Being a Supporting Actor in God's Provision Plan

Being a Supporting Actor in God’s Provision Plan

I realized, today, that I am a supporting actor in God’s perfect provision plan (Jeremiah 29:11) – nothing more. God does not need my effort or any money it produces. A job was never designed to provide for us. God is our sole provider (Philippians 4:19). God uses a job to help us discover His true design for us, live through it joyfully, and share in His grand design for our gifted, purpose-driven life that pleases Him when we follow His direction (Proverbs 3: 4-6). When we follow our own direction, we end up on jobs and career ladders we hate asking God for provisions to climb higher into places we should never have been in the first place and gain more money/power as solace, when only God and the right work/life balance can provide with contentment.

Fortunately, His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 4:19), if we turn toward Him, with full faith, and follow His direction back to His perfect provision. In turning back to God, we must put our full faith in Him – forever. No matter who God uses to keep us on His path, do not put your trust or confidence in them or their abilities to support God’s plan, as a fellow supporting actors, because they WILL let you down when YOUR trust/confidence puts them in God’s place as your provider (Psalms 118:8).

Finally, God allows adversity to come our way – when things are going well or not. Adversity can be pretty tough and feel like it is game ending for us. However, a Latin phrase I saw on a rear car window sums up how God uses adversity quite nicely: “Per Ardua Ad Astra”, which means “Through Adversity to the Stars”. God uses adversity, in every part of our lives, to remind us and shape us for His gifted, purpose-driven life, whether we are cognizant of His plan or not.

I thought losing a job was the worst thing that could have happened to me. Apparently, leaving God’s path and assuming  His role as provider is actually far worse than losing a job He never wanted for me in the first place. Although He permitted me to have my prideful way, temporarily, He lovingly released me from that job, so I could fall face first into His grace and see Him as THE provider – not me. Now, I am waiting patiently on God to move according to His perfect plan, meet all my needs, and bring about my gifted, purpose-driven work/life balance He planned from birth. 

When I think about it, only God can align all of life, to put us where He wants us to be – In all seasons of life, thanking Him for His grace, sufficiency, faithfulness, trustworthiness, love, and perfectly planned provision for us that we could never achieve in the lead role of provider and find the contentment, peace, and work/life balance that comes from an all powerful God, who wants nothing but the best for us that comes from drawing close to and pleasing Him through living in His perfect plan for us. 

I hope this helps you, as much as it is helping me, because learning God is the sole provider and believing it takes a load off my mind. I’ll take the “Best Supporting Actor’s – In My Life’s Story” award because God is now the lead Actor, and wins the “Best Actor award – In My Life’s Story” – hands down and stated with my hands up!

How to Find a Fulfilling Life Path Beyond Occasional Happiness

Happiness is the fleeting joy I experience when the unpredictable or unplanned goes my way. Then, it is gone. I’ve spent most of my life pursuing happiness, because it conveniently relieves me of the monotony of living the cold, numb reality paying bills, working on a job I hate, and not seeing a light at the end of this 30 – 40 year tunnel of doom. Yeah, happiness looks pretty good, but it is only a vacation from my real life – can’t seem to take enough of them or stop thinking about them, right?  Happiness is nothing more than a legal addiction that robs me of a consciously and continuously filling existence and gives me the painful, destructive alternative happiness hands us, when it’s not happening often enough – like too much food, drugs, alcohol, sex, thrill seeking…none of it lasts for long. So, I’ve taken a step back from the bright spark of happiness’ temporary warmth and started seeking fulfillment’s soul warming glow that is changing my tunnel of doom into a tunnel of dreams for the next 30 – 40 years.

I have begun asking myself these questions and began looking for answers at a place called The Gift Table, where fulfillment brings about sustained happiness without the drama of addiction and gives twice the high:

• .       Do you look forward to living your life, as is, everyday or do you dream of a different life?
•        Do you spend your days wondering or feeling like you want or should be somewhere else doing something more lucrative with a higher purpose?
•        Do you feel like a “Calling” or “Truth” has gone unrealized or recognized in your daily life?
•        Are these feelings creating stress in your daily life or has this new curiousness begun settling in with a sudden urge to consider a more fulfilling life path?
•         With visceral feeling to full knowledge of a new path, does the thought of pursing this path feel like flipping over your Hallmark holiday table with your grandmother’s fine china on it?
•        How can I change my path, meaningfully, while honoring the life I’ve built and the people I love?
•        How can I see clearly my compelling path toward the soul warming vision of a life fulfilled for the years to come?

