gather and celebrate. No big deal. There are plenty of people, who like pirates and Star Wars themed parties. Now, a Quitter’s Day! You read that correctly! Not to be confused with National Quilting Day, where someone will become the recipient of some old lady’s master piece after hours upon hours of sewing.
But, Q-U-I-T-T-E-R-S’ Day! Really?
According to researchers, Saturday, January 12th is the day when resolutions have a high probability of becoming a distant memory. The high hopes for entering into a new year and new you have been vanquished once again. Banished into the realms of Quitter’s Day.
Is it, just, me? I feel like there’s something, inherently, wrong with celebrating the inability to follow through with a commitment to oneself. Now, I don’t know if people are celebrating. They’re not taking to the streets as if their team won a championship. More than likely, they are beating themselves up about it. They are officially letting go of their hopes and dreams to bear fruit in their lives. Now, that’s no celebration worthy of a designated day!
Let’s see what a great poet has to say about it.
What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore– And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over– like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode?
I’m pretty sure that is not celebration. It sounds like agony and defeat if you ask me. This Quitter’s Day has me thinking. If it’s that easy to just give up after 12 days perhaps it was more of a wish than a true desire for your life.
When it’s something that we really want, that’s the kind of thing that keeps pulling at your affections. It’s calling us, and the wave length of that call will echo and echo until we are consumed by action or regret. It’s doing everything in it’s power to pull us towards it; in hopes of becoming fully actualized. That’s what it’s designed to do! It’s a powerful force, which was placed inside of you to accomplish. If you can feel this call for for action, what are you waiting for? GET MOVING!
Some people really love to sleep. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t have a problem with sleep. Rest is extremely important for our bodies. I’m not above taking a power nap. Unfortunately, I don’t have much time for them with my work schedule and children.
One thing is true; whenever, I do hit the sack. It’s a done deal! I’m not counting sheep. I don’t need lavender or chamomile tea. Once my head hits the pillow, I’m out for the count. It amazes my wife how quickly I transition from awake to sleep. I think it’s a beautiful thing!
If sleeping isn’t the problem. What’s going on?
Well, there are two things in play!
The issue is that I have a hard time going to bed. I guess I feel like I’m going to miss something. Even though I feel tired, I’ll stay up way longer than I need to just because I can. Most of the time, I’m engaged in some mindless activity to wind down for the day. Before I get too far down this rabbit hole, the importance of sleep is not what we’re discussing. Albeit, a good discussion to have.
My other problem is that I don’t like waking up early. It’s not like I’m one of those individuals, who sleeps 10 hrs at a time. Ain’t nobody got time for that!
I’m very capable of rising early. It must be on my own terms for me to rise. Take for instance, I can wake up early to bike or run without giving it a second thought. No alarm clock necessary!!! It doesn’t matter what time I get into the bed. If it’s something that I want to do, I’m up! Simply put!
In order for me to get out of bed at 4:30 AM, I’ve got to be fired up about the possibilities for the day. Getting up and getting dressed before heading out of the door, with the family, left me feeling unproductive outside of work. My creativity dried up. I wasn’t fueling my passion. Then, I came across The Miracle Morning and Bullet Journal. The answers to my quest for focus and organization.
I started using them, and I saw my productivity increase at home and at work. I worked it for several months during the summer, and I let it go. I’d come back to it, and then I’d stop for one reason or another. (If this sounds like you, take a look at my previous post. It was written for you!) I didn’t beat myself up about it. Neither should you! Just pick up where you left off, and get back to it.
That’s, exactly, what I started doing at the beginning of the year. And 4:30 has never felt so good! I’m getting in my quiet time with silence, affirmation, and visualization. I also get some movement for the body and mind with exercise, reading, and writing. These methods help set my intention for the days. It’s helping me to prioritize all of the things, which I say and feel are important.
Is it perfect? Not at all! I still struggle with visualization. But, I’m learning. Am I completing all of the tasks on my list? Not quite! It’s okay! We’re, only on day 4 of this new year. However, I am getting most of it done. It’s a work in progress. All of which were designed before the sun comes up.
And, this sound in the setting called Beautiful Day is creating opportunities for the beautiful days ahead. And, that’s why I rise!
Don’t judge! I rise early on the weekends. Just not…4:30!!!
What time do you wake up? How do you set your day? What success or challenges have you experienced as an early riser?
Yesterday, we let go of 2018! Today, we embraced 2019!
With this new year, the world is going crazy with resolutions for lives. The gyms are full of individuals looking to get healthy! The grocery carts are loaded with fruits, vegetables, and high quality proteins. The journals are receiving fresh marks of ink. Many of these are made with good intentions, and they’ll benefit a small portion of the population. However, much of the population will revert back to what is comfortable faster than the ink dries on that brand new journal.
Now, I don’t want you to think that I’m coming from a place of condemnation. That, my friend, is not my intention. I have become all too familiar with the process of starting with hopes high, only to fall flat on my face. Brutal!
There are the times when I’ve soared high like an eagle searching the country side! That’s when everything is working as I desired! In these moments, we’re feeling good about the decision to make changes in our lives. It’s easy to wake up at 4:30 a.m. for quiet time before the day gets away from us. It seems like the articles and podcasts are full of creativity, that will never dry out! The weight is falling off!
Things are clicking! But why is that? It’s simple!
Every result comes from action! And the opposite is true. If there’s no action, then we can expect to have no results. Make no mistake about it. Both are related to lifestyle choices. One will do work, and the other will choose not to work for it.
Human beings are the only creatures who have the ability to write down their goals and design their future. And here is why most of us don’t. We’re trapped either by regret of the past or the routine of the present. Jim Rohn
I don’t know where you are currently located on the spectrum of life. Just know that another resolution isn’t the answer. I’m not saying to continue doing what doesn’t serve you. If you want to make changes, then make those changes. However, it means to figure out what you need to have in place to make your desires more attainable.
Here are a few suggestions:
Identify your priorities.
Find your purpose and passion, and fuel it with your WHY!
There are so many things that we can do to create results. But, they start with changing our mindset and our habits. So as the scripture tells us, “Write the the vision and make it plain!” I wish for you much fruit in this season! Isn’t that why you started in the first place?
A Father Heard 