Breaking out of the ‘blah’

I don’t know about you, but this week for me has been a bit of a ‘blah week’.

Do you have those?

This morning was particularly blah. I had no motivation to get out of bed. Even though I had plenty of things to do. I just wanted to sleep and hide under the covers. It’s not that this week has been extra stressful, but sometimes 'the blahs' sneak up on me.

Listening to a podcast this morning, three questions jumped out at me.

To give a little context, the speaker was talking about our self-talk and how it affects us.

He asked:

Is it true?

Is it helpful?

Is it kind?

These three questions can really apply to most areas of our lives. And as I listened, I was reminded of Joyce Meyer’s quote. ‘Where the mind goes the man follows.’

So applying these three questions to what we are thinking will certainly help.

Here was my process:

My thought: ‘I feel tired, unmotivated and just want to stay in bed and ignore the world.’

Questions:

Is it true?

‘Yes, I do feel tired.’

I needed to acknowledge how I felt. Which led to asking the deeper question of WHY I felt tired. That is really where the truth came out. ( more on that another time)

Is it helpful?

Staying in bed and doing nothing..... ‘no not particularly.’

Is it kind.?

‘Well, it’s not unkind… But lying in bed hiding under the covers and ignoring everything is not kind to me. Nor is it kind to my body, my mental or emotional health, and definitely not kind to my husband who has to live with me.’

As I wrote all this in my journal, I remembered a dream I had earlier in the week.

In the dream, I was lying down and felt a huge heaviness trying to weigh on me. I had trouble moving my limbs and struggled to get up. I heard Holy Spirit prompt me to call out to Jesus. At first, I had trouble opening my mouth, but as soon as I uttered His Name the heaviness lifted. I woke up.

I realized immediately it was a warning dream. At the time I was feeling perfectly fine. And yet five days later here I was struggling with exactly what that dream was talking about.

God is so good and so kind. And if we are listening, He often tells us things ahead of time to prepare us.

Therein lay several of my mistakes.

I did not steward that dream well. I did not value it enough to write it down. Nor did I pray into it and declare the victory that was mine in that dream. And lastly, I did not recognize the gradual and subtle way the ‘tiredness’ had crept in and snuck up on me over the following few days. And today, for a few hours, I actually partnered with it!

As I write this, I know there are others who are feeling this ‘blah’ at the moment as well. Lack of motivation, heaviness, and dullness in your spirit, your soul, and your body.

I want to encourage you today!

Is it true?

Does it line up with God‘s Word and His promises? Remember, feelings make great servants, but terrible masters.

Is it helpful?

Is what you’re thinking and feeling today helpful to you and those around you?

Is it kind?

Are you being kind to yourself? Are you giving yourself grace? Do you need to make other choices?

Once I thought about these questions I realized I had a choice.

I could choose to partner with the lies of ‘isolate, ignore and stay in my cave.’ A.k.a. under my bed covers.

Or

I could get up, move and take one step at a time.

I could acknowledge my feelings and give myself grace. Reminding myself that I can live a life worthy of what God has called me to do.

It may not look all that glamorous or productive today. But as we choose to live partnering with His truth that His plans for us are for a good future and hope. We can take one step at a time, toward the destiny He has for us.

And you can too! Let’s move together. Knowing we’re not alone, and all it takes is to put one foot in front of the other. The important thing is that we keep moving!

So, here are my steps for today:

1.. Strip my bed and wash my sheets. I love fresh linen!

2.. Write down five things I’m grateful for.

3. Write those three questions on my whiteboard.

Is it True?

Is it helpful?

Is it kind?

I know that doesn’t sound very spiritual or profound. But I also know God honors the small steps as well as the large ones.

So, what is one step you can take today?

I’d love to hear about it.