“When our souls are healthy, we change the environment; the environment doesn’t change us” -Pastor Carl Lentz
This past week I have been finishing up the numerous books I’ve been simultaneously reading. While I still have 2 more to go, I did finish Own the Moment by Carl Lentz. And not only did I thoroughly and enthusiastically enjoy reading it, but I finally made it to service at Hillsong Church this morning. What an experience! One can’t help but getting that feeling of coming alive and getting our souls infused with a healthy and relatable dose of “the all-knowing word.”
I will be taking a few weeks off from posting my blog, because I need to diligently and fervently work on all the blogs I want to write and schedule before going away and disconnecting from social media. I usually schedule one per week, usually on Wednesdays, while I am away. I will keep you all posted!
But not to worry…I am going to leave you with some meaningful food for thought, conversation, guidance and perhaps even some writing for the next couple of weeks while I devote some uninterrupted time to writing myself. Should you choose to deeply explore the questions, it is my hope that you will be left feeling an expansive sense of Self. There is always room for growth, darlings! The key is to be accountable and keep plugging away at this most powerful, pure-hearted, heart-centered and self-loving process.
So, I leave you with some questions from Own the Moment. The questions were scattered throughout the book. I may have tweaked some questions and added a few of my own. Nevertheless, I selected the ones that spoke to me in hopes they speak to you as well. Like I said, reflect on them, talk about them, journal or simply explore them in which ever way serves you best:
- Do you know where you are going?
- What drives you?
- What shapes you?
- What fuels you?
- What guides you?
- Are you changing?
- Are you influencing?
- What are you listening to today?
- Is it helpful?
- Is it life-giving?
- Where do you put your focus?
- What are your challenges?
- Who challenges you?
- Do you have broken relationships because you’re consumed with the wrongs somebody else committed and you have failed to own your part in the matter?
- Can you be more constructive and look inward to bring change in your life?
- Are you part of the problem or part of the solution?
- What do you demand for your own life?
- What are your non-negotiables?
- Do you know your convictions – the “yes, I wills” and the “no, I won’ts?”
- Are you changing your environment, or is your environment changing you?
- Have you had to adjust your standards to fit in?
- Have you lived with such conviction as people start rethinking their standards because of you?
- How can you influence others?
- Are you clear about your intentions?
- Do the people in your life feel valued and appreciated?
- If so, why? What do you do that makes them feel this way?
- What would you do if you truly didn’t care about what other people thought about you?
- How would you live, what would you pursue, and ultimately how much fun would you have?
- How many things in life would you have already tried if you didn’t fear failure?
- How many people in your life might you be holding to an unrealistic standard of completeness when you have areas that are in the process of healing?
- Do you find yourself living in the past?
- Are you constantly in a hurry?
- If you take a genuine hard look at what influences you today and the relationships that you hold most dear, are they helping or hurting you?
- Could it be said that some things that should not be an option in your life have been given the opportunity to grow?
- What makes you the most insecure in life? Why?
- Where can you find time to stop and be grateful for all that you have in your life?
- What is the one thing you can do today that can make a huge difference in the life of another?
We can look at our answers and realize our journey, and our task, is to do the work in order to grow through whatever it is we are going through and, ultimately, evolve into the best version of ourselves AND live a full, meaningful and purposeful life in the process! We have much to do in terns of growing. By the same token, we can also look to see if we are allowing the way we live to suck the passion out of our lives.
We can further investigate our answers and determine if we are living a balanced, grateful, rich, inspiring and benevolent life- and one that is filled with peace, tranquility and serenity. We can see, and feel, if we are operating from a place of love or fear. We can look to see if we’re choosing to live in joy despite of the life circumstances that befall us all.
Ultimately, our answers will reveal if we are living from a place of truth, transparency and authenticity, or of we are living a life of dishonesty, fraud, lies, deceit, half-truths, and omissions that are compromising our soul’s integrity. Remember, the choice is always ours to make!
Darlings, stay calm, cool and continue to grow through it all!
Inhale Love & Light…Exhale Grace & Gratitude, JTC
Inspire Love Serve 