Think carefully about these questions. Share your thoughts with 1 or 2 confidants who truly and fully loves, supports, and stands with you in tough times – not just anyone. And, know the following about you is true:

1.         You are special, rare, and unique in the Cosmos – so is your unique gifting
2.         You matter and deserve a fulfilling life
3.         You and your unique talent are expected – you can feel it, right?
4.         You are destined to fill others up, before being filled up – guaranteed
5.         You determine your gift’s changing path and its direction
6.         Your greatest success, in life, will happen through your gifting
7.         You must be prepared for adversity along the way to living along your chosen path to a more fulfilling life
8.        You must be quiet and reflect often on your gift and its use
9.        You must not confuse your gifts with your competencies
10. .     You must give it away or it robs you complete fulfillment beyond financial means

We’ll talk more next time,when we continue unraveling this beautiful mystery called the Gift Table and our personal journey toward more fulfilling lives.

How to Find Your True Calling?

To fully understand a "True Calling", I suggest examining the sum of its parts, to gain insight into the exponential power of the whole.

 "TRUE"

Merriam Webster's online dictionary gives us these little gems about viewing ourselves and the truth about who we are and are becoming each day. Under the full definition of "True", Merriam Webster offers these definitions:

2a (3): fully realized or fulfilled true

2c  being that which is the case rather than what is manifest or assumed true

 dimension of the problem

5a that is fitted or formed or that functions accurately

Here's the Truth about "True and You":  You are fitted or formed, factually, to be fully realized or fulfilled in pursuit of life. The pursuit of life you are seeking has many names, yet one sticks for me: Your gift. You were designed with a gift and pathway ensuring your best possible life. How do you find this gift? Listen for the "Calling".

"CALLING"

Referencing a New Living Translation scripture from the Bible, it’s like this:

Mark 1:3 "He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the LORD's coming! Clear the road for him!" 

Your gift is buried deep inside of you. It is obscured by the wilderness of your life's experiences. It is hidden behind failures, fears, regrets, disbelief, and feelings of not deserving more or better from life. If you listen carefully and open your heart, you will eventually hear your "TRUE" calling from your wilderness. It will start out faint, as it makes its way to the edge of your internal forest of experiences. It will formulate patterns identifying what fills you up with life and what sucks you dry of life. 

The voice will grow louder, as you feed your emerging "TRUE" affirming and solidifying the clear road for you to begin envisioning, planning, and setting out for a life uniquely designed for you.  It will call from books, magazines, movies, conversations, reflections, people, places, and anywhere "TRUE" can move closer and be heard by you. Something Henry David Thoreau once said about success, that applies to finding your "TRUE":

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours."

In 2005, I met my "TRUE" in a dream that birthed a book called "The Gift Table" Getting Your Giftedness in Gear. And, I have been following my "CALLING" for 8 years now. It is a journey being perfected that is perfect for me and most challenging when I attempt any departure from it. I have had my greatest joys finding and pursuing my "True Calling" and it has made me a better person for it. The journey is not easy, however, it far exceeds any existence without it because money, affection, independence, fill-in-blank, can fill this gift shaped hole in our lives. With God's help, I will continue my pursuit and it is my highest hope and prayer you find your "True Calling", too.   

Have a blessed day listening for your gift crying in the wilderness, so you too will meet with success in uncommon hours. 

If you’d like help finding your “True Calling”, just drop me an email and we’ll move forward with meeting your gift in uncommon hours, for unparalleled success in life and being a blessing to those around you.

