The Power Lies Within You

I've blogged daily now for 53 consecutive days and enjoyed every minute of it! The goal is 63...63 days of Faith, Love, Time.  I set off on this journey with an expectation to focus on the ingredients of creating transformation. Through this journey, I've realized what I already knew. External factors are not responsible for creating transformation in our lives. The power we possess from within is what creates transformation.

Have you ever signed up to attend a motivational seminar, bought a book, joined a fitness club, hired a financial planner or marriage counselor, or anything of the sort with the expectation that "this" would be the answer? Perhaps you were thinking this will change my life, business, finances, health, marriage, (or anything else in your life you are trying to "fix")! Of course, we've all been there. I've thought many times, that book has the secret answer for me. That exercise program is going to give me the easy answer to losing 10 pounds. That conference will get me motivated to grow my business. That mentor, coach, or leader is going to lead me to success. If I hang around that person, I will be successful.   In fact some of you may be following this 63-day blog and thinking Sondra is going to give me the secret answer to transform my life.

The truth is that I've searched long and hard and even spent a lot of money seeking the "external" influences that will give me the results I dream of having in my life. The one awareness I've discovered over this past couple months is that there is no answer in the external universe. Every answer I'm looking for lies within me. God has given me the gifts, talents, wisdom, and power I need to create everything I want in my life.

And you have everything you need as well.  Stop looking outside and start looking within.

Love and Prayers,
Sondra

I want to Live with Abandon

Sharing my love and motivation via music again! This song moves me by Newsboys. Read the lyrics and then listen to the song. Throw your head back, let your worries melt and imagine a life dedicated to a higher calling.

Chasing after this world makes me tired
Praisin' my own name leaves me dry

There's gotta be so much more to life than this
A higher calling that I missed
I want my life to count, every breath

I wanna live with abandon
Give You all that I am
Every part of my heart Jesus
I place in Your hands
I wanna live with abandon

I'll drop everything to follow You
It's only Your hands I hold onto

There's gotta be more to life than this
A higher calling that I missed
I want my life to count, every breath

I'm not looking back
I'm done with that
Wanna give You all I have

And then listen again! How do you want your life to count? Listen again. Repeat.

Love and Prayers,
Sondra

Sometimes the Truth Hurts

I'm going to start this off today by being very direct and asking you to think about some dangerously thought-provoking questions.

What would it be like to be married to you?
What would it be like to be your daughter? or son?
What would it be like to be your mother? or father? or sister? or brother?
What would it be like to be your employee, mentor, coach, teacher, boss, friend, subsitute any other word here_____?

Isn't it interesting how when you frame these questions from the other person's point of view, the question becomes extremely uncomfortable.

Here's the deal. When I'm struggling with a situation in life, I have those friends that will tell me what I "want" to hear. They'll "validate" my feelings and help me feel good about my position on a situation. (And I believe we need those friends who are willing to love us and accept us and be our cheerleaders in life.)  And then there are those friends that will genuinely, honestly, lovingly tell you what you "need" to hear. Do you have friends like that?

Sometimes the truth hurts.  And sometimes we need to hear the truth. Recently, I've been having a difference of opinion with my husband on a certain issue. I asked a friend for advice. This friend gave me some very honest advice and not what I expected to hear.  She asked me to contemplate and pray about the question, "What's it like to be married to you?"

My immediate, first reaction was to say to myself, "What do you mean? What's it like to be married to me? What's it like to be married to HIM? It made me mad. What was she trying to say to me? I'm a bad wife? I'm not deserving? I'm impossible to live with? I'm not gonna lie, I was miffed for awhile. I was thinking to myself, why did I bother to ask her advice anyway.  

On the contrary, she was trying to get me to think about the situation from my husband's point of view.
Putting yourself in the shoes of the other person and realizing how humbling that can truly be takes some of the pressure off of yourself. In my case, itt also challenged me to think about whether I am truly "being" the best person that I can be.

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide my word, you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." ~John 8:31-3

Love and Prayers,
Soondra

Kindness

I spent six hours at my daughter's middle school today for a "Kindness Retreat".  Yes, six hours of teaching sixth graders the value of kindness. In fact, there was an awesome nonprofit organization that led the entire day's activities. It's called Youth Frontiers and they have 50 employees traveling the country doing these programs.The concept is to teach kids to be "everyday heroes" by being kind to each other. I realize that there is more and more talk of extreme bullying in schools these days. However, it struck me as interesting that we are relying on a six-hour retreat in our schools to teach our kids to be "kind".  It made me think, what values are we teaching them at home? 

We then had an orientation at church for my daughter's confirmation class and the pastor talked about how kids used to learn their spirituality at home until the 1900's when organized religion began teaching Sunday school. Parents started dropping off their kids and relying on the church to teach them what they needed to know. Again, I thought what values are we teaching them at home?

