Potential v Reality

I'm praying for a dear friend, who is going through something similar as me. Accepting the reality of her situation instead of the potential of her reality.

Another friend recently chose to end almost 30 years marriage due to the similar reasons. Another friend, is still dealing with the fallout of making the right decision for herself even after 17 years.

Our past is not the past if we are still living in it, right?!

Over the last few weeks and the past year, God has shown me that I’m not alone. He’s shown me strong women who, for whatever reason, are drawn to the potential of someone, instead of the reality of someone.

It doesn’t make us weak. In fact, what we’ve been through makes us stronger.

It’s now our opportunity to unselfishly look inward & decipher our own needs for the first time in our lives.

We can take care of ourselves first & other’s second… We realize that until we learn to do this, we really can’t help others anymore. We’re tapped out. In fact, by taking care of ourselves, we are able to do more for others if we can figure it out.

Yet, it is uncomfortable.
It’s foreign.
We were taught to put ourselves last.
It feels selfish & wrong to do anything else.

But, guess what?

It’s not.

It’s our turn to focus on what we really want & need in our lives. No compromises.

It’s our turn to give ourselves permission to be ourselves.

And, in the process, find ourselves again.

Fixing everyone else… Taking care of everyone else has only been a diversion from us actually seeing ourselves for who & what we are as strong women.

I, for one, am ready to do the work to turn that around.

And, it’s my hope that the amazingly strong women in my life have the courage to do the same.

God’s got a plan for us… That may involve us caring for others… But in a way that doesn’t hurt us and unintentionally keep others from facing the consequences of their own choices.

We can do this.

And, when we do, no matter how hard, we’ll be a better version of ourselves than we can even imagine.

God’s got our back.
We just need to take those steps of faith and trust His plan.

No more creating our own reality in our relationships. Authenticity is the rule… For ourselves and the people we choose moving forward.

Potential v Reality…
I’m finally choosing reality.

Be good to yourself.
Protect your heart at all costs…
It’s your treasure.

"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." http://bible.us/Prov4.23.NLT

You deserve better than potential.

You deserve reality.