Let us strip off every weight that slows us down…and run with ENDURANCE the race God has set before us! Hebrews 12:1(Emphasis Mine).
I don’t know about you but change is hard for me. I am always thinking about how to change the things I don’t like myself and how I can guide others to change as well. Sometimes I wish I could flip a switch and turn my brain off. Seriously, it never stops. My husband is always making fun of me because I talk to myself constantly – trying to figure out something, everything, anything!
Well, I guess all that thinking is good for something. I want to share with you what I have learned about change and what characteristics create the best conditions for change to be possible. The 7 healing habits described below, are based on years of personal experience and also the experience gained through the amazing individuals I have had the privilege to walk alongside on their journey to healing and change.
What I have found is, we all have a tendency to focus more on “How do I change?” and we forget to think about the things we are doing that make change impossible. Let’s discover together what characteristics most equip us to see the change we all want in our life!
My challenge to you is be to open. Be open to doing something new. Because one thing I know for sure is, we can never change until we do something we’ve never done before! So here goes:
Seven Healing Habits
Healing Habit # 1 Be Reflective
We can’t change what we don’t know exist! Be diligent about slowing down, having quiet time to connect with God, and reflect on what is in your heart. Face it – don’t avoid it! Letting go of things that do not belong, frees us from our pain and gives us the opportunity to change into who we want to become. The Bible tells that we change by “renewing our mind” (Romans 12:2). One definition of renewing is to “repeat an action or statement”. We are constantly bombarded with things that seek to rob us of our peace, hope, and healing. We need a consistent inflow of Truth fighting the barrage of negative perceptions that creep in and steal our motivation to change.
Spending time allowing God to clear out of our heart anything that doesn’t line up with His perspective, breathes life, hope, and freedom into our dry and hurting places. His Truth is freeing! Create time for a daily practice of reflection – pitching what doesn’t belong and filling that space instead with the Truth in God’s Word. His Word – His very presence is healing to our soul and provides the encouragement we need to keep going when the excitement on the roller coaster of change has ended.
Healing Habit #2 Be Prayerful & Hope-filled
I heard the saying recently, “If you have time to worry, you have time to pray.” Prayer needs to become our default. My father used to say, “Prayer is the main entrée on the menu of a successful life.” I am trying to learn to be consumed by prayer instead of worry. I am realizing that the clarity and direction I am seeking, comes only when my heart is bent in prayer. Then my hope fills. When we fix our eyes on the One Who Is Able, our hope naturally increases. Expect Him to come through, even when nothing makes sense. It is when we are trying to do this thing called “life” on our own that our hope drains and once hope goes so does our motivation for change. Let worry be a cue to sink to your knees. Then record what God does. Keep a prayer journal noting what you are handing over to Him and what He does for you in the process. We all need reminded.
Healing Habit # 3 Be Thankful
There is healing in living a life of thanks and gratitude. I believe we only truly live when we can be thankful for the moment we are in. Learn to be fully aware of the present with your eyes open wide to see and soak in the gifts all around you. Ann Voskamp realized through her tragic experience as a young child that, “The remedy is in the retina.” What we fail to look for, we fail to see. Slowdown from the crazy world around you by experiencing fully the blessings God puts in front of you. I have been amazed at how refreshing it is and how joy filled a moment can be when I stop to take in a simple blessing: the sun warming my face, the belly rolling laughter of my little girls, the sweet embrace of a loved one’s arms, the trust in my horses’ eyes, the dew shining bright in the morning sun. What joy a moment can contain when we pause to notice.
Start a habit of noticing every change you are making, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. My client’s always struggle to see how far they have come, because they are too focused on how far they still have to go. Savory every win. Write down the progress you are seeing so that you have proof in the ink that builds you up when the inevitable setbacks come. Unless we look for it, we fail to see it. By bringing awareness to even the slightest change, you give yourself grace, and grace is what picks you back up and keeps you moving forward.
