I woke up this morning thinking about a dear friend. Let’s call her Chelsea. Chelsea is the kind of person who changes a space simply by walking in the room. When you are in a dark space and light is shined, it is impossible not to notice. Chelsea radiates power, energy and strength. I love it! I know that whenever I sit down with her, I am going to walk away from our interaction empowered and energized to deal with…whatever. She naturally makes those people and things around her better.
Chelsea is married to a man who so obviously dims her light. They are currently separated, and when she has interactions with him, I watch her change. Her powerful energy shifts as she becomes angry and short-tempered. All of the influence she possesses gets swallowed up by the inadequacy that their relationship imposes. Momentarily, she loses focus of her intentions, and I watch this powerful light source become a fire, burning anything that comes in her path. She becomes hyper-critical, attacking the people, programs, and things I have watched her build up. Her view becomes negative and all of a sudden, she only sees what is wrong.
The most painful thing about watching Chelsea is knowing how often I have allowed myself to do the very same thing. I watch others do it as well, hinging our worth and perception on the love of one person/circumstance that we allow to define us or determine our value. We let go of our power, and we are reduced from a flowing faucet of talent, ideas, and solutions to one drip at a time barely covering our scope of influence. I woke up thinking that I needed to tell Chelsea what I see. I need to hold up a mirror and remind her how beautiful she is inside and out. I planned to make an explicit effort to affirm the light source she is to so many and reassure her about how much her presence matters in this world. More than anything I want her to know that she is worthy of a love that reciprocates her light.
And then I realized that I and many others likely need the same. It’s the most wonderful time of the year and in the next few days many of us will go about making new years resolutions in one form or another. We will join gyms and weight loss programs, vowing to create a new and better version of ourselves than has ever existed in our lifetimes. I think it’s great, and it is something I personally look forward to as a time to assess what I have accomplished and examine how close I did/did not come to realizing everything I set out to in the previous year. it’s a time I cherish spending with my children and any of my friends and family who decide to take us up on our invitation to join in.
As we/you endeavor though, I want you to remember to protect your energy. Your mental health and fitness is the vehicle by which you will or won’t do the things you aspire to. We must surround ourselves with people who lift, push, and encourage our best in all of the right ways. It is critical to whether or not you are mentally able to do, be, or have it. Dear I say to take stock of those who are closest to you as well. Often this is the energy that carries the most influence on your assessment of your worth and efficacy. It’s not that I think you should start evicting people from your life, but you may need to take a stand around how you allow them to impact who you are , who you become and consequently what you accomplish. Moreover, they influence the energy you bring to your spaces and circles of influence.
In 2019, I wish you all of what your heart desires. I personally aim to never lose hope in having every single thing Jesus died to give me access to—regardless of my mistakes and trials. I trust always and even more so now that God sees me, He loves me, and as long as I keep sticking this thing out with Him, He will make the desires of my heart real. His love is perfect and never waivers. I hope to love myself the way he commands me to in His word and as I situate myself in the right energy space, it spills over onto those I encounter.
I hope we/you will endeavor to find and protect YOU, your best YOU. The world needs YOU.
Keeping it real, true, and free…in 2019…and forever more,
Garland Darling