John,

Copyrights 2013. Changing-Paths, Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.changing-paths.com 

Self-Reflection and "The Gambler"

Hey Friends,

I've not posted anything for awhile, because I've been weighted down with so many other low value things in my life. Things I'm reflecting on, even now, and letting go for high value activities like exchanging ideas with you. My inspiration tonight comes from a song called "The Gambler" that goes like this, "You've got to:

1. Know when to hold'em,
2. Know when to fold'em,
3. Know when to walk away,
4. Know when to run."

The "knowing", in Kenny's song, transcends gambling for me and speaks to the importance of self-knowledge and me walking out life's journey. Here's where I am:

HOLD'EM: Life is called a journey, because it requires a traveler's mindset. This mindset is created over years of lugging overweight, out-sized, and paying costly stowage fees is making me a bit more discriminating about what I pack on my life's journey.So, today, I sat down with my life-luggage and realized there's some heavy stuff in there that needs unpacking, like: anger, fear, regret, pride, etc.  This self-knowledge is helping me revisit what I'm holding and whether or not it is helping or hindering my life's journey toward an abundant, fulfilling existence.

FOLD'EM:  As I unpacked my life-luggage, there's some stuff that I must let go - now. Easier said than done, I've actually got a lot of emotional, financial, or political investments in some of this heavy stuff, which I've yet reconciled fully. However, a recent reminder from a dear friend quickly urged me to just drop most of it , because it's just getting in the way of doing great things - if it's not positive, I can't use it on my journey toward my best life ever!

WALK AWAY: Like most company help-desk teams, my heavier life-luggage items will no longer be supported, because they suck up operating capacity and take up too much space.  Those heavier items will be automatically moved to the trash can in the future!

RUNNING: Now, some of the things I've unpacked and moved into the trash can may try reboot, so I've planned on replacing those items with lighter, more useful applications, like: abundant living, sharing with others, forgiveness, confidence, caring, love, and the list goes on. Finally, I will run as far away from the heavy trash items and avoid putting them into my life-luggage, in the future.

How about you? What do you see in Kenny's lyrics and how you will engage self-knowledge, while walking out your life's journey?

Love to hear from you.

You Can Change Your Life's Path Without Costing You Your Livelihood

Another friend has been contemplating changing his path, too. He works in Academia - Administration mainly with some classroom teaching on occassion. He's a big, immediately likeable guy that exudes charisma that just makes him a pleasure to be around. His passion is clearly educating others. He gets a real kick out of others embracing their learning opportunities, before doing what they thought was impossible: Graduate from college! There is nothing more gratifying than helping others achieve their dream and live better lives. However, this idyllic job opportunity isn't meeting other core needs of his life. Now, his current job is a good job. He is appreciated for his work. He has growth potential. Ok, what is the problem here? It's a heart condition. The work-life and fulfillment levels have dropped dramatically. What's missing?:

• More time with his wife
• More time wiith his newborn baby (angelic little creature...and we all said, "Awww".
• Having more control over his work and the tasks he pours his life energy into
• Engaging more of the people and things that make his heart sing

He wants a life that gives more meaning and purpose than a paycheck and less fulfillment in his personal life. He's tired of less time doing what is best in his heart and mind. What he's looking for isn't just a job, but a pursuit that fits with his financial value, life's values, and what he values in his life. There are three things he's after and they are all non-negotiatable (for him and for you). Sometimes, we can get by without fulfillment in our work, but it's only getting by and you lose a piece of yourself in the process every day. My friend mentioned how each day was one day further away from where he wanted to be. This is common among all of us. The realization that we should be somewhere else or doing something else that is more valuable, important, clearer, Godly, etc. This nags at us all. Wondering about those three things: Key emotions, tasks, and a clear idea of what it all should look like when you do arrive at Fulfillmentville!

Part way through our chat, he states, "I hope you are writing another book." I told him, I am! There is more to life than being a dutiful breadwinner, which is where he and many others have gotten stuck in life. You can be a dutiful breadwinner doing what fills you up and everyone wins, not just your job, your family, or your bill collectors. You get to win, too. You! I shared with my friend that he's looking for a 1 - 2 degree shift from his current path: first in his mind/heart and then with his feet. I do not advocate leaving your job immediately without a parachute or plan - if you doctors tells you to do so that's another story. Here's how it works:

1. Complete your "Filter of Life's Must Haves and Dos" - available in my workshops coming up in May 2012
2. Research and evaluate those life pursuits (social, spiritual, career, relationship) that are valued and important
3. Immerse yourself in activities and relationships that bring you closer to the thing you love
4. Evaluate your financial needs and potential for any new career pursuit fitting your filter's requirements
5. Continually refresh your mind around steps 1 - 4, while actively seeking and affirming your new direction.

