Plateau Push!
Believe
it or not, every week I’m losing at least three pounds. Unfortunately it’s the same three pounds that
I seem to gain from Saturday evening to Monday morning.
I lose it by the next Saturday morning’s weigh in and start the cycle over
again. I’m on a plateau. I’m not blowing it, like a crazy mad woman on
the weekends, like you may suspect. I stick to my plan. But clearly I need to change up something. I need to push through this plateau. And by push, I don’t mean to buckle down and
starve myself on the weekend, I mean to P.U.S.H. Pray Until Something Happens! So, that’s what I sit down to do today. We hit plateaus in all areas of life, not
just weight loss. How often do we give up
just a second before the break through?
How often do we quit trying when the next attempt would have been
it? How often are we so very close and
all we need is a little push?
The
weekly routine is the same. I sit at the
desk, in my home office space, nestled in the corner of a guest bedroom. It’s decorated with antique hats and all sorts
of girlie things; it’s my favorite room in my home. I gaze out the window overlooking a lagoon in
the back of our yard. Occasionally I
spot alligators, turtles, and birds, wondering when I’ll witness a true “Wild
Kingdom” moment. The word document is
open on my computer and I look at the blank page before me pondering what I
want to say this week. I ask what I’m
struggling with, what I need to learn to grow, and how to stay on this path. I say a prayer and ask God to help guide me
to what I need for my journey now. This
week, with the reality of another plateau week, the thought crosses my mind, “What
if this was the last post I was ever writing for this blog?” Whoa, instantly I feel overwhelming deep
sadness by just the mere thought of that happening. I love to write this each week and if this were
my last post I would be lost.
Could
it be? Has it happened? Have I actually discovered my passion? I’ve spent years thinking about what my
passion is. You hear “follow your
passion” all the time and it would basically frustrate me. I can’t remember the last time I felt this way about anything. I never felt it with
my day job. I like to paint and once
started a side business mural painting. It
was fun at first, but it quickly turned into just another job when the creative
artistic side of it was sucked out. Clearly
this begs the question, how do you uncover your passion? If you think you’ve found it, how do you know
for sure?
For
years I’ve asked myself the age old question, “If money were no object, what
would you be doing?” I never really had a
good answer to that. I struggled to come
up with something that I was consistently really excited about and loved to
do. There are things I like to do such
as painting, decorating, and organizing.
(I know what you’re thinking, who likes to organize?) Often, with these things, I could take it or
leave it. Writing for this blog
each week is the first thing I’ve felt actual true passion for in years. I think about it all the time and get excited
when preparing to write. Perhaps I feel
this way because this vehicle is providing a creative outlet. It’s my focus that is helping me to stay on
plan and not derail my journey. The best
part is hearing from someone who sends a note to say that something I said
helped them that week. Helping others
was my prayer for this from the very beginning.
It’s also bringing me closer to God. He started me on this journey,
and I know is with me every step of the way. It's changed my life and I can't ever go back to the way it was before.
Working
hard for something we don’t care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called
passion. This is what I feel called to
do. This week I realize painting, decorating,
and organizing are my hobbies, not my passion, and that’s okay. I also realize I don’t have to be fulfilled
from my day job, and that’s okay, too. My
heart is in writing. It’s my purpose. I have to do it, even if no one ever read a
word again. The blessing is if you’re able
to make a career out of your passion, but until that time comes, I no longer feel
frustrated that my day job doesn’t make me feel fulfilled. Marcus Buckingham said, “Many of us feel
stressed and overwhelmed not because we’re taking on too much, but because
we’re taking on too little of what really strengthens us.” I now feel less “day job” stress because I
know my true calling is outside of that.
My purpose is outside of that. Life
has bigger plans for me.
I
believe God blessed all of us with our own unique gifts. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before you were born I
set you apart.” The challenge is to
figure out what that is and find the calling God has on your life. Ephesians 4 1:3 says to live a life worthy of
the calling which you have received. When
we figure out what that calling is, we then find out what makes us feel alive. Harold Whitman said, “Don’t ask
yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go do that. Because what the world needs are people who
have come alive.” T.D. Jakes said, “If
you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into
your purpose.” Have you found your
passion? It’s in there just waiting for you to discover it.
Steps to Seek Your Passion
Brush with Gusto!