Healing Habit # 4 Be Fun
This is hard one for me. I continually have to remind myself to not be so serious. Luckily, God gave me a husband who knows how to be fun! The other day I was stressing, going back to my old striving habit, and pushing myself relentlessly when my husband walked in. He said, “I know how to solve this. Come with me.” I tried my best to resist but God love that man, he wouldn’t quit. He drove me over to our 17-acre, nothing but wide open farmland, and made me soak in the sunset and the deer grazing in the distance. My stress began to melt and a smile started to spread across my cheeks. Then he lovingly pulled me out of our 4-wheeled Polaris, and insisted on pushing me on our girl’s spider web swing till every ounce of stress floated away with the breeze. I laughed. He laughed. And I realized in that moment fun and laughter can turn chaos into calm and frustration into peace. It settles our busy mind.
Make it a priority to add fun into your life. Pause. Sit. Laugh. Soak it in. Be fun! We all need a break from life to reset and give our brains the space they need to help us make better choices. They say a stressed brain is a stupid brain! Become smarter today by adding more fun into your life. Change happens when we can make good decisions and good decisions develop from a state of calm, not stress.
Healing Habit # 5 Be Physically Healthy
If you spend all your time getting your mind in order but fail to create a healthy lifestyle that nourishes your body, you are neglecting 1/3 of who you are. We are body, soul, and spirit. Our physical health is vital for spiritual and emotional health. God created us in such a way that our bodies can heal naturally, but we must provide it with the right ingredients to do so. Be diligent about researching healthy eating and adding exercise into your life. I am convinced that the processed foods we eat, jam-packed with all kinds of preservatives, additives, and genetically modified organism (which our body’s have no idea how to process) and the increase in sedentary activities are two of the greatest factors fueling the out of control number of mood disorders we see today. Kelly Brogan states in her book, A Mind of Your Own, that over 30 million Americans are on antidepressants today and that it is becoming one of the leading causes of disability in our country.
A full wellness regiment is beyond the scope of this blog; however, I encourage you to find out all that you can regarding natural ways you can heal and restore your body and mind. Understanding basics wellness habits are fundamental to healing and are the foundation of change. A couple places to start your search, are Dr. Kelly Brogan’s website www.kellybroganmd.com or her book (linked above). She is a psychiatrist’s who relies solely on natural methods of healing. Another resource is, Mark Virkler’s biblical based information on health and wellness at https://takechargeofyourhealth.today.
Healing Habit # 6 Be Connected
Surround yourself with relationships that encourage you to become the best version of yourself. It is vital that your relationships support you on your journey to becoming all that Christ has designed you to be. Learning to form healthy relationships and build a network of support, helps us to stay the course. Change is hard. We need others to pick us up when we fall-down, and refresh our hearts when we get discouraged.
We thrive most when connected with others. It is just a part of who we are! Take time to learn the art of creating healthy relationships and cultivate a support system. Your best chance for forming healthy relationships, happens when you are healthy yourself! Educate yourself on developing healthy boundaries, developing your true-identity in Christ, learning how to love who God made you to be, and cultivating self-awareness. Healthy relationships require work and only grown when we are purposeful and intentional. If you find your understanding of what a healthy relationship looks like is limited, and setting boundaries hasn’t been your strong suit be sure to check out , Michelle Farris’ blog, www.counselingrecovery.com.
Healing Habit # 7 Be Generous with Your Light
All healing is meant to be shared. As Joyce Meyer’s life testifies, “Your mess becomes your message.” There is a God-given purpose driven deep into your heart. You were created to be a light that makes a difference (Matthew 5:14). You were put here for a specific purpose at this specific time. Start being love. Start sharing your light. Start showing others how God sees you. This sets the stage for becoming all Christ intended you to be! Remember, is it the fear of uncertainty that keeps us from the change we want. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Facing your fear gives you the opportunity to discover who you are uniquely designed to be and where you shine your brightest!
So let’s get moving. Start putting a new habit in place today and create the right environment for change to take place in your life!
Be Blessed ~ Be a Light!
*This is an excerpt from my book Shining Freely coming late 2017!
This post contains some affiliate links but in no way does it determine what I write about or how I write it!