Breaking Open the Lies

There are so many great words of wisdom in this book that I don’t have a single quote that captures the whole book. Re-reading this filled me with inspiration, again! I think I need to put this on my Read Each Year list along side To Kill a Mockingbird and Atlas Shrugged.

Quick Plug for Summer

Because I was inspired to jump into the unknown again, I am off on another leg of this blogging advanture. Coming this summer, I will be holding summer book clubs for kids! If you are local, have kids in grades 3-6, and are looking for a reasonable priced, educational, and super fun oppertunity over the summer, consider me. The goal is one book a week for eight weeks along with writing, grammar, decoding skills, and a big activity. More information on the Store page.

Back to the Goal

Reflection on my goal: For 10 minutes daily in the month of January 2020, I will work on destroying the lies I tell myself, and write five positive declarations to post on my vision board.  (Book: You are a Bada$$ by Jen Sincero) Jeremiah 29:11

Honestly, I didn’t make it the full 10 minutes a day. My calendar is still a bit blank, but I’m going to continue to do this until I can get 30 consecutive days. WHY IS THIS SO HARD?

When I was younger, I looked forward to being the adult so my problems would shrink. As an adult, you get to make rules, you have more of a say in things, and you aren’t learning the hard way as much because you already know it all. I’m still waiting for adulthood . . .

I watch Baby and how confident he is in all his abilities. We play a game while we are waiting (doctor’s offices, lines, where ever) where I ask if the kids can do things. Can you hop on one foot? Do ten jumping jacks? Sing the ABC s super fast? He ALWAYS says “Yes!” before he even tries! Did you catch that — BEFORE he even tries. I want to have that kind of faith in myself again. It is all going to start with how I’m talking to me.

I read somewhere (my tag phrase) that you should hang a picture of yourself when you were little on your mirror. As you get ready for the day, it helps you remember to talk nicely to yourself because there is no way Big You would talk the way you currently do to Little You. When I first read this, it struck a cord inside me — I’m emotionally abusive to Big Me, and that WILL STOP NOW! I added a baby picture of me to my vision board so I’m addressing her when I focus on my visions in order to break the cycle I have somehow spun myself into.

The other day in school, I was going through a guided meditation with my students. It was mostly just music and images to help them concentrate on their breathing. For the first time, the entire class was still and participating. Afterward, nobody moved for a good minute, and then one of my students called me over. “Patchett, that broke something in me. It broke open and I’m gushing. I didn’t know I could do that,” he stated. I know the feeling of being broken open by something so powerfully beautiful that you gush. Most recently, I have experienced it when I listen to my girls sing, hearing R pray for the people on his heart, baby “reading” me stories, music I used to dance to. I want my words to be that for someone — maybe I need to be that for me.

Positive Declarations

My declarations started out as these:

1. I am joyful
2. I am creative
3. I am motivating/motivated
4. I am an encourager
5. I am self-less

The list format wasn’t inspiring me to be my best. It felt more like a To Do list. Instead, I formed it into a sentence. Every morning before I begin my Bible study, I say this to myself:

“I am a joyful teacher who creatively engages and motivates others self-lessly with my gifts and talents.”

Have you written declarations of who you are becoming to say to yourself? What self-talk do you need to change? How can I help?