So that email, coupled with Dr. Brown's quote that was nestled safely in the back of my mind, were the gentle nudges I needed to propel me forward to action. (It's amazing what God uses to catch out attention!) This is my story; I own it and I am no longer going to let fear...of what others think, their opinion, or potential judgment of my recent leap of faith, hold me back. In the great words of Franklin D. Roosevelt, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." By looking fear in the face and staring it down, we take away its power. That 'fork in the road' decision I made back in October was between God, my husband and me; and we're all three in agreement and good with it. So, without further ado...
In light of this realization, I made the scary, exhilarating, exciting, brave, and to some crazy, decision to invest in me and to follow my heart despite not looking rational on paper; to leave stress behind in exchange for passion, desire and a soul-nurturing path.
While I greatly appreciated my two-year tenure with my former employer, I knew I made the right decision when I looked in the mirror the morning after my last day on the job. I did not recognize the person I saw...I was glowing, the bags and dark circles were gone from under my eyes. I had not seen that person for a long time; it was as if I was looking a long lost best friend in the eyes after years apart...and I liked what I was seeing!
During my run that eye-opening morning, I had such clarity and the creative juices started flowing. I listened to a playlist I made some time ago called "SHIFT" - that title was beyond appropriate, applicable and timely to say the least! The songs were just what my soul, heart and being needed to hear. It was as if, despite running...okay, jogging, I was in slow motion. I noticed a bird in flight; he was low enough and I was so aware of the moment that I noticed his red face. This observation was immediately followed by a sighting of two butterflies. Again, thanks to my new "slow down" perspective I noticed them. Through the song changes and my run/jog, I realized I was given a special gift of a "R&R" period, per se, to be gentle to myself and embrace rest among other self-love, "TLC" words.
- Rest
- Rejuvenate
- Recoup
- Regroup
- Run (because you need to feed your body as much as your soul)
- Reading
- 'Riting (more to follow on this one)
- 'Rithmatic (because learning and feeding your mind is just important)
- Relax
- Reinvent
- Rebirth (of dreams, passion, etc.)
- Restore
- Resurrect
- Redirect
- Release (bless, forgive and release)
- Reconnect (because in the busyness, I've unfortunately neglected friendships and relationships and let them take a backseat to the to-do list)
- Reminisce
- Receive (what the future has in store for me)
- Reset (priorities)
- Reveal
- Refresh
- Rediscover (that old friend, my true self who has been buried for a while)
- Relish (this gift and time)
- Rewind
- Recreate
- Restock (my sleep, energy, and reserves that have long been depleted)
- Repair
- Reset
- Rejoice
- Rebuild
- Renew
- Recalculate
- Recalibrate
- Renovate
- Reassess
- Repair
- Return
- Recharge
- Refuel
- Recover
"God came to Elijah...in a still, small voice...God's servant was tired, and God brought him comfort...God removed Elijah from the activity for a time, so that he could rest and spend some time with God...when the nation next saw Elijah, he was rejuvenated and refocused on God and His assignment...He (God) will encourage you and provide exactly what you need to prepare you for what comes next."
YES!!! Yes, He does! So, whereas I may not have sand between my toes, I am enjoying and absorbing a little R&R&R...!
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