What's Driving You?

 

When asked what drives you some of you may respond, family, faith or job. Some of you may even say you are driven by your goals, passions, or maybe even money.

Whatever drives you is usually where you spend the majority of your time whether you’re driven by internal or external forces.

What are external forces? External forces are things like the economy, life situations, demands placed on you by your job or family. You may be driven by your job not because you enjoy it, but because of its demand on your time as well as your salary and or benefits. You may be driven by family obligations even though you may not have the time or energy to meet them.

What are internal forces? An internal force is that thing inside of you that pushes you and gives you peace. It’s what gives you energy even when you have none. It could be your job because you love what you do. It could be your family, friends or an organization you support because of your compassion. It may also be an idea that you just can’t shake, something you are committed to seeing through to fruition.

Whatever drives you, you cannot let it overwhelm you. Whether the force that drives you is external or internal you must have balance. Most of you have heard all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Some of you have read or heard Proverbs 11:1 a false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is His delight. Too much of anything isn’t good for you. You’ve got to find balance if you are too heavily weighted in one area or another.

Take a little time to examine your life. What is driving you? Do you have a false balance? Life is too short not to take advantage of all God has to offer. You can only do so much, and guess what God has already determined exactly what you are going to accomplish. Relax, enjoy the journey, and remember the journey is just as important as the destination.

Encouraging your financial, emotional and physical wellness

Greta

 

How Do You Spend Your Time?

 I usually spend 30 minutes on the elliptical each morning. The number of calories I burn depends on my effort. If I increase my pace and resistance I burn more calories. If I exercise at a slower pace I burn fewer calories. I said all this to say it’s the same 30 minutes but what I get out of it depends on me.

 Many of us end each day saying ‘there just isn’t enough time in the day’ or ‘I just wish I had a few more hours’.

What are you doing with your time? There are 24 hours in each day. The recommended amount of time for sleeping is 6.50 hours however I’m sure some of you get more and some of you get less. Let’s just say you average 7 hours of sleep. That leaves 17 waking hours. What activities do you have during a normal work week? Most people spend about 9 hours a day on the job and depending on your commute may spend an hour or two driving to and from work. That leaves about 6 hours.  If you spend an hour at the gym, shopping, cooking or doing other activities that may leave you with 5 hours.  

 What are you doing with your 5 hours? A lot of you are adult learners and are spending a lot of your time studying. But what about those of you who at not hitting the books? Are you spending your time on the telephone, on facebook, or watching television?

Are you using your time wisely? Time once spent cannot be recaptured. Some of you may remember a commercial for I believe it was AT&T’s cell phone service. If all of the minutes were not used during the month they would rollover into the next month.

 

Wouldn’t it be nice if the time that we waste could be rolled over and used for more productive activities? Well it can’t! I’ve wasted more Saturdays than I care to remember watching movies all day. My how I’d like to roll that time over and use it for more productive activity. Bearing that in mind I’ve made a conscious decision to allocate a certain amount of my time each day for more productive activity. I have a set time, one that I know I will be able to use that won’t interfere with other activities. I am also not making the amount of time too lengthy so I don’t set myself up for failure. This will prevent me from neglecting my production time to attend to other tasks. Lastly, I’ve outlined what I would like to do during this time and set a goal for myself for accountability. By the way, I’m using my productivity time to write this blog.

My challenge to you is for you to allocate time each day to be more productive and accomplish something that you have been putting off because you didn't think you had time to do it.

Encouraging your financial, emotional and physical wellness

Greta

What Are Your Doing With Your Talent?

So you think you've come up with the best idea since sliced bread. Or maybe you've written a poem or a book that will change lives. Perhaps you have perfected a technique that will revolutionize a current process. What are you doing with your idea, talent, or gift?

We read in Matthew 25:15-28 about the man travelling the country that gave talents to his servants. I like what it says in verse 15. He gave the talents to each of them according to their ability or their willingness to use their talent in the most beneficial way. The servants that were given the most talents used their talents and doubled them. The servant that received one talent buried his talent. He said he was afraid. He didn't want to lose the one talent he was given so rather than risk it her buried it, but as you read in verse 28 he still lost his talent. It was taken from him and given to the servant that was initially given 5 talents.

