Your WHYS Make You Wise

Lysa Terkeurst has been blowing my socks off lately. Book after book. Devotional after Devotional. Podcast after motivational quote after hard honest truth - her words speak straight into my heart. And in this season of life, that’s exactly what I’ve needed.

I think some may assume I have all my ducks in a row because I share about health and wellness. I share about life, ups and downs, post motivation, do my best to inspire, try to evoke laughter by being real about the craziness of life with kids and beyond.

So Yes - I’ve made health a top priority in my life and I’ve turned taking care of myself into my daily work. BUT - that doesn’t exempt me from the reality and the mess of life in addition to how hard/heavy things can get from time to time.

This is a place where I plan to always share my authentic self. If my life is heavy and hard - you’re going to know about it. And then if you choose to continue to follow along, you’re going to learn all about how I move through it, learn and step forward into growth.

Today, I want to share this excerpt from the Lysa book I just finished - “It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way.” The book is about finding unexpected strength when disappointments leave you shattered and uncertain about the life you’re leading.

“Perfection intimidates. Compassion inspires. And in that - you will finally find the WHY. Why did this happen? Because there’s someone else in the world who would drown in their own tears if not for seeing yours. And when you make one other human simply see they aren’t alone, you make the world a better place.

Tell her I gave her the word upside down because she’ll give the world permission once again to see the wonderful in the WHY. Her WHYs have made her WISE.”

Perfection intimidates.
Compassion inspires.

There’s so much more to share from this message - but these are the two lines that have stuck with me since I finished the book this morning.

If we allow ourselves to be stuck in cycles of comparison, perfection and following the “mold” we’re all conditioned to believe is the one and only way - HOW will we ever find the compassion we need to feel inspired and the deep, judgment free connection we all desire?

By sharing our WHYs. That’s how.

Those deep lessons we learn when we choose to reflect on the moments that leave us saying, “WHY ME? WHY THIS? WHY NOW? WHY NOT NOW?”

Because remember? Our WHYS make us WISE.

I’m unsure when I last shared the WHY behind what I do as a wellness coach - but I feel it’s appropriate to dig into more of sharing that now. My WHY truly goes deep and it’s the thing I stay anchored to when the going gets tough and everything around me is pointing to the EXIT sign.

My WHY is my family. The one I grew up with and the one I’m creating with my husband. But beyond that - my WHY stems from the unhealthy habits I’ve seen ALL of us create as a society. And even as ONE small teeny, tiny fish in this sea of influence - I am determined to share how I’m trying to grow through the endless adversity.

Some of the things that fuel my WHY fire…

How we’ve let comparison and perfection skew our entire sense of reality.
How we’ve been conditioned to be unresponsive to others and somehow feel that’s okay.
How we’ve been programmed to shut down, disconnect and ignore rather than LEAN IN harder.
How we don’t slow down, reach out and authentically ask “How are you?” often enough.
How we let stress, anxiety and the demands around us dictate how we feel every day.
How we crave quick fixes and immediate gratification over remembering the value and EFFORT of honest hard work.
How we’ve become SO busy with the messy middle of this world that we can’t prioritize our own time for reflection and self-care.
How we FAIL to seek more truth over empty vices when we can’t make sense of how things are going.

In reality, if we’re not digging into messages bigger than ourselves and if we’re not consistently reflecting inward about these kinds of things and what’s causing them, we’ll almost always feel disappointment or a lack of contentment. We’ll almost always stop our efforts and give up. And worst of all - we’ll almost always feel ALONE in our feelings and the day to day that we’re trying to grind through.

The WHY behind what I do stems from not only wanting to learn through this life, but wanting to learn and SHARE so I can help others along the way. It’s something deep in my soul that I feel called to do.

I’ve already lived a life where I’ve felt extremely alone. I don’t want to do that anymore. Even when my insecurities come creeping back and try to push me into isolation - I’m learning how to LEAN IN to truth and the things that actually matter: self-care and connection.

One of the hardest things I’ve experienced when it comes to strengthening my faith, my spiritual wellness and understanding TRUTH is this idea that “I just don’t understand the Bible.” The words are confusing. The messaging gets lost. For me, it’s like picking up a book in another language and having no idea how to digest the information.

But Lysa’s writing style changes that. She relates so much depth back into the real world we’re living in. I think I love her writing most because I can see pieces of myself in her story. I can pull out my own imperfections as she shares her mess. It’s remarkable how she encourages us through compassion to look beyond your own brain for comfort, connection and direction.

I don’t have many answers - but my WHYS can tell you this - prioritizing self-care will allow you to OPEN YOUR MIND. A practice that will encourage you to never stop searching/learning and it will keep you in the game when all you want to do is give up.

Your MIND is the tool that needs the most nurturing and growth. It’s the thing you need more than ANYTHING when it comes to feeling the effects of whole wellness.

If you follow my wellness journey - I want you to remember one important thing: You only see the outside.

The workout videos I share, the supplements I use that give me energy and clarity, the meals I try to eat so my gut feels good and I’m not crashing at 3PM, the things I read because my brain desperately needs positivity and the habits I’m working to create so I feel my absolute best.

These tools are MASSIVE to incorporate on a day to day basis. And they’re something I know can be powerful in your life too.

But what you don’t see is the HEART work. The HEAD work. The work I crave for my clients and the people I connect with more than anything. That’s where the magic happens, friends. And while it’s a constant internal battle I’m trying to master and feed hope to - day in and day out - I will never stop fighting. I will never stop learning. And I will never stop sharing how the truth I’m digging into is chiseling who I am and how I can help people.

I do what I do as a coach because I’ve learned that I NEED IT ALL (from physical to mental to emotional to spiritual) and without it - I have no idea what kind of life or truth I would be living today.

Maybe you need it too. Maybe you need a new book to read. A new place to find more hope and inspiration. A new practice to help you feel centered and alive. A new way to understand truth. A new regimen so you can get past the rut you’re in and gain the clarity you deserve in order to lead a healthy, fulfilling life.

If that’s you - I want to gift you this amazing Lysa Terkeurst book and invite you into the community that continues to keep me grounded, inspired and taking this life in stride - one day at a time.

If you’re craving more TRUTH and a community that will empower you to create habits that serve every aspect of your life - COMPLETE THIS FORM ASAP and I’ll send information to get you plugged into my next wellness group. We get started on Monday, July 1.

Let your WHYS make you WISE friends.

Embrace the mess and be brave enough to lean in, learn and share alongside others. I promise you - accepting help and hope with open arms will be one of the most rewarding gifts you’ll ever give yourself. And you deserve that.