Oooh baby did we get ourselves another storm this weekend! I was driving home Friday and could barely see the car in front of me. It was just down pouring snow. And, for a moment I let it overwhelm me. I became worried that my car would slip, or that I couldn't see if someone ahead was stopped. Or, what if I was going to crash?
When you can't see what's ahead in life, it can get very overwhelming. When you have problems or situations that you are dealing with it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. And, every single day can be a challenge. When you can't see the world in front of you, how do you feel, where do you go emotionally, what do you say, what do you do?
It got me thinking that sometimes in life, we are in the thick of things so deep that we can't see anything else in front of us. Much like a snow globe, sometimes you feel like you are being shaken. Like the world around you is spinning, and spinning and you don't know when it will stop.
There is this weather pattern that is moving through Kansas City and many other states this weekend, and it is mighty.
So, ask yourself: what patterns are moving through your life right now with the same force?
Tray and I are fighting some serious outside battles in our life right now. We have learned that you can either grow together in the storm or slowly but surely allow it to separate you and veer off course. Just like driving a car in a snow storm, we often times only see what is right in front of us—and it becomes a constant challenge.
When every single day the topics are "how do we survive" that inherently becomes all you focus on. If you are only focused on not crashing into the car in front of you, you miss the opportunity to see the journey ahead or form a strategic direction of your life. So, learn how to focus your sight outward vs. what is right in front of you. Also, if you are only focused on avoiding the crash, you have a 99% chance of crashing.
Remember: where your focus goes, energy flows.
Let's shift our focus! When you feel like you cannot get out of your head on a certain topic, you must change your state. What I like to do is go to my vision board and to focus on my word of the year.
Firs, focus on your dreams. Your words and your dreams have to be strong. So strong that they are rooted inside of you and they will pull you out of the funk when you feel yourself slipping into the "what ifs". When you feel like you can't see the outcome and you're in a grin and bear it mode, you have to find a way to look forward. Set your sights 90 days from now. What will you plan to look forward to?
For us, it's our honeymoon. We delayed it after the wedding intentionally for several reasons. First, we decided to focus on restoring our financial health after the wedding. Second, we want to plan and take a family moon first with the kids. Third, getting married in November meant it was followed by Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and busy work seasons for us both. Finally, we knew that we wanted to leave something ahead to plan that would be sacred, joyful and encouraging to get through winter.
Snow globe means protecting my light from the chaos of the world. And guess what, we have had storms every single day this year. And, I have chosen to stand firm in the storm.
Did you know buffalos in storms run straight through the storm. The cows all huddle together, wishing and hoping it will pass. Yet, the mighty buffalo run right through the storm because they know it is the fastest way through it.
So in great buffalo form, here are some quick tips on running through the storms in your life today:
Focus on one thing you want to be, do or have 90 days from now. Will you get promoted, be pregnant, have a new house, go on a trip, have a girls' weekend, take a few strokes off your golf game? Create an outcome 90 days from now that is different than suffering. Suffering does not have to be the way. Most people figure out how to tolerate their level of suffering and call it happiness. Let me say that again—suffering does not have to be the way. Pick a goal that will inspire you to change your behavior and your actions. When you are in the hard times, focus forward on three months from now, not on today. Create the outcome you want to achieve in your mind before it happens. Then everything around you will shift to manifest it in your life.
"Suffering does not have to be the way. Most people figure out how to tolerate their level of suffering and call it happiness."
So where will you be? Who will you be with? What will you look like? How are you standing? What are you saying? Where are you? Are you accepting an award, or maybe taking a trip on a beach? Perhaps you are the mom of the year. Did you get promoted at work? Cast a strong, specific vision for your life three months from now.
Then, focus on your 90-day dream every single day. Do not focus on the wreck that is right in front of you or how much you are being shaken in the storm.
Focus forward.
My dream is 90 days from now we will be on an elegant yacht in Greece and then travel up the Almafi Coast of Italy for our Honeymoon. And let's be clear: this is the grandest vision I have for the best trip in my life up until now! This dream gets me through tough days. This dream brings a smile to my face. This dream unites Tray and I in the storm!
Belive today that fear doesn't stand a chance when you stand in love. Choose to focus on things you love in your storm. Choose gratitude. Choose hope. Choose to cast your vision forward with these simple steps:
Set a goal for 3 months from now. Write it down and say it out loud.
Be as specific as possible! Write down what you will look like, feel like, who you are with, where will you be? Get creative.
Identify five behaviors are you committed to interrupting in your life to get there.
Fear doesn't stand a chance when you stand in love. Find ways to stand in love regardless of what arises around you. That is the ultimate superpower of life.