Which servant are you? Are you willing to take a risk? Are you willing to step out and use your talent to benefit others as well as yourself? Have you ever seen a product, a book, a movie or even a recipe that's similar to an idea of yours? Have you ever seen a person doing exactly what it is that you love to do? What thoughts go through your mind? Do you think I thought of that years ago or that's supposed to be me? Do you become jealous or envious? Perhaps you become angry with yourself for not following through.

So what's your next step? It would be easy to convince yourself your idea has already been done. It's especially disconcerting if your idea has been brought to fruition by a well known personality. Well I'm here to tell you no one can do what you can do exactly the way you do it. Your gifts are your gifts! Your destiny is your destiny! How many brands of chocolate chip cookies are there? How many motivational speakers are there? How many fashion designers are there? How many books have been written on the topic you feel led in your heart to write? Not everything will appeal to everyone. Your audience is your audience!

Indulge me for a moment. Imagine a group of people wandering aimlessly. They've tried one thing or another but have not been able to have a specific need met. Who knows, you may be one of those people. I know I am. I have been on a hunt for the perfect fitting shoe all of my life. My feet are long and narrow. Anyone who has ever shopped for apparel or shoes knows different brands fit differently. And, to add to that as most of you know one side of your body is slightly bigger than the other. Anyway, back to my shoe challenge. If I find the right length the shoe is usually too wide. Sometimes I can add pads to get a better fit. If I find the right width the shoe may be a smidgen too short. I haven't tried stretching my shoes to get a better fit. That's my next step. I said all of this to say. We all have things we are in need of and someone may have hidden the talent in the ground that could meet the needs of a huge audience.

One of my fears has been what if someone with more resources gets wind of my idea and produces it before I can produce it?

What gift or talent do you have that you have buried? Don't be afraid you will not succeed. What God has placed in you He is more than able to cause to succeed. Make a commitment to start today. Get back on track if you've gotten off track. Pull out that old notebook full of ideas. Your time is now? And by the way, which one of you has the design for my perfect fitting shoe?

Your Latter Will Be Greater Than Your Past

If you are reading this you have probably experienced ups and downs in your life. When we are faced with challenges in life and even when we are not it's seems easier to dwell on the challenges rather than the good times that we have experienced.

Here's a test.  Just for a second, because I don't want you to dwell on it think about a challenge or a not so happy time in your life. Maybe it's a current experience or one in the not so distant past. How long did it take for something to come to mind? Now think about a positive experience, one that brought you joy. How long did it take you to come up with the positive experience versus the length of time it took to come up with the negative experience? Chances are not only did it take less time to come up with the negative experience but you probably had more examples to choose from than with the positive experiences.

It's easier for our mind to think about the negative rather than the positive even though more than likely your positive experiences far outweigh your negative experiences. One reason for this is our perception of positive verses negative. Oftentimes what we consider as negative is not as bad as we think. The fact that you are reading this means you are still alive and breathing isn't that a positive experience? Let's take it one step further. Say you’re driving to work and there is a train on the tracks. You're stuck in traffic and can't move. You arrive 20 minutes late for work. All you can think about is how angry you are because you're late. Furthermore you don't understand why there was a train on the track this morning in the first place. There's never a train on the track in the morning. Rather than dwelling on the negative turn your thoughts and energy in the other direction. The blessing is that you made it safely to work and the operative word is work. You are employed.

We take so many things for granted and don't spend enough time being thankful for our abundance of blessings.

We read in Haggai 2:9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former…

Our latter will be greater than our past. Once again briefly think about a time in your life that was not so great. God’s promise is that things in the future will be better than your past experience. Now think about one of the best times in your life.  God promises that as good as that time was your future will be even better.

You  have a lot to look forward to so the next time you feel a foul mood coming on because of one of life’s challenges just count it all joy because you have something much greater to look forward to in the future.

