Joy Challenge #8: Go for a walk
Walk it off. No, seriously. Exercise is good for more than your muscles – it’s good for your brain. The endorphins that are released are exactly what you need after a long day staring at your computer, seeing what everyone else in the world is doing while you struggle to put two thoughts together.
I’m having one of those mornings. I’m battling a cold, I’m exhausted, I’m running on empty and yet – my to-do list isn’t getting any smaller. The more I think about what all I need to get done, the more paralyzed I become just thinking about where to start. So I start scrolling through Instagram and Facebook, checking text messages and looking for inspiration. Instead, I feel terrible. Look at all the work she’s doing!
Look at all the work she’s doing!
Oh, she just launched another course.
She gets up at 4:30 in the morning to read her Bible and clean her whole house before her family wakes up.
Look at her meal planning!
Oh they got that editing job I applied for – that’s nice.
That’s really creative – I wish I could design like that!
Instead of being able to sit down and start the work I’ve been given, I spend far too much time taking a quick peek into what everyone else is doing. Sometimes I just need to walk away. Your computer, phone, and tablet aren’t the boss of you, you know? You can close them, turn them off, put them in a corner and go get some fresh air. Take a walk down your road and admire the fall decorations your neighbors have displayed. Go to a local park and enjoy the laughter around you. Find a garden and walk quietly through God’s creation. Be inspired and recharged. Be quiet with God and ask Him to fill you with the kind of joy that can only come from walking in His will for your life.
Walk it off. And then get back to what God has called you to do with a fresh vision and renewed spirit.
Questions:
- When was the last time you took a walk, just you and God?
- Where do you like to go for a change of scenery, to be inspired and recharged?
- When you find yourself experiencing choice paralysis, where do you typically turn?
What if, in five years, you could tell people that your passion provides your income?
Amazing, right?
And maybe a little scary?
You know what you love to do, and you know you can make a difference with your message – but right now you’re just not sure what your best next step should be.
How do you go from a fuzzy wish in your heart to a focused vision for your future?
