I suck. That is the story my brain is telling myself. I have not done well on my goals, I have not blogged updates like I wanted to (because I feel like a failure that I haven’t done anything), and I have made very little progress.
But I have made progress. Small steps are still steps forward. That is the story I want my brain to tell myself. Even though I haven’t done what I hoped to do, I can take my own advice and take a moment to BREATHE.
B – Be over do: This truly has been my focus so far this year. I continue to work through Emotionally Healthy Spirituality principles, being fully present with myself, with God, and with the people around me. Being is a work in progress.
R – Rest and Relax: One of my goals this year is to keep Sabbath one hour a day, one day a week, one weekend a quarter, and one week a year. I mostly have been keeping Sabbath one day a week on Mondays. I did get away for a “weekend” in March. I have some family time away this month. In July I have a personal retreat scheduled. The one hour a day part is harder. If I can lay down for about 30 minutes midday, however, I feel refreshed for the evening activities.
E – Embrace the small steps: Even as I type this, I realize that keeping Sabbath is actually a huge step for me! I haven’t been consistent in journaling 5 times a week and I have journaled some. Lately I’ve been more consistent than in other months. I have been working on my coaching hours, they just aren’t going as quickly as I hoped. We have had people over, just not twice a month. I have closed the rings on my fitness tracker on occasion, just not 4 times every week, only some weeks. I have made some steps toward my goals. I need to honor that!
A – Attend to what’s important: This is why I haven’t been reaching all the goals as I hoped. We had an unexpected wedding (yay!) in the family and I spent 2 months focusing on that work. Some funerals came up in ministry and those require my immediate attention. The normal demands of a large family and ministry… I had to focus on what is important and some of the goals just weren’t the most important.
T – Testify to what is true: I am loved. I have value. My worth is not determined by the goals I reach. My life is full and I accomplish more than I realize in a day/week/month/year. Small steps forward are still steps forward.
H – Hope again: Today is a reset. Today is an opportunity to start fresh, to begin anew. Today is the day to say “I don’t have to do this perfectly. I can do this differently than I originally thought. I can try again.”
E – Encourage your inner self and others: Just writing this has been encouraging to me. I will take time today to reach out and encourage 5 people – S, A, C, K, and S.
Just taking the time to do that helped me gain some important perspective. My shoulders aren’t so heavy with guilt. My heart feels lighter. My mind feels ready to start again. No matter where you are in your goals this year, take time today to BREATHE, to reflect, gain perspective, and start anew.
We can do this together.
Rev. Kris Mares 