Inside Voice Podcast

Can you feel it? There's excitement in the air. There's a hope and an expectancy that we haven't had in quite sometime. I want you to grab onto that excitement and run with it. And honestly, it's about time we do. We need to get back to making plans, setting goals, dreaming big. Now, I know this feel awkward because we haven't done it in awhile and we are much different people than we were a year and a half ago. But let's get excited again.

Am I the only one who is realizing just how long we have had to do life with less? Of course not. I know that we are all feeling the effects of the pandemic fog, which I believe is partially rooted in operating with less for so long. So how can we fix this? What if we went the complete opposite direction and began to give ourselves more? More self care, more hustle, more challenges... What do you say, are you in?

It's a message we've been told over and over, but it never hurts to hear it again. Love on your people while you still can. I live with a lot of emotions these days after losing my mom. It's just another reminder, as this pandemic has been, that life is short. We aren't guaranteed the time we think we have with people. So pick up the phone, send the invite, make the trip... soak up every moment you can with the ones you love.

Hard times are a part of life, aren't they? This pandemic has been hard on all of us. Have you found yourself asking when we'll get back to the way things were? Perhaps you've wondered when you will get your sparkle back and feel more like yourself again. How do we get that little bit of magic back? I believe there are a few things we can be doing each day to bring things back into focus and get us back to feeling like ourselves again.

Let's face it, we're all going through a difficult time right now and the pandemic fog is a very real thing. If you're dealing with something on top of this pandemic, it can be overwhelming. Sometimes you just need to check in with yourself and get out those emotions, thoughts, feelings. Lately, I've been journaling each morning and it's been amazing to see the results of 'getting it all out' by simply filling in the blank for, "Today, I feel _____." A lot of what I've been processing is finally coming into focus.

Dichotomy, in a nutshell, is the categorizing of two opposing things separately; like birds and fish. Lately, I've been feeling many opposing emotions since losing my mom. It's because of this that I've discovered that there is great dichotomy within us. In fact, I think we hold more than just two opposing feelings, but rather several. Here's the thing, we can do that and do it well. It doesn't make you a hypocrite nor does it make you inauthentic. Instead it make you human. And through grace we can give ourselves and others permission to be multi-faceted, just as we were created to be.

Do you ever get inspired by the story of the underdog? Those tales of someone, who everyone underestimates, rising to defeat all odds and expectations? That happened recently when the Baylor basketball team won the National Championship. That head coach called his shot nearly 20 years ago when he claimed he would revive the program and one day hold that trophy. And he did it. Are you bold enough to call your shot in your own life?

Are you enjoying your life? Not the life you want to live one day or the life you idolize on Instagram. You life. Do you enjoy it? And if you don't, why not? Jesus came to give us life and life more abundantly. We are called to enjoy our lives as we lean into who He created us to be and the gifts that He gave us. So do that... live your life, enjoy it. How? Well, it starts with you; loving yourself, caring for yourself, challenging yourself with new things. It starts with you buying in to y-o-u.

How many times have you heard the words "I can't wait until..." come out of your mouth? It's beautiful to have things to look forward to. However, don't let that take away from what you're doing now. Life doesn't suddenly start when you land your dream job, get married or have a baby. Life is happening right now. Sure, you have more things on your "life agenda", but what are you doing in the time being? How are you spending this season of waiting? We need to lean into what's happening now, because every single day is a part of your life, not just the big things.

Do you feel like you're in a fog? Well, you probably are. It's called the pandemic fog. Experts say we experience a "mild cognitive impairment" when our world has been turned upside down, as ours certainly has over the last year. They recommend physical activity and novelty to navigate the fog. While I agree with both of these, I've also implemented a few other remedies that have helped me get out of this funk.