While entering the school pick up lane and everyone "jockying" for a spot in line, I reflected on the kindness retreat. I thought to myself that there needs to be a "Kindness Retreat for Adults"!! No joke! Get in your car and drive a few miles and you'll encounter people in a hurry, texting while they're driving, cussing at people driving too slow, and rolling their eyes at the clerk in the checkout lane at Target! Generally speaking, people are functioning in a hurried, self-centered, highly-frustrated, negative manner.

Now, I'm not generalizing "everyone" as being negative. But really, don't you find that it's refreshing when a stranger in line at Starbucks smiles at you and genuinely asks you about your day, or opens a door for you, or picks up your keys for you when you drop them, or pays you a compliment? These are the very things that were being taught to sixth graders at the 6-hour retreat!

I realized that I re-learned a few basic principles today along with the sixth graders. Talking behind people's backs, gossiping, name-calling, negative attitudes, dis-respect, selfishness, among other not-so-nice behaviors are hurtful to others.  Kindness...a basic topic of which all of us could use a good refresher from time to time!

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. ~Ephesians 4:32

Love and Prayers,
Sondra

Fearless Heart

I wrote about my "Something More" stage of life in yesterday's blog, and how I would scream that song at the top of my lungs while driving to my J-O-B. When you're in your car alone, doesn't it feel like a safe place to just crank up the stereo and let it all out?!  I mentioned that "life" happened and I moved past that stage of my life.  I had just gone through one of the most difficult times of my life, made some new choices, and felt an amazing sense of freedom and transparency. And when I did, I discovered a new theme song, "Fearless Heart" by Point of Grace.

I still "sang" this song at the top of my lungs, but with joy and a new sense of freedom! It's amazing what happens to your faith and your heart when you witness a miracle! And when you realize that we really are not in control of anything. But that we also are never alone.

For even the most trusting soul
This world can be a scary place
So much that we can't control
In every moment that we face

When a thousand what ifs
Whisper in our ears
We remember who's we are
And watch them disappear

I wanna live with a fearless heart
Courage that's coming from trust in God
It's constantly guiding me though the road may seem dark
I wanna live, wanna live with a fearless heart

There are worries chasing everyone
It's evident in times like these
But I have found the confidence that comes
From time I spend on my knees

There's a truth I'm holding onto
As these days unfold
Greater is He, that is in me
Than he that's in the world

I wanna live with a fearless heart
Courage that's coming from trust in God
It's constantly guiding me though the road may seem dark
I wanna live, wanna live with a fearless heart

He's my strength, He's my shelter
He is with me all the way
He's my light and my salvation
Of whom shall I be afraid, of whom shall I be afraid?

I wanna live with a fearless heart
Courage that's coming from trust in God
It's constantly guiding me though the road may seem dark, yeah

I wanna live with a fearless heart
Courage that's coming from trust in God
It's constantly guiding me though the road is dark
I wanna live, wanna live with a fearless heart

With a fearless heart, with a fearless heart
With a fearless heart

Wouldn't you rather live with a fearless heart?

Love and Prayers,
Sondra

Something More

In honor of it being a Monday, I'm going to share something deeply personal and a little embarrassing. Let me start by saying that I take a lot of inspiration from music. That's not the deeply personal or embarrassing part. But it will give a little back drop on why I often like to include song lyrics in my blog. I think music has the ability to evoke emotion. It can make us happy. Or make us sad. It can calm us. Or music can pump us up. When my daughter was healing, we used music a lot to help soothe her and bring positive energy into the room. There are even music therapy programs that help children with autism and other behavioral disorders.

If you're going to work out, you're probably going to tune your iPod into something different than what the massage therapist is playing during your spa treatment. Right? Are there certain songs that you hear that bring back memories of high school, college, vacations, certain people, events, or periods of your life?

For me, there was a particular song that I listened to a lot during a particular phase of my life. In fact, if you were to have been driving in a car next to me at about 7:30am on a Monday morning, you might have pulled up next to me at a spot light and thought I was a crazy woman. Why? Because I very well might have been singing this song at the top of my lungs...with all the windows rolled up! That's right, a lot of base oozing out of my car and a very animated woman!...yes that is the embarrassing part!

The deeply personal part is related to the song. It's a song called "Something More" by Sugarland. It's a great song and one I still enjoy. Except now I can enjoy it from a different point of view. I'm going to break this song down and share what it meant to me. Perhaps there are parts of it to which you might be able to relate.  In fact, maybe you've been known to secretly sing this song in your car!

Something More...

