Breathe
Updated: Feb 3, 2021
~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Can you believe that we are approaching the third week of January? I can’t. I told someone recently that January always seems like the LONGEST month… that is… until it doesn’t.
Once January concludes it seems like the world makes this huge announcement, “Alright, ALL months ahead, it’s time to press FAST FORWARD.”
I believe January is our set up month for the entire year.
It is the month where we are still spending time evaluating what happened in the previous year. It is the month where we spend immense time evaluating what we want to happen in our current year. It is the month that we realize that there is still some change needed within us in order for us to truly stick to our goals. It is the month that we struggle with the reality of who we are and who we said we would be in this New Year.
I believe that January is a month where we truly have to be intentional concerning what we want to see in our year and then we must begin the setup of our plan in order to accomplish that vision.
Take a moment and do the self-assessment below.
Where are you currently?
1. Where are you emotionally?
o Happy and Blessed
o Sad and Depressed
o Happy but still learning to manage my emotions
o Sad but not depressed
o Depressed and can’t figure out why
o Dealing with anxiety
o Not in a good place but I’m trusting God to see me through
o Other :
2. Where are you physically?
o In Shape
o Working on it
o Lazy and Unmotivated
o Struggling
o Feeling Defeated
o I work out every single day
o I work out often
o What’s a gym?
o Other:
3. Where are you spiritually?
o Me and Jesus are like the best of friends!
o I am struggling to find time to spend with God
o I feel too ashamed most times to talk to God
o I don’t know how to develop a relationship with God
o I feel super lost in my journey
o I have spiritual direction and clarity
o I know Jesus loves me, but I just can’t make myself make Him a priority in my life
o Other:
4. Where are you in your career?
o I am thriving in my current career
o I am working daily in my passions
o I am in the position that God desires for me to be in
o I hate my job
o I love the money, I hate the work
o I am not sure what next steps I want to accomplish in my career
o It pays the bills
o Other:
5. Where are you with your business?
o Owning a Business is not a goal of mine
o I am currently doing research in order to open my business
o I am booked and blessed
o My business is unfolding just as I expected
o I am doing the work but not seeing much outcome
o I am currently frustrated and exhausted with the work required in my business
o Other:
6. Where are you with friendships?
o I am blessed with wonderful friends
o My friends push me towards my destiny
o I am not certain of some of the friends currently in my circle
o My friends and I have a unique but fulfilling relationship
o I am currently seeking God concerning the friendships in my life
o My friendships are in a current transition
o Other:
7. Where are you with family?
o I have the best family in the world
o My relationship with my family is a struggle
o I have resentment towards my family
o My family brings me joy
o I desire my own personal family
o I want to grow closer with my family
o Other:
8. Where are you with the relationships in your life?
o I am single and ready to mingle
o I am in a committed relationship and super happy
o I am in a committed relationship but this season of life is hard
o I am in a committed relationship but I am just not sure if this relationship is what God wants
o I am single and completely okay with that
o I am dating someone but it’s not serious
o I have many “little” friends and that’s what works for me in this season
o I am recently separated
o I am divorced
o I am married but unhappy
o I am married and blessed
o Other:
9. Where are you with your goals for the year?
o What Goals?
o I’m just living and loving life
o I have taken the next steps to accomplish my goals for the year
o I have goals but I am struggling on my next steps
o Fear has kept me bound from even thinking about goals
o I have goals and I am already accomplishing them
o I got goals and a plan
o My goals are set, my plan is set, I’m ready
o Other:
Now that you have done your self-assessment. Take 5 minutes to reflect and just BREATHE.
Sit or Lay down in a comfortable position
Don’t change anything about the current moment.
Don’t process any thoughts concerning where you should be.
Simply inhale through your nose
Exhale with a loud (haaaaaa) as you breathe out
Pay attention to your body
Are you tense in certain areas?
Relax
Relax your cheeks
Smile as you inhale in
Smile as you exhale out
Relax your shoulders
Let your ears be aligned with your shoulders
Make sure your spine is straight and your shoulders are pushed down and back
Remain in this moment
Continue to inhale and exhale
Feel the presence of God
Be okay with where you discovered that you currently are
BREATHE
Notice, that I never asked you to think about where you desire to be.
I only inquired about where you are currently?
Try your best to not skip ahead.
Remain present in this moment of reflection.
Your inner being, your Spirit deserves this moment of reflection.
I believe that as we get older, the days will continue to get faster, and we will have to be intentional about the present moments that God has provided.
After all, these moments are a gift. Someone is begging for their next moment of life and the reality is they may not receive it.
You have this moment. So, how are you appreciating this gift?
BREATHE.
Take in what’s around you.
Take in what you discovered about this current place in your life.
Don’t try to change your current place.
Don’t think about the next moment of your life.
It’s so much God wants you to capture HERE.
Moment of Vulnerability
Today, I am in a place of complete dependence upon God. I don’t have a lot of direction concerning my life, but I do have vision. I don’t have a lot of answers for my life, but I do have purpose. I don’t know my next step, but I do know my current one.
I’ve discovered that there is a blessing in being totally and completely dependent upon God. There is a blessing in leaning on Him for every single thing that you need. There is a blessing in taking time to BREATHE in His goodness and simply exhaling out your worries.
I’ve spent so much time wondering if I am on the wrong journey, wondering if I am out of place or position, wondering if God was pleased with me in spite of my many flaws. That in this last year I knew there had to be a change in my life. I knew that I would have to stop worrying about things such as, if I’m a failure, if I’m pleasing God, if I’m pleasing the people around me.
I knew that I would have to learn how to “just be” if I wanted to continue to live out my best life.
The older I get, the less I desire.
I’ve realized that the plenty that I seek, is already within me. I have been often considered a hippy J because I love my natural self, I love being on my natural time, and I absolutely love the natural space that God has given me. It is in those moments of appreciation and stillness concerning where I am currently, that my life begins overflowing, like a river or stream, constantly flooding me with joy and peace.
Jeanice Sherai
Do you believe God concerning your life?
Do you trust that He’s gone before you?
Do you trust that He knows what opportunities you should pursue?
Do you trust that He knows which relationships should and should not be in your life?
Do you trust that He knows your tomorrow?
If so, today, I encourage you to just BREATHE and be present in this moment.
It’s so much peace in a moment, especially when we make the decision to simply be still and trust God with the next moment of our lives. There is absolutely nothing that worry will solve, but there are a lot of things that worry and stress can create in your life.
Choose peace. Choose to breathe. Choose to trust God.
Love and Light,
Jeanice Sherai