God does not rescue you from a burning building so you can seek shelter in it's charred remains. For a better future, release the past.-Alfred Edmond Jr
This quote was posted on Twitter a few days ago, and it hit home with a thought I had been having for several weeks.
As a lifestyle expert and “Inspiration Icon”, I spend my days inspiring people – whether writing books, hosting my radio show, producing films, or creating personal development tools and events. The interesting thing about this entrepreneurial/leadership lifestyle is that I’ve had to constantly work on being authentic – being sure that who I was behind the scenes is congruent with the leader showing up on TV, radio, print, etc.
I recently had a situation in my life erupt into a burning building. The unfortunate part about it was that God sent appropriate warnings before things started to burn. You know, it started with a :::sniff, sniff::: Do you smell something burning? Then it graduated to Boy, it sure is hot in here. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by roaring flames, and I was looking for a way out while also trying to understand and process how this had managed to happen.
The crazy thing about questionable situations or burning buildings is that sometimes we grow attached to our problems and challenges. In spite of being intellectually and physically able to address our issues and move to higher, safer ground, we somehow believe that the ability to put the fire out is tied to our identity and self-worth. Instead of smelling the smoke and leaving, we wait for evidence of a fire. And instead of racing down the stairwell when we feel the temperature rising, we assure ourselves that it’s just a little fire and that we can put it out if we’re good enough, smart enough, loving enough, whatever enough.
So, we wait. Like the frog in water that is dead by the time it realizes the temperature has risen to a fatal temperature, we stay hoping, thinking, surmising that we will be immune to the looming destruction.
After making an emergency exit from my burning building, I looked back woefully, feeling sad and uncertain, wishing the fire had never happened. And in a moment of despair, I considered running back into the building – charred remains and all – hoping against hope that I could rebuild it magically…hoping it was all an illusion and the fire never really happened.
Today, as I reflect on the quote, I am reminded of how important it is to always be saying no to the good so you can yes to the great. I’m passing this on to everyone in the Inspired Living Community because we all face this challenge at one time or another.
The lessons…
-Your identity and self-worth are not attached to destruction. The Divine Plan for your life does not require you to engage in self-destructive patterns in order to rise to your destiny.
-Buildings burn because of a spark – something that causes combustion. Trace the fire back to its origin, and insist on learning a meaningful lesson that can make you more effective in the future.
-Sometimes it’s best to leave things in their broken state and walk away instead of hurting yourself trying to put them back together.
-When you are ushered out of a burning building, do not return to the scene of the crime. You are not meant to stay in the “remains” or “aftermath” – you deserve healthy, vibrant, good things that perpetuate light and joy.
-Our capacity for growth is dictated by our decisions to release anything that does not align with who we’re becoming and claim those things that do.
If you smell anything burning in your life, address it now and if necessary, get out. When you face a situation fearlessly, there is no situation to face.
Until next time, be inspired!
Lisa
No comments:
Post a Comment