I don't know about you, but every season I go through in my life has a different lesson. And the season I'm journeying through right now is learning perseverance. My husband and I have a chalkboard in our kitchen that we write encouragement on to help us throughout our week. It currently says, "You can either have results or you can have excuses, but you can't have both." This is such a powerful and very true quote. It's so easy to quit and make excuses when the going gets tough, but it takes heart and true strength to actually persevere through all of the obstacles that come your way.
I recently had the opportunity to team up with a beautiful friend of mine to teach a session at my church's women's conference. Now, if you've read my blog post about fear, you would know that public speaking is seriously one of my biggest fears. Yet because of this opportunity, I knew I had to overcome it and the only way to do that was to face it head on. In the days leading up to the conference, I was perfectly fine; I felt confident that I would do great. But the night before was a different story. In my attempt to get some sleep, I kept waking up feeling sick, until finally I just stayed up and contemplated the idea of just sending a text saying that I couldn't make it. Being led by fear and backing out was so convenient, but I knew there was something bigger happening so I sucked it up and proceeded to get ready for the day.
Moments before the class started I was feeling so anxious and terrified! Insecurities that I thought I had overcome were filling my mind. I was starting to feel defeated before it even started. The message was about being young and free, free from the things that bind us as young women. Ironically as I'm pouring into these ladies and telling them that they are worthy and teaching them how to find their identity, I had suddenly lost mine. But as I continued speaking, it was like my words were leaving my mouth and ricocheting right back to my heart. I was gently reminded of who I am, and in that moment, I regained my confidence and persevered through the fear. What if I would have allowed the fear and nerves to take over and I had made an excuse of why I couldn't do it? What would I have gained from that that? Are you allowing fear or insecurities to hinder you from doing things you are called to do? Take a second and really think about it, because I had felt like I had overcome so many insecurities only to find they were only a thought away.
These days, we are always looking for a quick fix. We have weight loss pills that guarantee you will lose tons of weight in only 30 days. We no longer want to work for results, but would rather make excuses. Finding your identity is definitely not a quick fix. Finding your identity is a journey.
A journey is an act of traveling from one place to another. If you are on a journey of identity, know that it won't happen overnight--and thats ok. You have to constantly remind yourself every day of who you are. Don't be discouraged if your journey is taking longer than others because everyone has a different destination.
Today, I challenge you to embark on the journey of your life, finding your identity. I challenge you to wake up every morning and remind yourself of who you are and who's you are. Don't allow bumps in the road to knock you off your course. Get back up, brush it off and journey on!
Keep up with everything that's going on with EVE by following us on Instagram @evenvanityends. This Saturday, November 22nd, we will be taking this crazy love we have for people to the streets with another awesome Love Out Loud!! We will be on the corner of Foothill Boulevard and Haven Avenue in Rancho Cucamonga from 2 - 4 pm! If you are down to join us, we'd love to have you help us remind people that they are absolutely LOVED!! See ya there loves!
XO - Mel
Love this! Thanks for always being so transparent and sharing your heart!
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