Refresh
Do not discount how much a change of scenery can do for your mental health. I had a quick weekend getaway, and I feel like I can conquer the world. The walls aren’t closing in on me as much. The monotony isn’t too much. The routine is a bit easier to get through. I feel refreshed. What have you done today for your mental health? What would make you feel refreshed? Maybe it’s a walk or a run. Maybe it's spending time in the yard. Take care of yourself. Relax. Relate. Refresh.
Lament
noun
a passionate expression of grief or sorrow.
verb-
1: to express sorrow, mourning, or regret for often demonstratively :
2: to regret strongly
We all express regret or sorrow in different ways. We all have been touched by this pandemic in ways we couldn’t imagine. Solitude has a way of exacerbating our emotions. Lack of human connection and social distancing can negatively affect our psyche. Find ways to allow yourself to feel without going down the rabbit hole. Breathe. Cry. Scream. Write. Get it out. Lament!
Purge
verb
rid (someone or something) of an unwanted quality, condition, or feeling.
remove (a group of people considered undesirable) from an organization or place in an abrupt or violent way.
noun
an abrupt or violent removal of a group of people.
People purge in different ways. There is a series of movies dedicated to the notion that to eradicate violent behavior one must be allowed to commit violent acts without consequence for a day. You can fast. You can pray. You can do a cleanse. You can remove yourself from toxic situations and relationships. Purging is necessary to cleanse yourself of both physical and emotional toxins. Do whatever you need to do to get healthy both spiritually and physically. Let go. Purge.
Be Still and Know....
The knowing isn’t the hard part. It’s the “be still” part that gets me every time. I’ve got things to do on my “to-do” list. There is a mound of laundry. The kitchen needs a once over. The bathroom needs to be cleaned. The kids need something. My mother needs something. I’m being pulled in multiple directions. How can I possibly “ be still.” In order to “be still,” you have to make a deliberate effort to give God time. You have to give God time to be acknowledged, to be praised, and to speak. When we are still, we can hear God. We can acknowledge the small still voice that says, “rest in me.” We can cry out because we can’t do everything in our own strength. When we are still, we can have peace with things being undone. We can know that God will never put more on us than we can bear. Most of know that we can cast our cares on God, but we aren’t still enough to hear the encouragement. We miss the peace of God when we aren’t still. Mute the distractions around you and focus. Be still and know….I am God.
Worthy
I'm not sure exactly when it happens. I don't know when we begin to doubt ourselves, but it happens. We remember a past failure. We reflect on a situation that didn't work out the way we thought. Before we know it, those seeds of doubt have taken root in our heart. We don't believe. We distrust. We second guess. We focus on the negative. We forget. We forget our purpose. We forget to smile. We forget to love. We forget ourselves. We forget our worth. Remember who you were before fear. Remember who you were before the pain. Remember who you were before you stopped believing. Remember your worth. You're worthy of all God has for you. You're worthy of love and respect. You're worthy of kind words and acceptance. You're worthy.
Emancipate
I have had two profound experiences with forgiveness. Both were orchestrated beyond my control and both were unexpected moments of release. Forgiveness emancipates you. It frees a piece of your soul. I've always believed that forgiveness is for you. I've been forced to forgive myself. I've been forced to forgive others when no apologies or concern was given. I've had to let go and let God, when I wanted to "get at and react." It hasn't been easy. It hasn't been what I wanted to do at the time, but God is mindful. God knew that I couldn't live with unforgiveness in my heart. I couldn't love with hurt and malice in the way. I couldn't be His best with regret. Free your mind. Let it go. Some burdens are too big to bear. Emancipate yourself
Excellence
I had the pleasure of throwing my mother a surprise 70th birthday yesterday. One word that kept coming up was excellence. My mother has always set a standard of excellence in both my life as well as those around us. She expects the best from herself and everyone around her. In grade school, “C’s” were unacceptable. She stressed that I was not average, and average was not God’s standard. When I started dating, she insisted that I pray and seek God’s best for my life. Good was nice. Better is okay, but God’s best was undeniable. That’s excellence. Excellence is God’s standard. It’s God’s best. It’s more than you think or ask. It’s abundance. Be excellent. Live in excellence.