While I know, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23 KJV)” lately I have felt like I have fallen off the wagon. Since I have fallen off of the wagon, it is time for me to honestly reset all aspects of my life. I need to start over, again. The good thing about God’s grace and mercy is that He is willing to forgive me and give me another opportunity to do better than before. While it will not be easy, it is something that I am determined to do. Failing is not an option when it comes to my soul’s final destination. I know where I want to be and it is time for me to start over so that I will be able to get there.
There are so many aspects to life. Some people name six, others name ten, and I will be covering seven.
First: Spiritual Wellbeing
To start over spiritually, it is important to cleanse. When coming back to Jesus, I want to make sure my heart and mind are in the right place. I want to be sure that I have confessed my sins and confirmed my belief in His almighty power over my life. It is so important that Christians continue to affirm their beliefs and that they stand on the foundation of Christ. I know that Christ is in control of all things in my life, therefore, there is nothing that I can hide from Him. Being aware of this idea of not being able to hide, it is important that I go back to Him and confess my sins and know that I am forgiven so I am able to live my life fully. I want to get back on track and complete the race that I was made to run.
For me, starting over begins with ending the chapter of rogue thoughts and actions and submitting myself to the ways and life of Christ, again. My motto as I embark on this change is: my sins are my own, meaning there is no one to blame for the sins I commit.
Second: Mental Strength
It will most definitely take mental strength to commit to this lifestyle change. Change is never easy and old habits tend to show back up when one is committed to moving forward in life. I already count myself as mentally strong, but there is still a lot of work to do. For instance, I have to work on better sleeping habits and not letting people bother me so much. This mostly applies to work environments; I have to remember that I have the confidence and mental capacity to handle any challenge that comes my way.
God’s Word says, “greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4 KJV).” Knowing this, I am ready to battle the challenges that come my way. Many people say, that war is first won in the mind.
Third: Physical Health
This one is interesting for me. I have always wanted to be physically fit so that I have the stamina to climb mountains or walk long distances to keep up with my family and friends. I started being an on-and-off exercise person. I noticed that when I was exercising, I felt better. I was able to walk long distances with no problems. I was able to keep up with extended activities and I felt better. Then I would be off and find myself heaving and gasping for air, blaming it on asthma. I am determined to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I will continue to eat what I want and drink what I want (in moderation) but couple that with exercise and I will be able to maintain the stamina needed to physically keep going.
Fourth: Relationships
I have already begun placing boundaries on my relationships. I have established the things that I will absolutely not tolerate: other people’s problems, negativity, ridiculousness, etc. but there is still work to do. For some reason, the word “no” does not stick for some people, so I need to continue to stand on my boundaries and say, “no”.
As far as work relationships go, I need to stick to my values and boundaries. If the task is not beneficial or matches my values then I need to politely decline. I need to say, “no” a lot more in this space as well.
Overall, I think I have healthy relationships but I need to place boundaries on myself in some relationships to be how God intended me to be.
Fifth: Career Prosperity
I am so excited about this new opportunity that I have been gifted with, but also, I am ready to begin something new and independent. I still have the drive to be an entrepreneur but I am not sure I feel as invested as I did the first time. I will continue to pray for direction on this business and what exactly I want to do within the business. I have dreams of one day owning a small gallery where pictures on canvases are hanging and people trickle in to buy their next conversational piece. However, dreams without action are only dreams.
All of that to say, I will pray for direction and guidance for this business, or else the vision of a business will result in being only a dream.
Sixth: Wealth and Money
I have spoken about wealth before. Needless to say, I have started working on building this wealth. I am working on paying off my debts and investing. I decided to hire a professional to help me accomplish this new mindset. I have learned so much, such as: focus on the future – sacrifices now means wealth later and financial creep – earning more means one is more likely to waste more, so plan where the extra will go. It is little nuggets such as those that make a difference in my outlook.
I feel very positive about this change, the new lifestyle that I will have, and the activities that I will be able to enjoy soon.
Seventh: Recreational Activities
Currently, I am not engaged in too many activities. I will continue to hike/walk and then I will pick something else to do. I need to make time to partake in self-care activities. I tend to neglect self-care because I do not like spending time on or with myself. Perhaps, I will make it a point to get massages or my hair done monthly or something. I think the best self-care activity currently would be to work on my nighttime routine. I know that starting over is never easy, but I am ready and motivated to be better than before. This time failing is not an option, I have learned lessons and I am stronger.
Disencumbering my Chains 