Laurie Hopkins

October 7 2019

Moving From a Destination Focus to Valuing the Journey

Hello, my friend! The time has moved quickly from last week to this week. What endings did you encounter? Were you able to choose to unfurl your hands? Did you have some moments of “arms and hands open wide, twirling barefoot in the grass, head back, with abandoned laughter and don’t care who is looking, kind of living” this week? I hope so! Now that our hands and our minds are not as clenched, this week, I thought we could chat about moving from a destination focus to valuing the journey.

Mindsets

The Merriam Webster Online Dictionary describes the term mindset this way: 1) a mental attitude or inclination 2) a fixed state of mind (retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mind-set). So a mindset is a fixed way of looking at something. Mindsets are kind of like strong habits. They are deep-seated beliefs that we may or may not be aware of in our conscious minds, but that dictate our ways of behaving. We are, for the most part, comfortable with our mindsets. When someone tries messing with the way we think, we get uncomfortable.

But since we have committed to some “arms and hands open wide, twirling barefoot in the grass, head back, with abandoned laughter and don’t care who is looking, kind of living”, I thought it would be OK to disrupt some mindsets today!

A Destination Focus

Are you a traveller? Do you love to explore, see new places and experience new things? Do you travel physically or even vicariously through movies and books? As novice travellers we generally start out with a destination focus. The vacation/trip/adventure doesn’t really begin until you have arrived at your destination. At that point in time you can let down your hair, kick off your shoes and begin to relax and enjoy. The rest is just a necessary evil meant only to be endured until you get to the meat of your adventure.

What I’ve come to learn is that this part that is meant only to be endured actually takes up a large chunk of your vacation time. The trains, planes and automobiles that you need to take to get where you are going and back home can be as much as ¼ to ½ of your time away.

Experienced Travellers

What experienced travellers have learned, is that all parts of your vacation/adventure are to be enjoyed. The moment you begin dreaming about your trip, the fun begins. There is the dreaming stage, then the planning stage, then the preparation stage and the getting there stage and the arriving stage and the adventure itself followed by the preparations to return home, the trip home and then the reminiscing and sharing that takes place upon your return. When you are only focused on enjoying the actual destination, look at all the other opportunities for enjoyment you are missing! Yes, some of the bits and pieces of your adventure may not be fun and interesting in the same way, but surely, in all our wisdom, we can find ways to make it more enjoyable.

A Shift In Mindset

For instance, take the travel time to and from your adventure. We may not all enjoy the early morning trip to the airport or the waiting time, however, if we challenged our destination mindset, things may look differently. I can bring fun snacks and a great book I’ve been waiting to read. I can take fun selfies. I can have uninterrupted talk time with my spouse. I can chat with others who are also waiting. I can have some quiet, uninterrupted time to just rest. I can actually sip and enjoy that cup of coffee that I never seem to get time to finish at home. It is also a great time to catch up on knitting or crocheting. A shift in mindset can free up a lot of time!

Life and Destination Focus

We often ask ourselves and those around us, “Why do I feel so rushed?” It feels like there are not enough hours in the day and not enough time and energy to go around. I have an answer for you. Regardless of how much we actually “produce” in a day, when we subscribe, knowingly or unknowingly, to a destination focus in our life, we will be left tired and run ragged. There will be a distinct lack of satisfaction and joy in that which we have accomplished.

You can’t have a to-do list long enough, that when it is all checked off, produces satisfaction in and of itself. We are not built that way. We are built for joy and purpose, not doing for the sake of doing.

Valuing the Journey - Shortening Our Time

It is time to shift our mindset from a destination focus to valuing the journey. So, how do we value the journey? That will look a bit different for all of us. However, there are a few things we all need to know. The first thing we need to stop doing is always looking ahead to the next thing we have to do or get through. How often in a day do we say or think, “If I could just get xyz done”. What happens when you get it done? You quickly move on to another target to complete. We feel rushed because we are always watching something ahead of us; wishing out time away. And we wonder why our time seems so short.

