This week, I asked for something very specific. I asked God to allow me to encourage, love and help someone everyday…to be a connection point between them and Him. Each day, I asked to be positioned to be a blessing and it happened! I was given opportunities to speak words of encouragement, plant seeds of hope and shed light where darkness once covered. It filled my tank and allowed me to rest each night knowing that I made a difference in someone’s life.

 

Being granted the chance to be in this position showed me that if I desire something, all I need to do are three simple things: ask, believe and go.

ASK

Growing up, I was not big on asking for what I wanted/needed. I saw asking as a burden and a bother. I preferred to assume others knew what I wanted and would just give it to me. I didn’t want it known that I needed anything. How absurd is that! But, how many of us are still doing that very thing? How many times have you desperately needed help and you chose to suffer in the shadows because stepping into the light was too risky. The biggest lesson I ever learned in my adult years is this: Embrace vulnerability! It is not a sign of weakness. It is not naivety. It is not emotionally irresponsible. Embracing vulnerability is a sign of strength, maturity and wisdom. It is the key to asking because it requires trust. When I pray to God and ask for the opportunity to be a blessing in someone’s life, I am trusting that God knows my capacity to share and give love to another and that my heart will be safe in this situation. In order to ask for what you desire, you must trust the one you are asking.

Believe

Once you ask for a thing, do you immediately think, “Well, let’s see if this will work.”? If you do, you should probably stop expecting to get what you asked for. Asking is an act of faith. Faith and doubt cannot occupy the same space – one will cancel out the other. This week, when I asked to be a blessing, I did not doubt the possibility. I did not question my worthiness of receiving this blessing. I believed immediately and thanked God for it in advance! What do you need to believe for in your life? What have you asked and are now doubting? Explore that area and renew your commitment to your ‘ask’.

Go

For me, this is the step that tells the most about your level of belief. You can go and do the good you desire to do when you believe it is possible. Stepping out and remaining open to receiving your ‘ask’ brings me so much joy! The confidence that rises from going forward in faith will impact every other area of your life. Asking and believing without action is ineffective and a sign of doubt. For years, I would ask, believe it was possible and do nothing! I just waited for something to happen and most of the time, nothing did. Now, I fully understand that my ability to receive what I have asked for is connected to my willingness to step out there and do something!

Are you willing to be vulnerable enough to ask for what you desire, believe you will receive it and then go step out in faith towards that thing?

Just ask…

 

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War is not exceptional; peace is.   Worry is not exceptional; trust is. Decay is not exceptional; restoration is. Anger is not exceptional; gratitude is. Selfishness is not exceptional; sacrifice is. Defensiveness is not exceptional; love is. And judgementalism is not exceptional…But grace is. – excerpt from Unoffendable

According to Merriam Webster, exceptional is defined as “deviating from the norm”. This deviation creates a divide that is so stark that it can rarely go unnoticed. 

When I read those words in a book by Brant Hansen, I had to put the book down and just reflect on what he said. Many times as we watch the news and hear of all the terrible and heartbreaking events happening around the world, we immediately marvel at just how unimaginable it is. But, I began to question those reactions…

Is it really unimaginable to see nation’s against nation’s over people, places and things? 

Is it really unimaginable that one American can hate and murder another American because of their differences? Is it really unimaginable that empathy is slowly being erased from the consciousness of humanity in favor of narcissism? 

It is not…

But, what his statements challenged me to see were the amazingly passionate, loving and humble acts of every day people towards another that dispels all fear, hatred and pain. In the midst of the ashes of a wounded world, pockets of healing are emerging… Exceptional, undeniable healing of a hurting humanity. And then, I brought my perspective to a smaller level and asked the question, ‘Are YOU exceptional, Dawn?’

When someone offers you judgement, do you extend grace? When met with ignorance and hate, do you extend the opportunity to expand understanding? When hated, do you love? Those would be exceptional responses to everyday interactions…But would I choose to do it? Would my emotions, expectations and personal beliefs hinder me from responding exceptionally? 

The answer is yes.

What I have recently realized is that when my mind is set on ‘me over you’ it is impossible to exist in a space of love and peace. I will always be in a state of war that is defensive, combative and untrusting. 

Love and peace… Exceptional

War, combat, untrusting…The norm.

Breaking out of the norm will take daily, intentional actions. Here are 3 ways that I set my mind to chose being exceptional over normal:

Remain sober minded 

I remind myself that my actions impact the people around me. This quick sanity check helps me to remain grounded and not elevate myself above another or lower myself beneath them. Each of those postures will manifest in my life in ways that are detrimental to my purpose and calling. 

Remember who I am

Every morning, I look in the mirror and tell myself who I am before anyone else has the opportunity to do it. I affirm my value, purpose and necessity on this Earth and establish the truths that will be my foundation for the day. When I know who I am, the comments and opinions of others will not destroy my spirit. It will provide me the opportunity to respond in an exceptional manner than can diffuse all anger, hate and fear.

Know that I always have a choice

Realizing that every comment does not warrant my response keeps me in a position of power. Just because a person speaks words of hurt does not mean I need to respond to it verbally. I can choose to pray for the person. I can perform a random act of kindness for them knowingly or unknowingly. I can choose to not be offended and share love instead. I always have a choice, and so do you!

So, I challenge you to take the stance to live an exceptional life. Start with one day of choosing to respond in love no matter what anyone says or does. Then, extend it out to a week. Eventually, it will be a month later and you will have peace of mind like never before! Understand this – it is against the norm, which means opposition will appear. But, that is where choice comes in…And you always have a choice! 

Choose wisely and Be EXCEPTIONAL! 