You don't even want to know how much time I've spent thinking about this over the years. Way too much! It wasn't surprising to learn that thinking is the wrong way to find it.
We can’t find the answer by thinking about it because our passion can’t
be found in our head. It lives in our
heart! You need to take action and feel
your way from the inside out.
Marie Farleo talks about how clarity comes from engagement, not thought. Her idea is to bring passion to all of the little tiny mundane things you do and it will help you uncover your passion for the big thing. She said, “Proactively bring passion to everything you touch, everything you do. No matter what task is in front of you, bring as much enthusiasm and energy to it as you possibly can. Bring your full attention, your full presence, the Godlike quality that each of us has within to every task in your day.”
This means that I brush my teeth, make my bed, and pickup dog doo-doo in the back yard, with the same great passion I put into writing this. It seems crazy but makes sense when you think about how we are all creatures of habit. Maria says, “You can't be whiny, complainy and miserable for 80 percent of your day and expect to be enthusiastic and passionate in the last 20 percent.” When we commit to love everything we do, we strengthen that passion muscle. So, exercise that passion muscle and go brush those teeth like you mean it!
Marie Farleo talks about how clarity comes from engagement, not thought. Her idea is to bring passion to all of the little tiny mundane things you do and it will help you uncover your passion for the big thing. She said, “Proactively bring passion to everything you touch, everything you do. No matter what task is in front of you, bring as much enthusiasm and energy to it as you possibly can. Bring your full attention, your full presence, the Godlike quality that each of us has within to every task in your day.”
This means that I brush my teeth, make my bed, and pickup dog doo-doo in the back yard, with the same great passion I put into writing this. It seems crazy but makes sense when you think about how we are all creatures of habit. Maria says, “You can't be whiny, complainy and miserable for 80 percent of your day and expect to be enthusiastic and passionate in the last 20 percent.” When we commit to love everything we do, we strengthen that passion muscle. So, exercise that passion muscle and go brush those teeth like you mean it!
Find the What!
Take a
look around your home and inside your heart. How does your heart answer these questions?
- What themes do you see with your books, magazines, movies, and music?
- What subject could you read 500 books about without getting bored?
- What could you do for five years straight without getting paid?
- What do you love to talk about, learn about and teach others about?
- What is it that you never seem able to shut up about?
Your answers are all hints. Check in with your heart and your physical body when you answer these questions, not your head. It’s a good sign if you feel excitement or even a little fear when ideas come to you. Passions are often irrational. That’s why you have to trust your gut, not your mind. The heart contains wisdom beyond the brain’s comprehension. God could be speaking to you and nudging you towards your passion.
That Dress Exists!
You have to believe you have a passion and that it’s possible to find. It's like shopping for a special dress. Imagine you set out to find a perfect dress for a wedding, like I'm about to do in a few weeks. You go into a mall with a strong thought, “There’s nothing in here I will want. I don’t want to be here.” The dresses you see will not look appealing to you. You won’t want to try anything on and it’s unlikely you’ll find anything at all to wear to this wedding. If you’re convinced that finding your passion is hard, or that it’s not going to happen for you, you’ll remain closed to possibilities. You’ll block the little nudges, pulls, and signals that guide us all.
Remember that your passion may not be from your job. But know that anything that gets your heart racing is worth doing. Anything that gets you excited, and off the couch, is worth doing. Heather Ennis said, “There are a lot of things worth doing that will never bring you money. You don't have to be great at something to be passionate about it. If you can't imagine not doing something, it's a passion. It doesn't have to be a moneymaker. Make your money some way that will give you the time for what you really love to do."
Rise and Shine!
If you are able to make it your day job, imagine getting up early, jumping out of bed, excited about going to work. You get dressed quickly, full of enthusiasm about your day. The sun is shining and you take those first steps out of your bedroom. Where are you going and what kind of job is creating that feeling of anticipation?
Imagine you are very old. What do you wish you had spent the last 20 to 30 years doing? Think of it as a slightly less gloomy version of writing your own obituary. Perhaps it’s taken me over 50 years to figure out my passion, but in 30 years I want this to be my legacy left behind. That's why I will get through this plateau. That's why I will not give up. That's why I can not give up. That's why I write, because I have to. I'm so close. I just need a little push!
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