Encouraging your financial, emotional and physical wellness

Greta

Have you ever looked in the mirror and saw the food you've eaten? This morning while brushing my teeth I know I saw the potato chips I ate last night. They were staring at me from my obtruding obliques. My husband and I have tried many different eating plans the most successful of which for us has been Eat Right 4 Your Type. Potato Chips however are not part of the plan. All jokes aside I've lost over 30lbs by eating right and exercising.

I completely understand how when a person gains weight they may not see the weight gain as well as when a person loses weight they may not recognize their loss. I was skinny as a child and even into my 30's I had a coworker that called me stick because I was so thin. I always wanted to gain weight. Be careful what you ask for. I've never been athletically inclined and did not exercise. In my opinion I didn't need to exercise. I thought exercise was for weight loss and I did not want to lose weight. In my ignorance I didn't think about the health benefits of exercise.

When I first began gaining weight I liked it. I had the hips and thighs although still small that I did not have previously. I went up one size in my clothing but didn't pay attention to the weight gain. A few years ago I had knee surgery and wasn't able to put weight on my knee for 4 weeks. Of course that meant not exercising. While shopping for my family's annual cruise I noticed the size I was wearing previously didn't fit. Still, looking at myself in the mirror I could not tell I gained weight. For me the tell was in the clothing. Even with that I just bought larger sizes. I camouflaged my weight gain. No one seemed to notice, or at least they didn't say anything.

After knee surgery I began physical therapy, slowly at first. When I returned to work after 12 weeks I continued my therapy in the gym. About 18 months ago my husband and I decided to stick closely to the Eat Right 4 Your Type eating plan. That along with daily exercise jump started my weight loss. My weight loss became evident when I could pull my pants off without unzipping them. I bought one size smaller pant size but within a couple of months the new pants were too big. I actually dropped 3 sizes. When I look in the mirror just as I didn't see the weight gain I don't see the weight loss. I’d even gotten to the point where people were telling me I shouldn't lose any more weight. I'm not exactly sure how I got to that point.

Well as you may know eating healthy and exercise is a lifestyle change. Recently my husband and I joined the GWRRA, a local Goldwing motorcycle club. The group meetings are accompanied by a meal, either breakfast of dinner. Prior to joining the Goldwing club my normal breakfast was oatmeal. I think I have eaten more over the past couple of months for breakfast that I did the entire previous year. The meals coupled with taking a two week vacation have taken a toll on me, thus my obtruding obliques. I may not have seen the weight creeping up on me previously, but since my clothing size is smaller I can definitely see it now.

What seemed to be easy a few months ago, maintaining my weight, is no longer easy. It's okay to indulge every now and then, but a lifestyle change is just that, a lifestyle change. Rather than eating my favorite pancakes at the breakfast meetings I'm now sticking with the low calorie breakfast. I've even decided if there is nothing on the menu I should eat I will skip the meal and just attend the meeting. It's all about choices, and making the healthiest choices you can make.

What lifestyle changes do you need to make, or have made that perhaps you haven't stuck with? Don't beat yourself up. Instead focus that energy on something that will benefit you and keep you moving in the right direction.

Encouraging your financial, emotional and physical wellness

Greta

Sooo, the procrastinator that I am has come up with every excuse in the book not to complete a project. Just ask anyone that really knows me.

Whenever I would call my mom excited about my latest and greatest idea she would always ask me “are you going to finish this one?”

I start and stop then start again and stop. One project may lead to another project. Some have been completed, like my greetings cards, but none have been fully taken to their limit. I sold a few greeting cards but never completed the website or displayed them in a friend’s restaurant as I’d planned. 

