My new normal, is a popular expression that implies that what once was out of the norm is now considered normal. It’s about changes. We change our mind – how we see things. We change our actions – new habits, behaviors, where we live, who we live with and so much more. These changes can happen to us or we can choose to make them happen. The result is the same – life as we knew it is no longer.
Every positive change in your life begins with a clear, unequivocal decision that you are going to either do something or stop doing something. ~ Anonymous
Fall in Love Again
What started as a thought has evolved into a series of steps all purposed to lead us to our individual definition of what “In Love” means. As I’ve shared before, when I first heard the expression – fall in love again – I immediately thought of that happily ever after longing. I would venture to guess most of my readers did the same. But love… well, love is so much more than romance. In this series we’ve covered:
- Remember Why You Started. It’s about you and God – His love for you and your love for Him.
- Mind Your Own Love is about loving yourself – owning your rightful place in God’s plan so that you can be about the business of life.
- Embrace Your Story. A treasure hunt – your assignment is to discover or revisit precious nuggets of life lessons.
Mind Your Own Normal is about embracing today’s version of your life. Some of us are guilty of trying to fashion our life story according to what we see happening around us. Tempted to “fit in” perhaps we role play according to what we believe is expected of us. Over time we inadvertently begin to live someone else’s story – a story that won’t satisfy our longing for personal fulfillment, our own happily ever after.
My own story has changed too many times to count. Some of the changes were of my own doing… new job, new city, new relationship, new venture. Others surprised me… health challenges, loss of a loved one, company failure, divorce. In all cases, life got messy. I didn’t always go easy into my new normal. A tug of war between the way things used to be and the way life had evolved finally gave way to acceptance.
What Belongs in Your Normal?
Faith – Believing God to walk with you each step of the way. Trusting Him to do more than you can imagine as His Word promises: “Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do super-abundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us” Eph 3:20 AMP
Your Future – God has an individual plan and purpose for each of us. We are invited to keep our eyes on the prize – to write down the vision God has given us for our future. Read Habakkuk 2:2. Fueled by faith, our vision will compel us to stay the course – to stay faithful to what matters most.
Joy – Not to be confused with happiness which depends on happenings, the joy of the Lord shows up when we trust and walk in His purposes. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Rom 15:13
Contentment – Embrace your current circumstances knowing there is a purpose in all of it. This is especially challenging during holiday seasons. Our life may not look like what we see happening around us. Fear of missing out on what others have or do can creep in and try to rob us of the joy and peace we are meant to have. Meditating on Jer 29:11 and Phil 4:13 encourages and helps me stay the course.
Action – God is leading, and He is at work on our behalf. He still expects us to do the work. We may not like the process, but once we’ve made the decision to walk according to His purposes… then we must walk. Do not ask God to guide your footsteps if you’re not willing to move your feet. ~ Anonymous
Challenges – If it were easy, you wouldn’t need God. Expect the unexpected – both the challenges and God’s hand in all you do. “For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’” Isaiah 41:13
Why It Matters
There is much more to living a life according to God’s purposes. This post is meant as a quick read – a quick reminder of the minimum requirements I, your coach, have learned to include in my day-to-day. Each works together with the other. Without faith however… your normal takes you to places unknown – places I don’t ever want to return to. Why so much scripture? Because my heart is that you hear from God about your normal and not from me. Let Him speak to you through His Word.
I also write to be reminded that our Empty Nest season has a purpose. What season are you in? Have you embraced your own new normal?
The Time is Now
If you have been following this series, you may have realized you just can’t read and move on to other things. For some of you this is a call to action – to prayer – to letting go – to moving on to what God has planned for you. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Take the time to embrace your normal. If you’ve been living someone else’s story, maybe it’s time to rewrite the end of your story – create your new normal according to God’s plan for you.
Not sure where to begin? Schedule a coaching session to explore your options and put a plan in place.
Join the Conversation
Did you have an ah-ha moment when reading? Scroll down and share your thoughts in the Join the Conversation section. Include any questions you may have or suggestions for future articles.
Stay Connected – Join our Mailing List!
Photo by Alejandro Alvarez
Maggie Sabatier-Smith
Latest posts by Maggie Sabatier-Smith (see all)
- Dancing on the Edge of Truth – Don’t Settle - July 3, 2022
- How to Move Beyond a Broken Friendship… - February 4, 2022
- Cafecito – Where It All Began - June 20, 2021