There are so many ways you can lose the only life you know how to live.
(A little bit of a shocking statement, I know.)
Let me explain.
A perfect example – just think about the state of our world over the last two years.
One day we are all going about our normal lives, living life the way that things had always been, and then the next we were collectively thrown into the midst of a global pandemic. A pandemic of such magnitude that it would forever change the course of history globally, locally, personally, and professionally.
So yes, in a blink of an eye things can change.
But, my question for you today is….
What happens when everything you’ve been clinging to falls apart and the ways you’ve been living no longer serve you…
HOW do you determine what to keep, what to let go, and what should transform you along the way?
(LOVE those questions! If you’ve ever wrestled with this, keep reading!)
If you know anything about me, you know that I have been constantly transforming. From West Virginia, to Yale Law, to photographer, to podcaster, and now author, my ‘set course’ seems to always be shifting.
I wouldn’t change my path for anything. But, I do have to say, going from an expert in one field to a beginner in the next is very humbling.
When I reflect on this, I can’t help but think that most of us are more comfortable with being the ‘expert’ in the room. The one that people turn to for help and guidance. There is a sense of achievement and arrival that comes with this… and, all too often, a false sense of worth. A worth based in achievement, not in Truth.
But…what about being the beginner in the room?
Shauna Niequist, today’s guest, really flips the script on the language for what it means to be a beginner, to be curious, and to get back up after falling. She says:
- You’re not dumb. You’re new.
- You’re not failing. You’re a beginner.
- You’re not falling apart. You’re figuring it out.
- This is how it is to be new. You are smart and competent and brave and … new.
How beautiful is that! Those are the exact words Shauna had to tell herself as she was forced to release the expectations for how she thought her life would look.
Friends, it was such an honor to talk to one of my favorite authors today – all about her new book, “I Guess I Haven’t Learned That Yet: Discovering New Ways of Living When The Old Ways Stop Working.”
I guarantee that today’s episode is going to challenge you to leave behind what is no longer helpful in your life so that you can make peace with the unknowns and begin again.
If you are feeling ready to come alive again, even if it means a new course for your life, I urge you to follow Shauan’s sage advice.
Grab a journal and write about three things a day:
- Pain- What hurts right now?
- Desire – What do you want?
- Gratitude -What is in front of you that is beautiful? What have you been given even in the middle of this dark or challenging season?
To start moving forward, we need to get comfortable with our feelings, wants, and needs and be able to find a language to help us explicitly state those things.
And, this is just the beginning! Shauna gives SO many more practical tips today as we dive into all things starting over and finding your true self. Specifically:
- How to reframe your mind from functions of failure to functions of beginning
- The importance of taking on a beginners posture opposed to continuing in an expert identify
- Ways to deepen trust in God’s goodness, even as the future looks more and more uncertain
- How to leave behind what no longer serves you and begin again
If you are ready to discover that life is more about questions than answers, more about forgiveness than force, more about tenderness than trying hard then you will not want to miss today’s powerful episode!
More From This Episode:
Follow Shauna on Instagram and grab a copy of “Guess I Haven’t Learned That Yet”.
You May Also Like:
- We’re Missing It: How to Swap Frazzled Overwhelm for Slow, Simple & Good with Emily Ley
- Real > Pretend: How to Live Fierce, Free and Full of Fire with Jen Hatmaker
- Mom Set Free: How to Live From the Depths of God’s Grace with Jeannie Cunnion
- Rooted > Striving: How to Stop Spinning Over the Pressure to Find Purpose with Shari Rigby
- Words for the Soul: The Power of a Story to Battle Lies with Truth with Arielle Estoria
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