Are You Doing OK?

Recently my wife and I were playing a board game on a Saturday afternoon and she looked across at me and asked, "Are you doing ok?" 

My immediate response was "yeah, sure." But when she asked a second time, she wasn't really asking! "You seem like you are a little depressed."

"Really?!"

I chose not to argue but didn't necessarily agree in the moment... until I pondered further. 

What was I doing that would communicate I was depressed? How was she experiencing me - my energy, enthusiasm and life or lack of it?

An hour or so later (an improvement on the time it takes for me to get in touch with what is really going on in my emotions...! ) I realized she was correct. I was feeling a little depressed. I felt sad. A little overwhelmed or sense of hopelessness. Wow! Where did that come from?

So I pondered what had happened during the week.

I had a friend, who is walking through trauma, reach out for advice around using psychadellics... 

I had researched some of what was going on and also what the scriptures have to say about using drugs for a spiritual experience...

I had listened to a bunch of Jordan Petersen and Shawn Ryan podcasts talking about all the crazy things going on in the world...

=> I had entangled myself in a lot of information about some things that deeply concern me AND 99.9% of which I have no control over.

=> focusing on what you have concern about but no influence over grows a feeling of powerlessness which commonly results in some of these behaviors:

A) a human-led grab for power and control usually driven by aggression or manipulation

B) a withdrawal from any real engagement in society (avoid, distract with pleasures etc)

C) a fervent pursuit of more information about which you have no control over and endless empty activities (like shouting into the social media void about what's wrong with the world but never doing anything about it)

D) a feeling of powerlessness, anxiety, depression...

Oh snap! I was heading down option D and that is not cool!

So what did I do? If you are not doing ok, what can you do about it? There are a million things going on in the world that I am concerned about but have low to no control over, what do I do about it? 

FIRST:

Those that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

To wait means to entwine by twisting. I had 'waited' on a bunch of things that are hopeless and powerless and they had left me feeling weary and weak. To change, simply turn back to waiting on the Lord. That looks like

=> increase time meditating on scripture. Start with Psalm 139... and Psalm 119... and Psalm 19

=> increase time in gratitude (which can also be worship). What are you thankful for, today?

=> find and 'wait' on that which is good and noble and true and is full of hope e.g. God is Not a Theory Podcast, Join us weekly with Heaven in Business membership where we share stories of good news from around the world - free 7 day trial here

=> Go have a coffee with a friend and talk about how God has changed your life!

NEXT:

Focus on what is in your control to do. We have a lot more power than we realize when we focus our attention and activity on what we CAN do. What is in your hand? Are you doing what you can with what you have right now? What's stopping you?

A couple months ago I would have said I would never run 50km in one setting. Next week I am going to do what I thought was outside my ability. How did this change? I focused on what I COULD do. I started by running 5km. Then 10km. Then I ran 50km over a week. Slowly, as I have focused on what I CAN do, my capacity has increased. The same applies for you with whatever area you are wanting to grow in influence and capacity.

FINALLY:

Don't allow yourself to be isolated. Gain the momentum and encouragement by being part of a community growing in identity, growing in business and growing in influence. Check out the free trial membership with Heaveinbusiness.com/free-trial

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