Drifting

Sometimes I forget who I am and I need to be reminded.  This is my top ten list of things I want to remember.   

1. Faith – Faith in Jesus, faith that it is “as it should be” and faith in me. 
2. Love – As in, don’t just talk about it, do it.  Love is a verb.
3. Gratitude – We must be grateful for what is because “what is” is more than enough.  We are blessed. 
4. Joy – It’s a choice every day.  You do not need to go around smiling and being outwardly “happy” all the time but you must choose to live in joy.  You have the power to do that and living in Joy changes everything. (Happiness is fleeting but joy in your heart is everlasting.)
5. Stillness – There is something beyond the noise.  There is something beyond the neighborhood, the house, the cars, the job, the parties, the friends, the schools, the games, the committees, the media, the politics, the church, the clothes, the work out, the diet, the internet, the grades, the texting, Facebook, the stuff.  There is something bigger and better.  The only way to get there is through stillness.  Find a place that is still and go there.  It takes work but it’s worth it.  In the stillness you will meet yourself again. 
6. Acceptance –  Give yourself a break.  No one is perfect.  No one can hold it together all the time.  It’s not real and it’s not fun.  Nobody wants to be around you when you are so wound up.  You don’t even want to be around you.
7. Awareness – Check in with yourself.  When you feel uncomfortable in your skin, take a look at it.  Think about it, get still and address it.  Why are you uncomfortable?  Have you gotten away from your true self?  Make a list of what you believe in.  Put it on the fridge…carry it in your purse.  Most of all carry it in your heart. 
8. Laughter – It is medicine for your soul.  Don’t stop laughing…especially at yourself. 
9. Look people in the eye – Engage, care, pay attention to other people.  Don’t talk so much.  Get out of your head. Other people have stories and struggles and need an ear too.  Get over yourself.
10. Surround yourself with people who will remind you who you are if you forget.  These should be people who are not afraid to stop you mid-sentence and say, “What the ?#!?# are you talking about?” 

My friend shared an illustration with me about how it feels when you forget who you are.  She said it’s like when you are on a raft in the ocean and you are in front of your towels and all the people you know.  Then you start drifting and you don’t realize it.  You are moving along comfortably, not worrying about your towels or your people.  When you look up again, you are way down the ocean, looking at a bunch of things you don’t recognize thinking, “How did this happen?”

Anchor yourself.  If you drift and you hear a voice calling you back, listen.  It’s usually God saying, “Child, you are lost.  Come back.”  Follow His voice.  He is your anchor.  He will pull you back to safety…again and again.