I leveled with my friend. I've left many good jobs. I've continually, by God's grace and his plan for helping me share this message, have landed in increasing better situations...closer to my dream of financial independence and work-life balance (what we all want and deserve). It's time you took the plunge by learning how you can make your 1-2 degree shifts toward that amazing life supported by the thing you were born to do. Drop me an email at learnit2012@gmail.com.

Be Well - John

Peace Is An Immovable Rock (Embedded in Your Purpose)

Hey Friend,

I was pondering a tweet and this gem emerged from my thoughts: "Peace is an immovable rock. You cannot embrace it in motion. You cannot pull it along with you. You can only be present with it." This thought is rife with richness that came from a place beyond my mind's borders. When I think about the peace entering my life, much of it comes from tapping into my gifting and shifting my life's path to accommodate it. I have met and chatted with many people who are well intention about their life, and end up living in the shadow of their Greatness.

Tonight, I chatted with a friend with a great home life and a less than stellar job situation. He's a fabulous technology talent, who has been a dutiful bread winner. Well, no matter how noble our intentions, we cannot live in the shadow of Mt. Greatness without growing cold. We cannot summit on Mt. Greatness without an arduous climb through the thinner atmosphere of self-doubt, uncertainty, and desertion by those ill-equipped for your ascent toward greatness. Whether we stand by and watch ourselves die beneath the veneer of "Doing the Right Thing" versus striking out on the often times misunderstood path of your true calling, there will be a price to pay. And, only one of these prices will give you a rebate, while the other will cost you your life!

The Rebate comes from striking out toward the summit of Mt. Greatness (small steps to really big ones) will bring you closer to the divine and the divine existance you seek, on a journey of your choosing. The Veneer existance is a perceived safety net. While the bulk of your stuff is held in place, your soul slips through tiny holes in your safety net. It saves your stuff, but not you. It supports the facade of a life well lived or not, but not you. Aren't you worth more than your stuff, unsupportive relationships, and anything thing else that robs you of the light in your eyes.

Perhaps, it is time you ventured out of the shadow of your Mt. Greatness and it's perceived safety net, and explore the life you've been missing. You deserve it. Here's what you can do for the next seven days to find the peace hidden in your purpose:

• Reflect on what fills your heart with laughter
• Volunteer your time doing the thing you love most
• Find, read, and write about the life you desire in your heart - you have a free pass to not worry about how, when, where, or with whom (those are merely byproducts anyway)
• Love Someone, Hate No One
• Forgive yourself

And, journal your thoughts after 7 days. On day 8, consider your Mt. Greatness and climb it responsibly!

God Bless,

Sometimes, You Have to Break Up with Yourself

Hello Readers,
Neil Sedaka wrote a song called "Breaking Up is Hard to Do." He's talking about the pain he felt breaking up with the person he loves. It is equally hard breaking up with those parts of yourself that keep you down. It's really hard. It's hard realizing:

• Life is living me instead of me living it
• My comfort zone is a prison and I'm the jailer
• My highest priority is not the highest priority of purpose for my life
• I am seeking life's purpose, when it found me years ago and I denied it
• And, the beat goes on.

Too often, we give life's circumstances carte blanche in shaping what we think, are, and do in life. Life is not our master. Life is a by-product of the choices, large and small, that we make that form the tree and fruits it bears in its season. A good life is the result of tough realizations, sound judgement, and hard work based on:

• How deeply we invest thought - broadly and clearly into our life's choices
• How well we researched and/or sought wisdom from trusted, learned advisors and God, to identify value gaps in our own thinking
• How well we prepare ourself for success or recovery from failure
• How effectively and consistently we shield our minds from negative people, thoughts, and actions
• How consistently we act in our best interest instead of reacting to options, others, and outcomes
• Finally, having an unwaivering willingness to change who, what, when, where, why, and how of those limiting life ways, so we can live authentically and successfully with ourselves and others

Yes, breaking up with our limiting life ways is hard to do. However, it is the only way to make room for a healthier, limitless, and authentic life. Do the hard work, plant a strong tree, and bear good fruit for yourself and others. And, don't forget about your unique gift/talent, which figures prominently in everything you do.

Live Well,

John