Valuing the Journey -Measuring the Moments

The next thing we need to do is begin valuing the moments. Time is made up of moments. Bits and pieces of time in between those things we are aiming to get done. The moments are where the joy is found. That is where we see our purpose being fulfilled. This is where we find the “aha”. Without a focus on the moments we are like hamsters on a wheel – moving fast, expending a lot of energy, maybe producing, but feeling like we aren’t getting anywhere. How do we do find value in the moments? Engage. Stop thinking about the next thing and the next thing and focus on the thing you are doing right now. Give it your full attention. Treat it like it is the only thing on your to do list. And see what happens.

Valuing the Journey - Relationship and Surrender

The other important piece of enjoying the journey is in trusting that there is a solid plan – whether that plan is detailed or loosely designed for spontaneity in between. For every great journey there is at least one planner; one that gets out the maps and plans the route and the stops along the way. God has prepared this journey called life, for us. We are His “workmanship”; He has created us with a plan and a purpose. If we are walking in relationship with Him, we can trust that He will direct our steps. That takes a lot of the pressure off. When the journey is well designed there is freedom to move in the moment without worrying about “what’s next”. We may not always see the big picture at once, but when we are spending time with Him, He will at the very least, show you that one next step you need to take.

Valuing the Journey - Unique to You

The rest is up to you. How you choose to find joy and purpose and the “aha” in your moments may look different from how I do it. Some of it will be trial and error. But the most important piece is that you recognize that a destination focus is a mindset; a mindset that can and needs to be changed in your life. Valuing the journey as a whole will help take the rush out and put the joy into the moments that make up the journey.

What I Know

I know that recognizing and changing mindsets is not something that you do overnight. It is, in itself, a journey – a journey of self-discovery and growth that is also to be enjoyed. Don’t allow it to become a destination. Be aware of the moments and let the Holy Spirit guide and direct your steps as you aim to become more and more like Jesus.

Until Next Time

Well, it is that time again. My teacup is empty. I encourage you to continue to choose “arms and hands open wide, twirling barefoot in the grass, head back, with abandoned laughter and don’t care who is looking, kind of living” this week, which includes starting to shift from a destination focus to valuing the journey.

I Would Love to Hear from You!

Drop a note in the comments section below. I would love to hear from you! Be in touch and share your experience with destinations and journeys! Growth is much more effective and more fun when we do it together! Let’s take this space and make it a place to share and encourage one another.

If you are interested in more Devotional reading, head over to my Facebook Page where you will find a Weekly Devotion early every Monday morning. Click here to go directly to Weekly Devotions with Laurie.

Until next time,

From my heart to yours!

Laurie

Category: Uncategorized | LEAVE A COMMENT

September 23 2019

Endings and New Beginnings and Everything in Between

Endings And New Beginnings And Everything In Between

It has been a challenging few weeks on this end. I’m happy to be back at the table with a cup of tea in my current favourite mug and some time to sit together and chat! Today I thought we would chat about Endings and New Beginnings and Everything in Between. You know the drill; grab your mug and your hot drink and let’s take a few minutes to encourage one another.

Clenched Fists

Things end. It is a fact of life. Next to things changing, things ending is probably one of the most fought against experiences we encounter. Although we long for adventure and new journeys and all the opportunities that are out there for us; we often cling tightly to what we already have. And in clinging tightly, our hands our preoccupied and we are unable to reach for that which is to come next. Clenched fists don’t allow for reaching out or reaching forward.

Unfurl Those Hands

On Dec 26^th, 2013 I wrote a blog called: Unfurl Those Hands. This is an excerpt:

I have read in various places recently about unfurling our clenched hands……grace comes, but you must release that protective posture of clenched fists, unfurl those fingers and release that palm:

– release it to open and receive grace

– release it to reach out to another and lift them up

– release it to rise up and praise the Creator

– release it to open up your body, spirit and mind to the possibilities of truly living

Not existence, not surviving, but radical, arms and hands open wide, twirling barefoot in the grass, head back, abandoned laughter, don’t care who is looking, kind of living

We live in a clenched world. Look around, listen to the news, listen to the radio, and listen to the conversations that float around you – the world is an uncertain place; wars, harm, crime, illness, the unexpected, the unprepared. Underneath the masks of money and prosperity and “I’m OK” lies of North America, lies the dust of uncertainty. Am I safe, am I enough, what will tomorrow bring, what will the next 5 minutes bring, am I ready?

