Introspection

Today I am reflecting on my life, my purpose, my mission, and my journey…I thought about what makes me, me…why I do what I do. There are several principles that I have adopted along the way that I strive to live by. These principles help me to enjoy the journey called life. I have chosen to write this to REMIND myself of these principles. Sometimes I may drift away and I need to do some introspection to bring me back.

• Choose to surround yourself with positive individuals who are where you want to be or on their way. You should be able to look at every single one of your friends and ask yourself, “What do they contribute to my life?” The closest people in your life should be striving to go the same place where you are going. First and foremost, I surround myself with spiritual people. It’s not a surprise then that most of my friends are Christians. And not just any and every Christian but Christians who are striving to live right, do right, and be right. Christians who though they make mistakes they recognize that they have not “arrived.” They realize that they must depend on God for everything…And there is a constant movement towards growing closer to God. You are probably thinking that sounds like I am looking for perfect friends. But I’m not…Just those who are striving for perfection :-).

• Another group of people I surround myself with are those who are aspiring to have successful careers. That would be individuals who are actually trying to graduate! They came to school with a purpose. Not to party, get drunk, go to the club, pledge, etc. etc. They came to school with one MAIN purpose…to get an education…Believe it or not, many people do not go to school for that purpose. If you are not careful, you may find yourself doing everything else but your school work…The people I chose to surround myself with when I was in college were the ones on the honor roll…the folks who were going where I was going…Straight As all the way…Or at least ASPIRING for As. We did other extra-curricular activities, but it never distracted us from our goal.

• In your professional career, you also want to stay close to folks who are going where you are going as well. Some people are just there to collect a paycheck. While others are there to make a difference! They work with purpose. Regardless of their position in the organization they do the best they can at their job. I like befriending these people. I can relate to their hearts. My motto is, “Anything you do, do it as you are doing it unto the Lord.” If you recognize that God is your boss, then you are more likely to work with passion and go further that the lazy Jo Blow you work with. I sometimes get discouraged at work when I find that people do not work with purpose and passion. I feel frustrated when I hear them talking for hours casually or see them on facebook all day…while complaining that they have soooo much work to do! But I must remember that my purpose does not hinge on their performance and what they chose to do with their life.

• Feed your mind with positive things. This is a very important concept because there is a lot of garbage out there. Ranging from trashy novels, ghetto music videos, nasty music, unsavory places etc.etc. I choose not to drink and get drunk, AND I choose not to hang out with ANYONE who participates in that. The same goes for drugs. SAY NO TO DRUGS! I choose not to go partying, and clubbing…It’s just not my vibes. I feel awkward and out of place in those environments because I am surrounded by people who are not trying to go where I am going…I much rather spend time with my friends playing cards, eating, going to the movies, get-togethers at friends’ house, chatting, going on wild nature adventures, going to plays, the beach, and traveling. I LOVE to attend fellowships with other Christians. The college ministry, young married couples, young adults, and the ladies. Spending time with these people fill my soul. It encourages me to keep doing what I am doing.

• Additionally, I TRY to listen to music that is not degrading or just outright sinful. Yeah, I know…the beat is real catchy…But you have to try. I was singing “Blame it on the a a a a a alcohol…” the other day, and my husband so kindly said, “Do you know what they are saying in that song?” He then informed me that Fox was singing about a girl who got drunk, had a boyfriend, and he later had sex with her…Ummm, did you know that its considered rape to have sex with someone who is drunk?…Okay, maybe I don’t need to be singing that song…But dang it’s so catchy…hmmm…And as I write this I am looking at Beyonce’s music videos...:-)

• But in terms of positive things to feed my mind…I like to read books about building stronger marriage relationships, spiritual books, and anything that promotes better living. I am not much of a reader so I don’t spend much time reading for pleasure. Another way I try to contribute to feeding my mind is by studying my Bible and doing devotions. I must confess that I have to seriously improve in this area and simply be more consistent. I have not managed to maintain a consistent pattern of daily devotion and prayer. I don’t know why this habit is sooooooo hard to form. It’s like exercising! Why can some people just jog every day…pray every day…with ease? I wish I could be more consistent in this area. I need to find someone who can help keep me accountable…It is my personal goal is to improve in this area.

• Stay focused! Life can present itself with so many distractions to take our eyes away from the prize….Ranging from facebook or twitter addictions, to an obsession with celebrities. These things can really distract us from what we are supposed to me about. I heard something on CNN the other day where they said that there was this teen that was sending 5,000 text messages in one day. I can’t even imagine how that is possible…But I know that when we get so entrenched in things that are not really that important and we start to treat it like its important the devil is smiling…Because we have turned our attention onto things that are less important and does not draw us closer to where we need to be.

• Appreciate the good people in your life. There are friends who are my cheerleaders in life. They encourage, motivate and even inspire me. It’s easy to take them for granted because I know “they will always be there.” But that’s not true. They may not always be there…Sometimes I dwell on the people I want to have a relationship with (like my sisters) and forget that God has blessed me with so many sisters who want to have a relationship with me. It is so easy to block God’s blessing because we are looking for it in someone else. I believe that no matter where you are in this world, the Lord will always send his angel in the form of a friend just for you. The time you spend following senseless tweets, or facebook statuses, reading random forwards can be better spent appreciating these good people.

Dear Lord,

Please help me to reprioritize my life. Help me to stay focused on the things I need to stay focused on. Help me to draw close the people who are trying to go where I am going. Help me to find them and help me to rid myself of individuals in my life who are simply a distraction. Or better yet, help me to help them be better…God, help me to be better, to grow closer to you and to live my life with purpose and passion…because you gave me life…you gave me another day to make a difference. Help me not to be distracted with the media (facebook, tv, email etc.) as I have but help me to use it to advance my goals and my mission in life. Please help me not to place emphasis on the thing that are not important but rather on the things that are important (family, friends, making a positive difference in my community, serving in your church, building strong and positive relationships, and ultimately serving you God). Please help me to develop healthy habits such as reading positive books, daily devotion and prayer, and regular bible study. And please help me to be an example in word, thought, and deed…especially when no one is looking. Use me God…and help me to be better than I am today.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.