Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The World Needs You Awake

Women crave more sleep. But I’d like to argue too many of us are already sleeping through our lives. We are jonesing for our next caffeine fix as we yawn our way through the carpool line or traffic jam. Our heads remain foggy, distracted, and multi-tasked to the brink of permanently fraying our synapses. And it’s as though all this is happening in a daze, a dream—an otherworldly state.

We are asleep.
On this I 8 Wednesday I’m suggesting 8 things we can do to WAKE UP!

Let’s do this together. Let’s awaken.
Becoming awake…

Awake to Silence
If you’re anything like me, you enjoy noise. Music, phone conversations, even a show on the Food Network bound to make me feel like a loser cook…I fill up my house and head with anything that will keep me from getting the quiet I so need.

Challenge: Turn off the radio in the car, exercise once a week without music, turn the TV off by 9:00 p.m. every night for a week, walk around a graveyard (might want to avoid doing this in a week or so), or take a “phone off” holiday, break regularly from social media
Awake to Loved Ones

Relationships are hard, made harder when we seek to be filled by others. It’s easy to begin drifting to la la land when it comes to loved ones. They are usually the folks we tend to take for granted.
Challenge: Write a handwritten letter of gratitude once a week for the next few months, ask a lot of questions and work hard to listen more than you speak, spend time thinking about how those in your life experience love—what communicates love to them?

Awake to Creation
Hibernating in our caves where our schedules our written like some ancient scrawl, we lose the beauty of what’s happening outside. Outside? Yes, Virginia, there is an outside.

Challenge: Take at least two walks a week, share what you see with a loved one, plan a hike, create a collage from what you collect on your walk, find ways to bring the outdoors in by framing a leaf, making your own swag, learn to breathe fresh air again
Awake to What Distracts

What, I was writing a blog post? But I was just on Twitter, then hopped over to Facebook. Oh, yes, I’m here now. All yours (shah right).
Challenges: Commit to starting and completing at least 2-5 tasks per day and check yourself on this, repeat back what others have said, write down your thoughts as they come, make a priority list and allow those things you’ve listed on the bottom the least amount of your time

Awake to What Discourages
It’s easy to think you’re just having a bad day and those surmounting obstacles are merely coincidental. Maybe they are or perhaps there’s something we can’t fathom trying to knock you down and some of those obstacles are really pawns in the plan.

Challenge: Create a list of what tends to discourage you most, think about the people in your life and whether they’re encouraging or discouraging, check out what the Bible has to say regarding this topic, decide which voices you’ll listen to

Awake to Calling
There’s a reason you’re here. Yes, for God’s glory. But I also happen to believe everyone contributes something of specific value. This can change according to seasons, but you have a calling.

Challenge: Experiment with various forms of creativity, pursue your passion, invest time in improving, ask loved ones to give you wisdom regarding your calling, get accountability, think about what gets you fired up, advocate

Awake to Health
We are so good at caring for others. Sick parent. Drooling toddler. Traveling husband. Our bodies are screaming for a little TLC. Mind. Body. Spirit. We are wise to take care of ourselves.

Challenge: Take B12 (ask your dr.), carve out time to exercise this week, pray, don’t go overboard on Doritos, go overboard on kale or Trader Joe’s Powerberries (dark chocolate covered berries…I’m a little addicted), carve out time to think and be still, carve out time to do all of the above

Awake to Mystery & Faith
It’s never been difficult for me to believe there is more going on here than we could possibly understand. There’s beauty in this for me. Release. Freedom. Mysterious faith.

Challenge: Ask the hard questions, try attending church, crack open a Bible, befriend someone of a different faith and start a conversation, trust in an all powerful God—I dare you.

Alright people, let’s jumpstart our sleepy heads and wake the world up while we’re at it.

Do you see evidence many are walking around asleep? What ways are you feeling led to wake up?
*photo by stock.XCHNG

20 comments:

  1. Love this, Wendy!! All of these are so important and so easy to ignore. :)

    Getting outdoors is a big boost for me. It definitely opens my mind and keeps me from getting ugly!

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    1. Thanks for the mention on FB this morning, Jill. Getting outdoors changes everything on the list for me.

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  2. lots of great points and challenges in here. Thank you for sharing!

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    1. Those challenges are every bit for me as they are to pass along. And thanks for visiting!

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  3. Loved this post.

    This morning, I woke up, let the dogs out, listened to the birds wake up, and watched the sunrise from my back deck. Got some thanks and praise in, along with some one on one with God. It was refreshing!

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    1. My kind of morning! I can see how that would be entirely refreshing!

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  4. This post is SO full of wisdom. I especially liked your point about waking to distractions. Yeah. I needed that.

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    1. Thanks for the RT & I think it's important to know what throws us off so we can stay on as much as possible. Our time is short here.

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  5. Lots to ponder in this great post, Wendy. I want to be awake to new possibilities. To opportunities to bless others. To learn the lessons the Lord has for me.

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    1. Sometimes I laugh & ask God how much He really thinks I can learn at one time. ;-)

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  6. Thanks, Wendy. I need to learn how to be silent. I'm surrounded by noise all day long and when I have a moment where I can be quiet, I fill that space with something else, because I'm just so used to the noise - the silence can be daunting.

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    1. Silence might be the hardest one on there for me. I'm learning as well.

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  7. Love this! I have trouble with the health one. That's often the first thing to go.

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    1. I've really improved in this area. College = horrible. I've come a long way baby!

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  8. Wow. This could be a book, you know. I am always amazed at your insights, Wendy.

    I love the one about getting outside more, and deciding what voices to listen to. Yes.

    I feel led to exercise more, and buy some of those Trader Joe's Powerberries. I think that was one divinely-inspired idea!

    Thanks.

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    1. They're covered with dark chocolate so they're totally healthy for you! :D And I kick around writing nonfiction like this every once in awhile. Who knows what the future holds. ;-)

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  9. Oh goodness, I think you must have been a little mouse in my house yesterday, my friend. After we chatted, my medicine kicked in and I was knocked out on the couch the rest of the day. Yep, no awakeness happening in this joint. :)

    So today I'm shrugging off doctor's orders and not taking my medicine (until later when sleepiness is acceptable). Nature is something I want to wake up to tonight. It's beautiful weather here, so I'm thinking a walk with the family is just what the doctor ordered. :)

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    1. Hope you have a special walk with the family. Been thinking about you in the health dept.

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  10. Wonderful insights and suggestions, Wendy!

    I'm looking into whole food eating, i.e., no additives, preservatives, gmo, etc. Organic fruits, veggies, and meat top the list. I've been buying raw nuts at Trader Joe's for snacking.



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  11. From your blog I can see that you are concerned about your health. Obviously you should take the perfect care of your health but never forget to visit lake success dental care regularly because you must keep it in your mind that once if you affected with your teeth then it will be so difficult to get rid of this problem.

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