One thing I continue to learn is that the level of passion a woman exhibits for her work shows the difference between a woman walking on purpose and one merely existing.I learned this while working my first job at a newspaper. I remember my initial zeal at landing a job in what I thought was my chosen profession. Everyday I went to work felt like an adventure… until it was not. My inability to advance and navigate office politics quickly soured my opinion. I became addicted to aspirin to nurse my daily migraine. One day, my mentor Pam told me I was becoming complacent. Within a week I quit that job without a parachute. When I quit, the headaches quit too. I faced some difficult days, but I was happier on my own figuring out something new rather than staying in a place that was draining my spirit. Walking on purpose sometimes means taking risks. Risk is the ultimate act of faith, like Jesus asking Peter to walk on water. When a woman is pumped up with God-spirit, her skin radiates and her energy does not allow bitterness, indifference or regret to intrude. She walks on purpose toward her dreams.
The spirit-killer.
Anywhere we choose to look, we can find women who are happy and living on purpose. When a woman is walking on purpose, her excitement is palpable. I am saddened when I see someone who has stopped seeing and believing in her inherent gifts. If she could remember a fraction of her talents, she might muster the energy to crawl out of the tried-and-true, safe corners and try again. Perhaps she chose to hide in those comfortable places when the things she wanted seemed unattainable. While the status quo is a safe place, it killed a bit of her spirit.
Success does not have a timeline.
We must use our hips or the balls of our feet to bounce back. We must walk the water of faith even when we think we are too old to take the risk. Success does not have a time-line. What we consider success may not be how the Most High sees it at all. Too often, success is measured by what we see, how much money we make and how visible we are to the world. What is forgotten is faith. The faith to know, without seeing, that our walk is supported.
See, the real success is when we have the strength to try again. Life can burn us out. It is not always fair. Some people are not nice and will try to hurt us. Some people will try to hold us back because our star is shining and they cannot see the glow of their own constellation. Some hold on and realize their dream. We look at them and wonder what miracle occurred for them to realize their dream without smelling or stepping in the manure that made that dream grow.
Each of us is born with unique capabilities that shape our dreams. The challenge is keeping those original visions alive amidst life’s twists and turns. Achieving those dreams sometimes means taking risks. When something does not work, try again. The real risk is in not having the faith to walk the water. Don’t be scared. Don’t look down. Don’t worry about drowning. Just walk the water on purpose.
In the meantime….Choose YOU!