Have you ever walked into a room that had the lights turned off and upon walking out, reached for the light switch?

Have you ever gone into the bathroom to wash your hands at home and just stood there waiting for the water to turn on automatically?

Have you ever responded, “I’m good, thank you!” to someone who greeted you with “Good Morning”?

Each of these scenarios depicts a person who is living out their habits and not living in the moment. This person is not truly present in their day to day activities and they are living on autopilot.

How did we get so distracted in our day to day lives? How can a parent forget their child when leaving a store? I know that example is hard to think about, but we have been seeing it more and more. And this disconnection is steadily deteriorating the quality of relationships and communication within humanity. I noticed this disconnect within myself and decided to do something about it. Today, I want to share 3 tips to get you reconnected to the world around you.

Just Breathe…

Sounds simply enough, right? But there are times when we actually stop breathing while engrossed in a task. Taking intentional, deep breaths, we provide our body with the necessary oxygen to think clearly and creatively. Try it right now…Inhale for 4 counts..hold in for 4 counts..now, exhale for 4 counts. Do it again…How do you feel? A little less stressed and grounded I would suspect. Couple this exercise with the application of a calming essential oil blend, candles or a beautiful outdoor setting and you have just created a healing ritual that will greatly improve you overall wellness!

Write it down…DAILY!

Daily, intentional actions guarantee a change in your life – this has been proven time and time again. Now, it doesn’t guarantee positive changes…Positive changes are the results of positive actions or seeds as I like to call them. We have all heard of the quote “You will reap what you sow” and we understand that it is true. A farmer will never harvest apples in the fall if he/she never planted apple seeds in the spring! It is LAW. So, the same concept holds true for mental and spiritual seeds. You want to turn off autopilot, so you need to intentionally sow seeds of presence! Set a goal and accomplish it in the time established! Create a gratitude journal and commit to writing down 3 things every day that you are grateful for. Write out the vision for your life and speak it out loud at least 3 times a day – upon waking, during your lunch hour and before bedtime. The intentional act of daily writing triggers the brain to do something new…to believe something new.  Affirm your truth and unplug the autopilot!

Spread the Love

 

“Love is patient and kind” – spread the LOVE!

“Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude” – spread the LOVE, even when it is hard!

“Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged” – release them, and spread the LOVE!

“Love does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out” – celebrate truth and spread the LOVE!

“Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance” – don’t skip a day, just SPREAD THE LOVE DAILY!

The Scriptures make it very plain what love is…and when we exercise our faith to walk this out, the level of freedom, connection and passion is your life will expand tremendously! Explore each of these statements and intentionally set your mind to walk it out for 7 consecutive days.

At this point is should be clear that living our habits is a choice that has become unconscious. No parents want to forget their child in a store, but when we allow our minds to run ahead of us and forfeit the gift of presence, we project an image into our environment that is not true. If you are ready to disconnect the autopilot button and replace it with INTENTION, I challenge you to start working on these steps, DAILY…not every other day…not once a month…not for some set religious expression of devotion at a certain time of the year, but DAILY…right now!

Just breathe, write down your gifts and spread the LOVE!!!

 

Whenever life presents me with a buffet of challenges, triumphs, possibility and pains, I write a narrative. Sometimes it is literal, like this blog. Other times, it is mental and non-verbal. I have a few tools that I use to create this ‘mental narrative’ and I want to share one of them with you today! 

“Help me to SEE farther than I can LOOK”

Whenever my physical circumstances project an image that is not aligned with the vision I have for my life, I mentally replace what I SEE with what I BELIEVE. When my body attempts to manifest sickness, I choose to believe in my healing. When finances are challnged, I choose to believe in my abundance. 

Is this mental shift easy? No…

Is this mental shift necessary? YES!

Taking 15 minutes out of my day to visualize the life I believe to be true and in alignment with my purpose changes the narrative. It causes my subconscious mind to ponder the two options before it and decide what will be our focus. The consistent, repetitive thought will win every time! It does not matter if you feel it is positive or negative. The frequency of a thought will determine your belief. When I consistently think that I am unworthy of happiness, guess what? Your body will believe it and live that belief! Speaking one belief and thinking on another is called double-mindedness…And you know what you can expect from that decision? Nothing that you truly desire! 

It is not a life I want to live, do you? So, what can you do RIGHT NOW to change your narrative? Here is one tool for your toolkit!

Visualization Application Steps:

1. Find a quiet, secluded space to sit where you know you will not be disturbed for at least 15 minutes. Close the door if applicable and turn off all distractions…Yes, that means your phone!
2. Position yourself in a chair with a supportive back or sit on the floor with your back against the wall for support. Make sure you hands and legs are relaxed and comfortable.
3. Think about what your IDEAL day. You know, the day where everything is flowing and you are connected and engaged with God, yourself and people. Get a good concept in your mind.Now, take 5 deep breaths…Slowly…
4. Close your eyes.
5. See yourself on your IDEAL day. What are you wearing? What do you smell? What do you see and hear? Are you walking down a city street with a coffee cup listening to some acoustic soul? Are you in your home office, excited about the people you will serve today? What are you doing IN DETAIL. 
6. (Best step of all) Allow your mind to freely play out that entire day. Waking up, getting ready, getting into your car, the conversations you have, the smell of the flowers as you walk past a garden. I mean, there are no boundaries or limits on the awesomeness of this IDEAL day. 
7. Open your eyes and take steps to BE that person you just visualized!

I promise that this exerciae, if done with consistency and passion, will radically change your perspective for your life and the possibilities that are available to you! 

Try it today and let me know about by posting a comment below! 

Experience Wellness and Breathe Deeply!