And so we protect ourselves; from others, from ourselves – from outside harm, from the harm that comes with self-doubt and guilt. And we begin to curl inwards. We self-protect. First, our hands become fisted – then our minds and spirits and even our physical bodies began to curl inward, taking up less space so as not to be noticed and therefore not a target. Fetal position – curled – protecting what we have so no one can take it away.

But in the process we become small. Physically we expose less of ourselves to the outside world. Then we began to close off our minds to the things around us. We bubble wrap our thoughts and beliefs and then our spirits begin to shrivel. And we are no longer living. We are only existing; surviving the day and the night to start all over again the next day. We are not living the arms and hand open wide, twirling barefoot in the grass, head back, abandoned laughter, don’t care who is looking, kind of life. Instead we are managing. The one foot in front of the other, one day at a time, I’m doing “OK” kind of life.

I Believe

I believe what I wrote about in 2013 is even truer today. We are a society that lives with clenched fists. Mostly unintentionally, but clenched nonetheless.

More and more I’ve come to understand that clenched fists makes us small; small thinking, small presence, small impact.

When it comes to endings, we often find ourselves holding on tightly to that which has run its course and needs to end.

Not Easy But Necessary

Are endings easy? No

Are endings necessary? Yes

Sometimes we have to let go of one thing to be open to the next thing. Sometimes we have to allow one door to close so the other door will swing open. Trying to prop open both doors at the same time leaves us unbalanced, literally and figuratively.

What I Know

So what is the answer? Even more, today, than I thought back in 2013, I believe that a commitment to “radical, arms and hands open wide, twirling barefoot in the grass, head back, abandoned laughter, don’t care who is looking, kind of living” is necessary.

Unfurled hands allow for opportunities. Unfurled hands allow grace to come in and fill up the empty spaces.

Some days in our wide-open living we will FEEL the grace ourselves.

Some day in our wide-open living the grace will be released for those around us.

Will it allows be easy? No.

Will it be worth it? Yes.

Will we understand it at the time? Kind of.

Will we grow to understand it more fully? Absolutely!

This Week!

This week I choose to “move radically, with my arms and hands open wide, twirling barefoot in the grass, head back, with abandoned laughter and don’t care who is looking, kind of living” into an ending. I will not clench my fists and hold on to the season that is over. I will be grateful for what has been, while slowly opening my hands to let it go. I will unfurl my hands, allowing grace for myself and those around me. I will allow this door to close so the next one can open. I will walk gracefully and with confidence towards the next new beginning.

Until Next Time

Well, it is that time again. An ending of sorts, all in itself.

This week, think a bit more about endings. What endings are you in the middle of? Will you choose to unfurl those hands? Will you choose “arms and hands open wide, twirling barefoot in the grass, head back, with abandoned laughter and don’t care who is looking, kind of living”?

I Would Love to Hear From You

Drop a note in the comments section below. I would love to hear from you! Be in touch and share your experience with endings and beginnings and everything in between. Let’s take this space and make it a place to share and encourage one another.

Until next time,

From my heart to yours!

Laurie

Category: Uncategorized | 1 Comment

September 2 2019

Why You Need To Take Courage When You Know The Shift Is Coming

There are days when we know that we know that we know that things are on the cusp of changing. In my experience, those can be the longest, most trying days. Today, let’s spend some time and chat about why you need to take courage when you know the shift is coming.

Checking In

How are things with you? I wish we were closer so we sit and have a cup of tea together and have a chat. But since we are not, why don’t you grab a cup of something warm and comfortable in your favorite mug, and we can chat this way. Go ahead; take a few minutes for you. I’ll wait right here for you! You’ll feel refreshed and ready to go again when we are done!

