It’s sooooo hard to believe that my sweet babygirl is about to turn 6 months old, y’all!!! 6 months!! I started this series in August when she was a mere 3 months and she’s already halfway to one year now—that’s unreal!! Anyway, thanks for reading along on my journey of postpartum rediscoveries as a second-time momma!
For the fifth and final component of this series, I want to talk about the importance of being OPEN. Open to wise counsel. Open to change. Open to correction. And open to more ownership.
The first is this: be open to wise counsel. In the last few months, I’ve had to navigate a new season of life that was very unfamiliar to me and my entire family. We’ve dealt with birth, loss, grief, job transition, and more leadership roles on our plate than in any season before. That’s a lot happening in one season for anybody! And while my husband and I tend to be two strong-willed, figure-it-out-on-our-own type of people, there have been instances where opening our hearts to wise counsel have saved us from going too far in our own strength. The stress and strain of life can pull us in so many directions that it becomes increasingly easy to snap or become offended at those we do life with; when I opened up to a trusted mentor about an issue I was facing, the Lord used her words to encourage me in the very state I found myself in giving me the courage to walk in humility in the situation as well as the guidance to know how to approach the matter in an effective way.
Secondly, be open to change. Not everything has to remain the same time after time after time. Even fitness coaches require their clients to switch up their routines, so your muscles don’t get used to the same ol’ same ol’—hindering growth in the long run! Be open to change on your job, in your homes, or wherever you may find yourself. Many times we’re in situations where change is delivered straight to our door by no choice of our own; and while we may not have asked for that change, we have the opportunity to repurpose that change in ways that can have a positive effect. I would challenge you to be the change you want to see carried out in your own environment! Every day is an opportunity to embrace change in one of two ways: as an optimist or as a pessimist. Be optimistic about what can come of it and work to grow through the changes that life presents you with rather than grow weary because of them.
Thirdly, be open to correction. We can look at correction as either a thief or as a gift. If we constantly see correction as a thief, intending to steal our thunder, take away the strengths or the good we bring to the table, we’ll miss the opportunity to capitalize what’s already great about us. The Word says that God is a loving Father who corrects us out of love. So the moments of correction that come from our spouse, our parents, our leadership, or the Holy Spirit himself are God’s way of showing us He desires for us to grow. He wants us to be better versions of ourselves and that requires maturity in receiving correction daily!
And last but certainly not least— be open to OWNERSHIP!! In this life, we are given specific gifts, talents, passions, and capacities. Our different life experiences—no matter how tragic, traumatic, or terrific they may have been—all work together with those desires wrapped inside us. And with that, God initiates a unique purpose within us that we are destined to live out. It is in our own hands to act on the God-given gifts inside of us to make the most of the lives we’ve been granted. Sure, you will need resources and other people to help support you along the way, but you cannot gain support for something that has not been enacted!
I think about myself in recent months. I shared with my husband that I needed some accountability in the area of fitness. He recommended that I ask one of my best girlfriends since she’d been doing incredibly well on her own fitness journey. Even though I had already known this was the right thing to do, I allowed the lies of “She won’t have time for me.. she won’t think I’m serious.. she’s too far on her own journey to want to help me..” to be an excuse for me to push off asking her! Thank God I was open to my husband’s advice that pointed me in the direction of my own heart! The minute my girlfriend and I shared a conversation about my goals, she expressed such excitement for me! It’s been a great exchange so far, and I’m so glad I owned that decision because it’s led to me owning more of my fitness goals and desired results! Beyond that, even if we do have accountability partners, it’s important to know we ultimately OWN the success (or lack thereof) in our own lives based on the decisions we make, the habits we form, and the follow-through we execute. Let’s be open to owning our own decisions that will eventually lead us to destinies of greatness!!
I pray this week my post sparked some hope in your heart wherever you find yourself this season. Remember, as long as you’re breathing, you’ve got an opportunity to improve you, your lifestyle, and your outlook on life!! As I bring this series to a close, I pray you, too, would rediscover the significance in being forgiving of others and yourself, being transparent, being intentional, being balanced, and being open to the things that make us better. It’s never too late to manifest what you want to see come to fruition in your life! Bring it before the Lord, and set out on a journey to be the best version of you that you desire to be!
XO,
Brianne