My excuses of late have been I don’t have enough time or energy. You see I’m up at 3:30 each weekday morning to exercise. First 30 minutes on the elliptical in my home gym. Then I drive to work to complete my strength training in the gym in my building. I’m usually at my desk by 7a.m. and normally leave around 4 p.m. I arrive home around 4:45 eat dinner pack my gym bag for the next day and am usually in bed by 7:30ish. I don’t sleep well, usually tossing and turning…I know what you’re thinking. I go to bed too early, but remember I’m up by 3:30. Truth is, I’m usually so tired by 7 I sit on the bed flossing my teeth and fall asleep. My husband of course has told me not to sit on the bed while I floss.  I probably average about 5 hours of sleep off and on. Anyway, that’s my excuse for not working on my numerous projects during the week.

I’ve read so many books and articles on procrastination. Even coached others on the subject, but it never hit home for me until Sunday 07/08/12. Wait; let me back up a minute. Battling my frustration with my procrastination I wrote about a week ago which is stronger? Your desire to ________ ( fill in the blank) or your fear? For me it was my fear. As much as I desired to follow my calling, purpose, or as I like to refer to it “what I must do”. I just couldn’t seem to follow through.

Now back to Sunday 07/08/12. I was listening to a Pastor on television as I sometimes do and he was reading from Romans 8:38 where Paul says for I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, ³⁹Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

As I listened to the Pastor it began to resonate in my spirit. I am not fully persuaded God has called me to do what it is I think I am supposed to be doing. So I asked God to make it clear to me. As I was reading my daily scriptures Monday morning I began reading Joshua 1:9 as I always do. Greta, (I always add my name to make it personal) have not I commanded thee? But this time it was different. It was as though the Lord was telling me. He had commanded thee. What “I must do” is not something I have selected, on the contrary. It is what He has commanded me to do. I felt as though a burden had been lifted off of me.  I continued reading Jeremiah 1-10 as many people do. As I read verse 6, Jeremiah’s excuse, Ah.., Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. For me it would read, what if they ask me questions I can’t answer? But as I continued to read in verse 7 it was as thought the Lord was saying to me…for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee. In other words, I ‘m sending you to those to whom I have called you to speak, don’t be afraid, as it reads in verse 8.

Wow, as Oprah would say this was my aha moment. It’s not me, it’s all Him! I have a new found energy and desire to “do what I must do”. By the way, it’s after 8p.m. and I’m still up.

How do you answer this question? Which is stronger? Your desire to ____________ (you fill in the blank) or your fear?

Encouraging your financial, emotional and physical wellness

Greta

Have you ever noticed how when your finances aren't exactly where you would like them to be you lose focus? You may not be as effective on your job as you could be. You may be worried about making ends meet, trying to figure out which bill to pay and when to pay it. You may experience health issues like insomnia, headache or fatigue. Your relationships may suffer because you may not be able to afford to do what you did previously or you may not be in the mood to be around your friends and family.

Financial, emotional and physical wellness directly impacts each other. There are many things that can cause an imbalance in any of these three areas of our lives, a birth, a death, buying a home or losing a home, a new job or the loss of a job, a marriage or divorce or numerous other life changing events. You may be asking how can what seems to be a positive situation cause an imbalance. Let's take a look a few. The birth of a child even though it's planned will affect your finances, your emotional state and your physical well being. Unexpected expenses can occur such as medical expenses, child care etc. During the first few months as well as during the teenage years you will experience sleepless nights which will affect you emotionally and physically. What about a new job? Are you making purchases you ordinarily would not make? Are you concerned about succeeding in your new position? And then there is marriage.  I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say they were better off financially when they were single.

No one can predict the future and as Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 9:11...time and chance happen to us all , however I strongly believe in what I have adopted as my motto education + preparation = manifestation. Whatever the situation is you must first educate yourself. Once you have learned what you can you prepare yourself. Your education and your preparation will yield the manifestation of your desired outcome.

When making any decision to the best of your ability determine how it will affect you financially, emotionally and physically. Of course hindsight is twenty / twenty and I wish someone had imparted this wisdom into me many years ago.  But if they had I would not be here sending this wisdom your way based on my own personal experiences.

It's never too late to make a change. You may be experiencing or have experienced a financial, emotional or physical challenge, but this too can change for the better.

My desire for this blog is to encourage you to make healthy decisions in every area of your life so you can live EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY ABOVE!