This past week I wrapped up our monthly training call in the online training group . This group is a fabulous gathering of ladies that are committed to transforming physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. We do a training call at the end of every month designed to motivate, encourage, and prepare us as we journey along this road to a truly fit life. July’s topic was freedom. I thought it was pretty powerful and decided I would share a few bullet points with you.
First, two of the definitions of freedom that stick out to me the most are:
Liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another
The quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous
So I thought it important to identify those onerous things that get us gals stuck in bondage. Through my years of coaching, training, and working with women and having to look out for these things myself, I identified five common yokes that keep us trapped. You may or may not struggle with all of them but they are definitely worth watching out for. I encourage you to start to develop mental red flags when these come in, seeking to keep you in bondage.
Lack of Purpose– Most people have no idea what they want their life to look like. They wind up living a life by default instead of my design. It’s going through the motions without understanding your gifts and why you were put on this planet. It’s my belief that we all have a specific calling and destiny on our life and we were each born with specific strengths gifted from God. What is your purpose and calling on this life? A glaring lack of purpose will birth the rest I have listed.
Comparison to Others– Women are the absolute WORST at this. Why is it that when a woman walks into a room we must immediately size ourselves up with her? Not to mention the magazines at the grocery store checkout line, Facebook, Pinterest, and on and on and on. How about we start appreciating what God has gifted us with? When we compare we quickly can fall into a trap of jealousy and envy , which is a surefire way to be MISERABLE.
Skewed Identity– This means not understanding who you are based on truth. Do not let the lies of others and of this world define who you are and what you do. I choose to believe what God says about me based on his word. This means I am a new creation. Fearfully and wonderfully made and a masterpiece to him. Now the trick is to have faith and walk out in the belief regardless of how you feel, which leads me to number 4.
Poor emotional management– When you operate based on emotion you will look for earthly things to make your emotions better. Examples are food, sex, drugs, relationships, etc. We make physical things our Gods. Hear me on this. What you idolize you will eventually demonize. In my opinion, God is the only one that can guide our emotions if we will simply give them over to him.
No time/energy management–This typically happens when we don’t delegate or put unnecessary energy into draining things. Identify what’s sucking you dry. Delegate or delete. Stop trying to compartmentalize every part of your life. It’s exhausting trying to keep everything perfectly balanced in its own little box. You will wear yourself out! Bring it all together and keep your focus forward. Be the same person you are at work, home, church, with friends, etc. Bring God into everything!
Keeping yourself free is as easy as LETTING IT GO. Keep your focus on your purpose and your calling. For me it’s about relinquishing everything to God, listening to him, and obeying him. My encouragement to you is this:
Your life is about so much more than merely surviving. It’s about thriving and living a life of purpose and joy. There is a plan and purpose for you. Stay free.