Change vs Shift

Sometimes you just know there is a change coming. It may be a change you are excited for; or perhaps a change that you are not really looking forward to. Regardless of your disposition toward it, change can be challenging. One Merriam Webster definition of change is: to make a shift from one to another. (Merriam-Webster, 2019, retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/change). I like that word, shift. It is, to me, a more active and dynamic word than change. When I think of change I think of something that is happening to me, with or without my agreement and/or effort. A shift, however, leads me to think of something that is going to require effort on my part and, ultimately, is going to lead to growth. It generally requires digging deep for and/or developing a whole new set of skills. Shifts take us out of our comfort zone. They require that we move and think in a different way. And if we lean into the shift, we will meet the possibility of revolutionary change in our lives. We can decide if those things that are moving in our lives are changes or shifts. Will we let it happen to us or will we be playing an active role? Change vs. Shift!

How long, O LORD?!

Sometimes we know we are on the cusp of a shift. We can sense it. We can see it coming. But the time has been long and although we know it is near, we can’t determine exactly when or how it will come. We grow weary and a bit frustrated in the waiting; the going through. David in Psalm 13:1 cries out, “How long, O LORD?” He knows he has been anointed King, but he is still running from his enemies. He knows the shift is coming. How often have you cried out, “How long, O LORD?” as you see the shift in the distance?

The Courage Of Waiting For The Shift

So what happens when we are on the cusp of the shift, crying out “how long?”

What happens when the weariness and the frustration kick in and threaten to distract us and throw us off track? That is the time for courage. Merriam-Webster defines courage as mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty (Merriam-Webster, 2019, retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/courage).

Courage Defined

Courage, like shift, is an active word. It requires us to “venture” which means to proceed especially in the face of danger. (Merriam-Webster, 2019, retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/venture#h1).

It requires that we dig in and find our mental and moral strength and then push ahead towards the shift, even in the midst of the danger, fear or difficulty we are encountering.

Courage requires that we make a decision to stay the course. We know the shift is coming. We know that we know that we know. Now we need to commit to staying the course.

Final Push Courage

There is courage and then there is “final push” courage. Courage is what allows you to stay the course through the change and through the shift. “Final push” courage is that courage that allows you to lean in, lean forward and give it your all at that point when you feel like you have nothing left to give. When you have been moving toward the shift for some time and you know you are on the cusp, but you can’t quite see it because of the weariness that clouds your vision and you can’t hear it coming through your own cries of “How long, O LORD?”. But, you know that you know that you know, without a shadow of a doubt that you have come this far and you are going to go the distance. This is “final push” courage. It is the courage that mothers have as they are about to deliver their baby. Long-distance runners and athletes dig in and find this kind of courage when the finish line is close enough to almost touch. And we, every day we, find this courage when we are weary and frustrated but know that we have come too far to give up now and miss out on the shift.

What I Know

Are you on the cusp of a shift today? Can you see it, wavy like a mirage in the heat of the desert sun? I can’t tell you how to make it come more quickly. And I can’t tell you how to make it easier. But I can tell you that you’ve got this. You are full of courage. You’ve come this far, engaged in the change and moved toward this shift. You have been practicing your courage. And that tells me that you have “push courage” deep down inside of you. Now, you just have to reach in, a little deeper, a little deeper still, and pull it out. Make up your mind on this one – you have come too far and you are not going to stop now. I believe in you!

Until Next Time

Well, it is that time again. My cup is empty and I know you have to get back to the things you were doing. I’m so glad you sat with me for a bit and that we had this little chat! I so enjoy our times together.

This week, dig a little deeper. I know it is hard. I understand that you are weary and frustrated. I also know that the shift is coming and when it comes it will take you to levels and places that you never dreamed of! I’ll be your cheerleading squad on this end, pointing you toward that finish line and reminding you of the importance of finishing strong. “Push courage” is not for the faint of heart. It is for those who have chosen to shift rather than just change.

I Would Love To Hear From You!

Drop a note in the comments section below. I would love to hear from you! Be in touch and share your experience with change and shifting. Let’s take this space and make it a place to share and encourage one another to lean in and find our “push courage”!

Until next time,

From my heart to yours!

Laurie

Category: Uncategorized | 2 Comments