Come on!
Monday, hard to wake up
Fill my coffee cup, I'm out the door
Yeah, the freeway's standing still today
It's gonna make me late and that's for sure
I'm running out of gas and out of time
Never gonna make it there by nine

Well, there aren't exactly freeways in Omaha. But nontheless, Mondays were much dreaded. Have you ever woke up on Sunday morning and started dreading that the weekend was halfway over and you couldn't enjoy your day because you only had Monday to look forward to? Mmm Hmm.  I know.

There's gotta be something more, gotta be more than this
I need a little less hard time, I need a little more bliss
I'm gonna take my chances
Taking a chance I might find what I'm looking for
There's gotta be something more

So, this was the "shouting part". This was the part of the song that I could feel in my gut. The feeling that there was "something more". The "knowing" that I was not fulfilling my purpose in life by doing what I was doing everyday. I didn't know what I was looking for. And I sure as heck was scared to take any chances!

Five years and there's no doubt
That I'm burnt out, I've had enough
So now boss man, here's my two weeks
I'll make it short and sweet, so listen up
Well, I could work my life away, but why?
I got things to do before die

For me, the five years actually became 17 years! I had a lot of different boss men and boss ladies over those years. I learned things good and bad from all of them. I attribute my own burn-out to the realization that I was doing something that I no longer felt a passion for doing.

There's gotta be something more, gotta be more than this
I need a little less hard time, I need a little more bliss
I'm gonna take my chances
Taking a chance I might find what I'm looking for
There's gotta be something more

And the loud, animated singing would ensue again!

Some believe in destiny and some believe in fate
But I believe that happiness is something we create
You best believe that I'm not gonna wait
'Cause there's gotta be something more
I get home 7:30, the house is dirty but it can wait
Yeah, 'cause right now I need some downtime
To drink some red wine and celebrate
Yeah, Armageddon could be knocking at my door
But I ain't gonna answer that's for sure

This part always brought mixed emotions for me. I could definitely relate to the part about coming home to a dirty house but feelin the need for downtime and a glass of wine! Any working woman with multiple responsibilities, family, and all the juggling balls can relate to this. The part that was a mystery to me for a long time was the "happiness is something we create" part. I wanted to believe that. But honestly, deep down in side, I felt really, really trapped (like the stars trapped in the spider web in the photo). So, guess what I did? ...I sang even louder!

There's gotta be something
Gotta be something more, gotta be more than this
I need a little less hard time, I need a little more bliss
I'm gonna take my chances
Taking a chance I might find what I'm looking for
Gotta be something more
(There's gotta be something)
Got to be, got to be, got to be more
(Gotta be something, yes)
Songwriters: KRISTIAN BUSH, JENNIFER NETTLES, KRISTEN HALL

You may notice that I'm referring to my reactions to this song in the past tense. So, what happened that changed? "Life" happened! And sometimes when "life" happens, it changes everything! I also believe that things happen for a reason.

My advice to you on this Monday...don't wait for life to happen! Don't let 1 or 5 or 10 or 17 years pass you by dreading Mondays! Take a chance. You just might find what you're looking for! What is your "something more"?

Love and Prayers,
Sondra

What is Your Purpose?

Well, it's very interesting how God sends us messages. I got up to go to church this morning and nobody else was really wanting to go, so I said "Ok, I'm going and whoever comes with me can come with me." And so we went.  It was actually an inspiring service and I'm so glad I went. The topic for today was "What is Your Purpose?" Pastor April (whom I credit the inspiration for this blog post) gave a very interesting talk about Goals, Purpose, Destiny.  Right up my alley!!!

I have to be honest, when we left for church I was feeling a little sad. I was reflecting on an amazing opportunity that has presented itself and debating about whether the timing is right to entertain it. So, April's talk today was perfect timing. She showed a video of people being asked "what is your purpose"?  

Most people said  things like "I don't know", "I'm scared to find out", "I wish I knew", "I don't think about it, I just try to get by each day.", "It's about being successful in my job and making money".   I felt blessed to know that I really feel like I get my purpose. I really feel that I'm not working for the sake of working and getting by. I'm working toward a greater purpose. I get that it's bigger than me. 

A friend sent me this quote today from Zig Ziglar who said:

"I've met people all through my life who had passion of a sort. But because their passion wasn't fueled by purpose, it would come and go in bits and pieces. They were trying to generate their passion out of their own energy day after day, something that's ultimately unsustainable. Scientists have yet to invent the world's first perpetual-motion machine--everything runs out of gas eventually, including human beings trying to maximize their peak performance day after day. I believe this can help motivate you to connect the dots in life, little by little. The end result will be a picture of beauty, purpose and fulfillment--a life you can't wait to live."

I know that I am blessed and honored to be on this journey of life with purpose! What is your purpose? What will it take for you to discover it? What will it take for you to pursue it?

Love and Prayers,

Sondra