Flourishing From Within
Hello friends – last week I was listening to someone share about the struggles she’s had for years in a significant relationship. She desperately wants things to be better but has been waiting for the OTHER person to change. She mentioned how she longs to have this relationship flourish. I felt led to ask “What would it look like to flourish in your mind?” She paused and began to consider the profound nature of this question. She called me a few days later, having experienced a major breakthrough!
As I had my ‘Coffee With Jesus’, I reflected on this powerful question in light of my own challenging relationships. I asked “Lord, what would it look like for me to flourish in my mind despite the complexities I face?” As a lover of words, I looked up the definition of flourish which means to grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly favorable environment. It is to develop in a rapid and successful way. Hmm!
This same question led to a deep insight that I don’t have to be dependent on another person in order to flourish within. I began to see that I will flourish in my thoughts if I seek a ‘particularly favorable environment’. What does this look like? No matter what my outward circumstances, I have a choice to God honor in my thoughts and choose ones of love and compassion. I don’t need to try to fix anyone else, take anything personally and hang onto offenses. Instead, I can bring all my cluttered feelings to Jesus and leave them there with Him. I don’t need to carry the heavy load of another. It’s been incredibly freeing.
As I have been practicing flourishing in my mind, you can too! Here’s a way to declutter those thoughts:
Sort all of ’em: Grab a blank paper and jot down the good, bad and ugly. Honesty is key. Ask yourself: What are my thoughts about this person, relationship or situation?
Purge some of ’em: Toss out the thoughts that are not helpful or useful in this situation or relationship. Ask yourself: What are the lies I’m believing?
Keep some of ’em: Write out thoughts which are in alignment with who you want to be. Ask yourself: What are the truths I will remind myself of?
Coaching Connection:
- How might you be waiting on another person in order to feel like you can flourish?
- What would it be like for you to flourish in your thought life today?
To Your Growth,
Image courtesy of ChristopherPluta from pixabay