Last year were many things. But one thing that stood out and I saw in a reel was that to value one thing you must experience the other. Let me explain, for instance it’s only when you’re alone, that you can realise the true value of love – the need to be around others. That’s what I felt like when I moved out. I realised how deeply I loved my family and that it’s only when you don’t have something that you realise the value of it. When you’re lonely it helps you understand the value of those moments you share with your family. Just like one would experience the struggles of hard work i.e., uni assessments, to truly value the achievement of a good grade that’s well deserved.
Off topic, but have you ever experienced moments where a scent reminds you of a particular memory? Every time I walk to work, the smell of the coffee beans and cafe environment takes me back to my first job, ever! I look back and realise how far I have come. It helps me value those moments I began working. And you may be wondering, why this café? Don’t all cafés have this scent? And, honestly somehow walking past this one, I cannot pin point it, but it has a similar scent.
Just how scents can make us feel a certain way, seeing there’s a memory attached to a scent and it changes our thoughts, aka how our thoughts become our actions. Therefore, how much more does our feelings dictate our actions?
This week has been a push…against how I feel and how I want to feel. But, what would it be like if we only did what we felt like doing? Well for one unless we reallllllllyyyy l-o-v-e our jobs we probs wouldn’t go to work. We would sleep, have more time for our hobbies, maybe even eat more sweets to our hearts desire. But our feeling wouldn’t change, well not at first! For example, I love ice-cream so I could eat ice-cream one day because it felt a craving for something sweet and cold, and make me happy. Then the next day comes and I repeat the same process. Now if I kept doing that consistently, I’d be happy right? But long-term depending on what else I did do, I could feel even worse. Who knows. But what I am trying to say is what would our life turn out to be if we act according to our feelings and emotions? In most cases actually it wouldn’t lead to a good overall happy and healthy life. Well for one, if we don’t go to work we couldn’t survive, so logically we go to work. But what about moments that aren’t high stakes?
So, we established our thoughts become our actions and for me in particular this week was all about getting up early for a run before work. Even though I didn’t feel like getting up, I still got out of bed…well this lasted a few days. And I will get back into it, overtime. Because as I started out, I realise how by the end of the run, I always felt good. The initial feeling changed and produced a positive emotion. No matter the times I felt like I wasn’t getting enough breath in my lungs or how my legs burned. I felt more alive and ready to start my day – actually more like conquer my day.
For myself, as a Christian who wants to grow in relationship with my God, last year reading the Word daily was a struggle. But in the end we read it all! Thanks to a 1 year plan. Overtime it became easier, and I enjoyed that time more with Him. And I hope in your New Year that you can overcome these feelings and emotions to see and experience what’s waiting on the other side. I may just be speaking to myself, but its doesn’t matter. I can reflect on my progress and realise what truly matters to me. And truly believe with time and consistency I will live out my goals and achieve them. To see what I envision become my reality.
Just like I had previously mentioned, when we feel unmotivated or tired in the morning, when we push past the initial battle in our minds – it’s a mind game – we can value more those times we broke past and even woke up for an early morning walk, which in turn made us feel a positive reward of happiness. Well at least I can say this is how I felt. And its those wins, the feeling attached to a memory or activity, that should drive us to continue to act that way. Rather than let the “in the moment” of how we feel dictate us and lead us down a path we don’t want to take.
In Proverbs 25:28 it mentions self-control = self-discipline. Truely, no one can put in the work for you, it’s up to you. If you want it, you will make it happen. And in moments you feel overwhelmed or lost, this is okay. We are okay to cry every once in a while, and to have bad days, but it’s how we react to them that matters most.
Remember that God will help us in times of struggles, which everyone faces. No one is perfect! And it can be hard to forget in this day and age of comparison on social media. But when we feel a certain way, we can go to our Heavenly Father and ask us for strength to keep going [Philippians 4:6~7 & Nehemiah 8:10].
God, thank you for all those moments, the highs and lows that you helped me overcome time and time again. Both physically and emotionally, Lord Your ways are higher so in You, and You alone I put my hope and trust in. For You are my joy and strength!
God, You Amaze Me!
E
Proverbs 25:28 NIV
“Like a city whose walls are broken through
is a person who lacks self-control.”
Philippians 4:6~7 NIV
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Nehemiah 8:10 NIV
“…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
