Just Because You Could - Doesn't Mean You Should

 Today, I was brought back to some of the thoughts that ran through my head before I decided to really pursue building my own business, instead of working for someone else. Without Jesus, I would not be here. Those prayers, back then, were a kind all their own....fervent, desperate, FULL of fret and worry, talking out loud ALL....EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. OF. MY. CONCERNS..... Jesus knew them. Even though He called me, I was not able to recognize it right away. I questioned EVERY thought. I thought of EVERY scenario....EVERY possibility.....REALLY sat with the less than favorable possibilities, let it saturate me and then decide if I was willing to make the sacrifice and FOLLOW Jesus's call. A TD Jakes sermon & The Holy Spirit snapped me into action back then and......here I am....more than a decade later.....and TD Jakes has once again motivated me with one of his sermons and I felt that familiar feeling. The feeling of ALLOWING God to show me. To put all my plans, thoughts, ideas, limited knowledge to the side and....well....BUCK UP BABY & RIDE WITH JESUS!

This brings me to my most beautiful lesson this week. In business.....just because you COULD, does NOT mean you should. Sometimes.....we are SO hard-headed that God literally has to LET US recognize for ourselves our weaknesses. He let's us FEEL the discomfort, angst.....He lets us struggle in our limited knowledge. 

I am a person that likes to be in motion. Sitting still, focusing on numbers, piecing things together, and trying to figure out how to make a program work.....that's not my thing. Yes. Once upon a time that was my thing....because I was curious....engaged....interested....learning. That being said, I identified years ago, that - that was one of my least favorite parts of the business and taught, encouraged, hired, and/or trained others to do that very thing. NOW.....as I sit in the middle of my reset, fumbling my way through what's next...wanting to BE REAL SURE I need a person to do X, Y, Z....I have never been more sure of anything in my life.

My brain was SOOOOOOOOOO tired that once I struggled my way through programs and documents and process manuals, and FAQ web pages, then double, triple, & quadruple checking my numbers (which BTW....as I sit at my daughter's music recital, realize I forgot a very important deduction that was accounted for, but not notated) I realized that....when I work myself to a place where basic addition and subtraction is a struggle......it's time to let it go. AND...if that wasn't enough to convince me....after ALL the corrections and THINKING I was printing page 9 of a 9 page document.....I take a call and, by the end of it, have NINE FULL COPIES OF A NINE PAGE DOCUMENT....that is not where I'm supposed to be.... THUS, just because you could, doesn't mean you should. 

God gives us such AMAZING gifts. TRULY, when I started this whole journey FRUSTRATED with my J.O.B. at the time....I HAD NO IDEA that I would one day become a Texas Reserve State Champion Auctioneer, learn how to sell EVERY type of asset under the sun, and HELP RAISE MILLIONS for non profits! In fact, when I started this journey....being an auctioneer was a thought written in a journal out of frustrated prayer. I reached a point where I did all I knew how to do in my own knowledge and ability and I did not know what to do. I AM SO THANKFUL FOR MY OBEDIENCE. 

God knows that sometimes we have to wear ourselves down to the place where we will be obedient; where we have exhausted all we know & we SURRENDER. 

And as I type that, I think to myself....knowing all this....why is it still SO HARD? I'd like to think that God is teaching us how to trust Him the way we will, one day, need to trust Him. Every time we get ourselves to these places we trust God a little more. AND....it is not that we don't want to trust Him...it's that we don't know how and He is teaching us. It gets easier to say yes. It gets easier to step into the unknown and LET HIM paint the road as you walk. We can't rush it. We can't make plans. We can simply EXPERIENCE His goodness and His grace and His mercy towards us & LET HIM SHOW US!

BUCK UP BABY & RIDE WITH JESUS! GO where He takes you. No questions and no expectations. 

Funk

I find myself gravitating towards writing to the small business owner. Today I want to talk about the FUNK!

When I talk about FUNK; I do NOT want you to associate a negative connotation to it. I want you to look at it as more of a reality that surfaces in your life more than looking at it as a rare occurrence. 

I also do NOT want you to think that any of this is my complaining, because I am really not. I'm writing about a REALITY. I am writing about that funky friend that hangs around and adds to your life and teaches you things. It is the best noun I can come up with, for the "thing" that we get from walking and working through our daily experiences. It is FUNK because it is ALWAYS uncomfortable. 

For example, TODAY my allergies are REALLY working me over. I very rarely have allergies flare up and I have things to do and I stopped myself as I getting ready to beat myself up and called it what it was. OWNED the funky reality that I just don't feel good and the BEST thing is to pivot. What did I learn about this ABNORMALITY to my day-to-day life? 

1) I feel bad and when I feel bad I am less productive. 

2) Knowing that I need to refine, delegate, & reschedule my work plans. Do what I can & ACCEPT that reality......which is FUNKY for me. 

3) Ultimately.....THIS FUNK is teaching me how to STOP running into a brick wall over and over again. Accept it. Turn away from the wall. Go in another direction. 

The other day, I had a WONDERFUL day. I could see how things were lining up, working out and noticing the PROGRESS towards my goals. Then, the FUNK of not knowing what to do with that feeling made me uncomfortable. It made me aware. It frustrated me, but it also TAUGHT ME. It taught me: 

1) This feeling is my new reaction to good things. 

2) I need to acknowledge it, feel it, and keep moving past it. It is a symbol of change that, although uncomfortable, is a sign of progress and that makes me very happy, optimistic, & encouraged.

Another example (because they really are helping me paint the picture): I am trying to change and adjust processes. I have taken steps towards that adjustment and those steps are causing AGITATION in me. I know the agitation is a product (FUNK) of change and implementation. What do I now know? 

1) I am going to feel agitated if I implement steps in reaching the goals I set for myself. 

2) I should welcome the agitation because that means change is happening and....although uncomfortable, I'm taking the right steps to transform my life. 

The outcome of ALL of these examples is: FUNK is here to stay. It is a welcome, yet annoying friend that hangs with me on the journey. 

If you are going to stick with your goal of creating positive change in your life, you may as well BUCK UP BABY & get used to feeling FunKy!

The other thought that is sticking with me is:.......if you are NOT a small business owner, but find yourself experiencing the remnants of the funk when you are around certain people......EXTEND GRACE. We could work for BIG business, but YOU CHOOSE US because we have that little something special that BIG businesses do not have. To get to experience that SPECIAL, you will also have to EXPERIENCE THE FUNK with us.