Normal

Normal.

What is normal?

A mindset. Normal for everyone is a bit different.

Does everyone else get up in the morning and immediately let the pup outside? No, but that's my normal.

Does everyone else spend 1-2 hours per day talking with people about wellness goals, in service to others, to help them fulfill their dreams of feeling well preventatively? No, but it's my normal.

Does everyone eat fresh cucumbers for lunch during the summer, grow 5 kinds of mint while gardening organically, and drink chocolate or orange mint tea in the winter? No, but it's my normal.

Did everyone go to a private K-12 school growing up? No, but that's my normal.

Does everyone sing 5-8 hrs per day for FUN and get to pass that joy and skill on to adults and kids alike? No, but it's my joyful normal.

Does everyone sleep 7-8 hours per night? For most, that's a sad no, but it's my normal now! It definitely didn't used to be.

Does everyone go to church every Sunday? No, but that's my normal.

Does everyone work for themselves as their own "boss"? No, but it's becoming my normal.

Does everyone eat Einkorn instead of modern grain? No, but it's becoming our normal.

Does everyone play strategy board games often the way Gabe & I do? No, but we enjoy it, and it's our normal.

Does everyone believe the same things about God or humanity? No, but we each have a normal.

Our normal is governed by our underlying beliefs and mindset. Our normal is fundamentally governed by what we believe about ourselves -- who we are, what we say to ourselves.

Do you tell yourself:
I am anxious.
I am tired.
I am broke.
I am hurt.
I am in pain.
I am stuck.
I am stressed.
I am broken.
I am a sinner.
I am hopeless.
I am incapable of _______ (something that hasn't happened yet that you are dreaming of).
I have to work this job.
I have to marry this person.
I have to live here.

OR, do you tell yourself:
I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
I am blessed to be a blessing.
I am at peace.
I am serving others.
I am connected in community.
I am made new.
I am growing.
I am a sharer of my talents and knowledge.
I am healed.
I am a saint who sometimes still sins.
I am hope-filled.
I am already _________ (fill in the blank with a goal that God sees as done, but to me is "not yet").
I can change my mind.
I can develop new preferences.
I can be authentically ME.

How can you move towards a new normal, if you're telling yourself the former things? How can I help you on the journey of saying the latter things to yourself?

Love you, dear friends. 🥰