Every year that passes, every month that passes - it is becoming more and more evident to me that each day is a gift. Regardless of my mood, what I may be facing or negative things that may be happening in my life, I have the ability to push through and persevere. Why, because I am a daughter of the King and God is my rock. How, by walking away from what does not benefit me, by taking a leap of faith and by facing my fears and the unknown. Once you define your why in life, your how becomes that much bigger. I have heard, read and watched videos, books and blogs about complacency and being comfortable, and that is not how life is intended to be lived. Until that becomes a truth for you - you are
quite possibly preventing growth and your own innate passions and gifts are being subdued. The time to start something new and embark out of your comfort zone is never going to be put in your calendar or fall in your lap, you have to decide, commit and create the time.
Let's face it we have all become comfortable in our relationships, our jobs, our marriages, our day-to-day life. When we continue to perpetuate this cycle we are never allowing ourselves the opportunity to live out our full potential - our untapped greatness that God has prepared for us on this great adventure of life. Yes, it takes sacrifice and sometimes it takes walking away from a job or a friend or maybe everything you have so far in life, but it will be worth it in the end. Trust me, there are days where I wake up and I feel unmotivated, stagnant or just plain tired of life. Sometimes, I feel like I am running a race, somewhere in the middle of the pack, not being pushed too hard but also not falling behind according to America's standards. Its comfortable, most days its easy, but when I live my days like this I am stifling my character and passions and allowing life to take over, rather then creating the life I want.
On days like this, I have two options: 1. allow my complacency and lack of motivation to consume me and to go through the motions, OR 2. I have the choice to find something to add value and happiness to my life. On days like this, I like to take time to do some self-development. Read, pray, do a devotion. I am talking about 5 to 10 minutes tops - not a huge chunk of time just a little time to get re-focused. Plus, let's face it, I cannot sit still to save my life, so for me taking 5-10 minutes is completely doable and completely justified. I also like to go through and read inspirational quotes and look at inspirational pictures.
Here are some great motivation quotes, find your favorite and put it on a sticky note on your mirror or in your car, or in your purse. Somewhere that you can read it whenever you need a reminder:
Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. –Napoleon Hill
Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value. –Albert Einstein
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. –Wayne Gretzky
Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement. –W. Clement Stone
Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. –Charles Swindoll
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. –Steve Jobs
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. –Maya Angelou
The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why. –Mark Twain
People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing. That’s why we recommend it daily. –Zig Ziglar
Ask and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. –Jesus
When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, I used everything you gave me. –Erma Bombeck
Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs. –Farrah Grand
"Every time you stay out late; every time you sleep in; every time you miss a workout; every time you don't give 100% - You make it that much easier for me to beat you." - Unknown
"You can have results or you can have your excuses. You cannot have both." - Unknown
"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength." - Arnold Schwarzenegger
"Obsessed is just a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated." - Unknown
I also like to read Bible verses that motivate me, even if you do not read the Bible or maybe you do not know where you start, you can always look in the index in the back of your Bible and just find one topic and one verse to focus on for the day. Here are some great verses:
Deuteronomy 31:6 - Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
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Isaiah 40:31 - But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Matthew 19:26 - But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Mark 9:23 - And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 - Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we van imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Today, I went for run and listened to this motivational video, there are tons of them on YouTube so you can find one for a topic that may hit closer to home for you. This video was so inspiring and uplifting - give it a listen during your next workout or run, hopefully it will motivate you as much as it did me:
