I’m dying.
So are you.
I’m sorry if this news is earth-shattering for you, but it’s true. Our physical bodies are inching towards the end.
I’m at a point in my life where this doesn’t bother me one single bit. All the things that people tend to worry about, I’m at peace with…
I’ve learned that aging is a process. The wrinkles? They are wisdom lines. The gray hairs? They are a crown of glory. What will happen to my kids when I’m gone? I’ll admit, for a season, this thought spun me into full blown anxiety (that story is for another time). That season lasted quite a long time… until I realized that the only way out was fully trusting that if something happened to me, God had a plan for my kids that was good. (Jeremiah 29:11) Most importantly, my heart and soul are at total peace knowing where I’ll spend eternity. (If you want that same peace, please read this.)
All that being said, life on earth is short. While I’m totally at peace, I got to thinking about something… “What if I knew I was going to die soon? How would I spend my days?”
Here’s exactly what I would do. I hope it’s what you would do too. In fact, it’s what we should all be doing NOW…
Show up for your Actual Life
Have you ever considered the numbers of hours spent numbing out in front of a screen or some other distraction? We all do it. I’m as guilty as anyone.
If you knew you had an expiration date (which you do), would you take those hours and spend them differently?
Would you listen more intently, love more deeply, talk more slowly, be more intentional? I’m pretty sure the answer is yes, yes, yes and yes.
Choose to Be Present
When I asked myself “what if I knew I was going to die soon?” I immediately thought about my husband and kids. I’m with them a lot of the time, but am I truly WITH them when I’m with them???
I don’t know about you, but my brain runs on overdrive. All. The. Time.
I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I will frequently ask my husband a question and while he’s answering, my brain is 3 thoughts ahead of the question I just asked. I then have to ask him to repeat his answer because though I was looking at him, I didn’t actually hear him. It’s awful and I catch myself doing this way too often.
When it comes to #MomLife, I often do the after school pick up, then drive home with the kids and launch right into making dinner, cleaning out backpacks and packing tomorrow’s lunches. After that, it’s baths and bedtime. Whew. I catch myself kissing the kids goodnight, wondering where the heck the whole evening went. It breaks my heart how often I haven’t connected with my kids in that time frame, like sat down with them and listened slowly to whatever they want to talk about.
There is definitely no such thing as balance. It just ain’t happening. Not in my life and not in yours. The trick is quality over quantity. It’s about being present, marinating in the moment and actually taking it in. I’m a work in progress, and I’m well aware that I have more work to do here. But I’m committed to doing better, because being present? It’s the #1 way to show up for your actual life.
Forgive
Why? Because forgiveness frees YOU.
People are going to hurt you. That’s just a fact of life. The thing is, often times the person who is hurting you doesn’t even know that you are hurting. There was a time in my life when a close friend was cutting me to the core, due to a severe lack of communication. The problem was, she didn’t know she was doing it and I didn’t want to hurt HER feelings by letting her know. I’d been struggling with it for months, when I heard a sermon that changed my life.
Check this out… as Jesus was dying on the cross, shouldering the weight of the world for imperfect people, He was praying “Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.” If the Son of God could pray forgiveness over the people who were stripping, beating and killing Him, I quickly realized I could forgive anyone in my life for anything I needed to.
I forgave. And when I did, it freed ME. Of course, there may also be times where someone has hurt you intentionally and he/she knows it. Forgiveness is still the answer. Forgiveness frees YOU, no matter what the circumstance. Life is short. Show up for your actual life by living in the freedom that forgiveness provides.
Do Something That Scares You
When I say something that “scares” you, I don’t mean something that literally scares you like a horror film. I mean something that rattles your innermost being. I’m talking about the thing that makes your heart rush and makes you break out in hives because it’s so big and audacious that you could never possibly do THAT THING.
You’re too young, too old, too “unqualified,” at least that’s what the LIES in your head are telling you.
Friend, tell those lies to go back to hell where they came from and get to work.
You don’t have to have it all figured out to move forward towards the big, crazy desire in your heart. You just have to start. You WILL figure it out as you go, I promise!
You may be asking “what if I fail?!”
Friend, what if YOU SUCCEED?!??!
“You may be asking yourself ‘what if I fail?!’
Friend, what if YOU SUCCEED?!??!”
-Katie Hedrick
It’s sort of like jumping off a cliff with no parachute, no backup plan. Jump, my dear. You will find your wings on the way down. And even if you don’t, even if you fall flat on your face, you’ll stand back up and you’ll try again. You’ll learn from the mistakes. They will GROW you into the person that God created you to be. You’ll fail forward. And you WILL SUCCEED.
Celebrate the Wins (by doing Something Else That Scares You)
Do you know how many professional athletes set a new record, win the most important game, achieve the top medal and then…. sink into deep depression?
A LOT.
They’ve accomplished their biggest goal.
Now what? What’s the point of even waking up every day?
CHASE A NEW, BIGGER GOAL! Because you were made for more! That’s the point. That’s the reason to keep going! You didn’t come this far only to come this far!
DO the NEXT thing that scares you! Grow forward! Keep going!
Or even better, help someone else achieve their big, crazy goal. You’ll be showing up for your life on a whole new level when you help someone else chase the dream in their heart!
Life is short. That’s a fact. I challenge you, friend. I’m CALLING YOU OUT. Show up for your actual life. Every single day.
Be present. Forgive. Do something that scares you. Celebrate your wins, then do something else that scares you!
At the end of your life, you’ll be able to look back and say “I showed up. I lived and loved well. I chased my dreams and made it happen. I made every moment count.”
Cheers to living!
Ready to chase your passion and live your best life? Take action by downloading my Free eBook “7 Habits of Happiness.” It’s my way of cheering you on. You got this!
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