As we wrap up the year 2017, we must all take a minute to reflect on the year so that we can learn and grow. I pray that your life has changed in some way, form, or fashion through interactions with me. Thank you for trusting me and taking this wonderful spiritual-life journey. It is my goal to continue to follow the Holy Spirit and asking Him more about how I can help you manifest His best life for you. As you think about the new year, what is it that you want? What have you learned from last year that you will not take into the new year? What goals do you have with God and with life in general?
The Lord has been priming me for 2018 and the key word for next year is “Discipline”; in the sense of training one’s self to be dedicated to change things that God wants for you and what you want for yourself. The year of 2018 will be a year of Mastering Joy! The way you master joy is through discipline. We begin by knowing and expressing what will give you a life of joy. What will truly make you happy? This isn’t about other people but about you. Once you figure that out, you have to become a Master at making sure that it happens while staying within the path of promise. The emphasis isn’t on thinking about it but on “Doing it”. Emphasis is on the ACTION you take. For instance, if you feel losing weight will bring you joy, you must Master losing weight. The only way to do that is to not allow your mind to think so much about getting up and doing it but to just 'do it'. Deny yourself ‘analysis paralysis’! When you find yourself trying to compromise by analyzing if you should exercise when you’ve planned to, you shut it down and ACT by doing exactly what your mind is trying to talk you out of. When you get this down to a science, God's promise is Yours!
If you truly want change and a life of Joy, become a Master of it. For 2018, here are some tips to get you started with Discipline to Mastering Joy:
What do you want? - Write down what you want. Make goals into steps for achievements. Start small and as you meet your goals, make them bigger.
Plan your change – Once you have your goals, plan around them by removing obstacles. Make change as easy as possible for yourself. That might mean removing things from your environment that makes its easy to fall prey. For example, if you’re eating better, don’t buy sugary things. Don’t compromise, at least, until you’ve become a Master of self-control.
ACT! – Commit to ACTION and deny ‘Analysis Paralysis’. Don’t think about what you’ve planned till you’re blue in the face, talking yourself out of your change and dreams. Compromise on your dreams and analysis paralysis is your enemy. It wants to comfort you but it’s deceptive. It will force you to forfeit change and stay in the same cycle you’ve always been in. The first 3 weeks of ACTION is the hardest. It will get easier afterwards so keep at it.
Motivate Yourself! – How can you motivate yourself each day? Do something that reminds you each day of why you are doing what you’re doing. For instance, if it’s losing weight, you may want to look at a pic of your slimmer self before going to bed or a tear out of an outfit that you’d like to get yourself when you reach a certain weight.
Stay focused - Review your goals each day. Pray and meditate asking for God’s guidance and help but most of all ask for His discernment.
Celebrate! – For each step you successfully complete of your goal, reward yourself (but not with anything that you’re trying to make changes from. For instance, if you're staying away from sugar don't reward yourself with it. Find something just as good but healthy).
Beware! – There’s a spiritual blue print to your life (subconsciously) that you’ve created based on decisions in your past, historical events, and comforts. It doesn’t want to change. It can work against you to do so. When you realize that you’re falling back into patterns that already exist and hold you back, you work harder against familiarity. Ask the Holy Spirit to be your power source; not your habitual and familiar history. Use His Power to create a new narrative for your life.
Many of us want different and better lives yet we lack discipline getting there. We start but we don’t finish. We dream but we don’t manifest. But what if you disciplined yourself? What if you became a Master at manifesting Joy in your life through discipline? What if you finished each goal you started? What if you manifested the life you want? The only difference between you and someone who has manifested their best life is discipline. Success is the difference between those who think and those who do. That’s it!
Is 2018 your year to Manifest Joy? Only you can determine it based on your actions. What you want and what you dream doesn’t mean anything if you don’t ACT on it. Time moves fast. It will be 2019 before you know it. Will you be in the same place this time next year? I hope not. I pray you are one of the life-changers who truly grab hold of the promise!
I pray that God will open up new opportunities for you that you dive in and accept with great enthusiasm. Learn something new. Do something new. Don't box yourself to what you feel comfortable with only. You're not living if you're not exploring. Get outside the box with Jesus.
I'm looking forward to another year with you and watching how the Lord change and awaken your life. To God be the Glory!
Have a fun yet safe New Year's Eve and a Happy and Prosperous 2018! May His Blessings and presence increase in your life!