I’ve grown up hearing that I need to be driven…hustle…grind…work, work, work, work, work. At all costs and I mean all costs…whether it costs me myself, time with my husband, kids, extended family, friends, my sanity…didn’t matter.
Whatever the cost, do anything necessary to keep it moving…to attain financial security or whatever externally appears to be financial success. In my twenties, I heard someone sharing about being led.
Interesting…led, not driven.
It sent me on a journey of soul-searching. I began working my way back through situations and it seemed all around me, people were busy trying to be “secure”. I truly believe and know at my core that there is no such thing as external security.
What we think is solid and unshakable can be turned upside down in an instant…the pandemic seems to have highlighted that again for all of us. Our stocks can crash, our retirement fund can evaporate faster than we thought possible, our pay checks can stop without explanation, our identities can be stolen, our spouses can decide that it’s the end of the road, our kids can choose paths that cause themselves harm, our savings can be eaten up by unforeseen circumstances and so on and so forth.
Being led, not driven simply put is that I AM healthy with my boundaries on all things external. So that when the external crashes, I am shaken internally but not smothered. I may be disappointed, but not destroyed. I may be in tears and they may unexpectedly come in waves, but I will not drown. I will re-center and remind myself to cling to that which is a firm foundation, my safe haven, my faith in the Divine plan unfolding.
I take time to work. I work to the best of my ability, but I am not “on” twenty-four/seven for work. My quiet time is of utmost importance if I hope to be my best self. So, I take time to meditate, pray, take deep breaths, journal, sing, play music or sounds of the ocean and move forward from a place of being led from within, not driven by the external.
What are you feeling? Anxiety, fear, stress…driven? May I suggest some time of quiet, a safe space to meditate, focus, breathe and pray? From that place, be led into every assignment, connection, work and see/feel/experience the difference of being led, not driven.
Common Day Hero: I have seen you with nothing, with much and in between the two. Regardless of the situation, your faith has sustained you and remains a beacon for many. You have shared your money even when you knew you would go hungry if you shared. I AM grateful beyond description for the way Abba has blessed you, internally and externally. Leni, love you so much. Stay unconventional, creative and kind.
