Inspire Me ♥
Day 3 – RELAX, He’s the Author of Your Story
Are you burning out in the race toward success? Do you work and sweat, shooting in the dark and hoping that you’ll somehow hit your destiny? Consider the following…
WALKING IN UNFORCED RHYTHMS IS KIND OF LIKE GHOSTWRITING.
“Shauna, I want you to write my story.” Her statement came right out of the blue and took my breath away.
“Really? You want me?” Inside my head, I asked, “Am I good enough to write YOUR story?” But she was adamant, and it ignited a confidence and excitement in me that I didn’t expect.
For the next six months, I had the incredible privilege of being the ghostwriter for this lovely woman who lives more than 10,000 km away from me. For obvious reason, I won’t tell you the who, what, or why of her book except to say, “It was so fun!”
She would send me a basic outline for each chapter so I knew the gist of what she wanted to say. Then we’d have a Skype appointment so we could chat through the details, and so I could hear her explain it in her own words. I’d even record our chats on my phone so that I could go back and re-listen to her voice.
Those Skype appointments quickly became a highlight. We didn’t just talk about chapters; we became long-distance friends. We’d chat about what’s going on in our lives, how our kids are doing, how we’re feeling, and what we’re passionate about. Before long, I started to understand her as a person, not just a client.
* I became familiar with her voice and how she naturally explains herself.
* I got to know her likes and dislikes.
* I began to understand how she thinks and what she wants.
What a privilege to help someone else bring their story to life!
Day 2 – Good Morning, Gorgeous! (Speak Life)
She woke with a start, the sound of the alarm slicing through the silence like fingernails on chalkboard. How could it be morning ALREADY?
The restlessness of the past six hours showed in the dark circles under her eyes. Tossing, turning, and praying desperately for relief from her racing thoughts. Too much to think about, too much to do. The snoring coming from beside her was a cruel reminder that she wasn’t sleeping… again.
She desperately wanted to collapse on her pillow and let unconsciousness take over… but she couldn’t!
Sit up. Shake off the sleepiness. She had work to do, deadlines to meet, responsibilities to take care of. There’s no time for slumber today.
After dragging herself from under the warm blankets and stubbing her toe on the corner of the bed, she staggered into the bathroom. This exhausted woman who looked like she had just run a marathon and then been hit by a truck,
looked at herself in the mirror,
took a big breath
and said,
“Good morning, Gorgeous! You are totally gonna ROCK today!”
When Work Becomes Fun – Glorious Creativity
“Ok, guys. Go! You’ve only got 8 seconds to catch your reader’s attention. Write!”
The room was a mix of expression… some faces furrowed in concentration, desperate to finish their thoughts before the five-minute timer ran out. Some showed panic, realizing that original ideas were lacking and ‘imagination muscles’ were out of shape. And then there were those who looked like deer in headlights—“What are we doing?”
The fury of scratching pens and pencils followed for the next five minutes. You could almost hear the wheels turning and smoke rising.
Creativity! Beautiful, glorious creativity!
Get out of your box. Break free from of the practical. Dream. Stretch those muscles. Force yourself to think bigger, brighter, bolder.
What you Need to Know About Making Decisions (plus a bonus video)
Do you have some big decisions to make? In the past few weeks, I’ve spoken with so many of you who are asking yourselves (and those around you), “What do I do now?”
That’s a good question.
I suppose you could always go back to traditional decision-making techniques such as making lists of pros and cons, weighing out the good and the bad.
Or you could look for an external ‘sign’ that could show you which way to go. You could put out a ‘fleece’ as Gideon did. (Isn’t that the go-to-story that people use when trying to make decisions?)
But my friends, Gideon’s example wasn’t a sign of his faith; it was actually a sign of his unbelief. God had already spoken to him, but he was too scared to obey.
No, there must be a better way to make decisions.
Here’s what I know…
