Hey guys, happy Monday!! We are so blessed to be apart of this group of amazing women and we are absolutely loving this book. This week we read through chapters 8-10 of "The Best Yes" by Lysa Terkeurst, reviewed by Dominique with Parentee.co.
Dominique is such an amazing and truly inspiring woman who created her own line of t-shirts for mom and dads. Her story is truly incredible and her Instagram feed is adorable. So if you get a chance today go check out her website(www.parentees.co), blog, and Instagram!!
Good morning! I am so excited to bring you the review of Chapters 8-10 in The
Best Yes, by Lysa TerKeurst. Before I begin, I have to be
honest with you all. I started this book a few weeks ago. I got about 3
chapters in and didn't pick it back up until Saturday evening. I've developed a habit of waiting until the last minute.
In fact, I pride myself on working well under pressure. As you know, I launched Parentees just
3 months ago. I wanted to start this business to allow myself the
freedom to follow my passion, creating
something that could potentially inspire others while remaining present
in my boys' lives. I can't even begin to tell you how overwhelming it
has been -- the amazing response from customers and the responsibilities
involved. I wasn't ready for this, but I
said YES because it was something I was passionate about. I don't for
one second regret my decision, but I do wish I had taken a second to
"Consider The Trade". Which brings me back to this life changing book.
Chapter 8 - "Consider The Trade"
Lysa begins sharing a time where she watched a one of those TV shows
where a professional goes about organizing someone's messy closet. She
had the resistant client get rid of clothes she never wore in order to
create space in her closet. Lysa reflected
on her own closet and how the decision to release some clothes was to
stressful to even consider taking on. If she gets rid of it then she may
have a feeling of regret. I've never had a problem getting rid of
things and not missing them whatsoever, but I do
struggle with passing up opportunities! I'm an ambitious person and
often feel like if I don't say YES to a person or project I may regret
it. So, I will just say YES and figure it out later. I have literally
invited stress in my life without a second thought.
After we have considered the trade of our time, resources, finances,
and emotional energy then we must make a decision. Have you ever held
back from doing something because you either don't know what's all
involved or it just seemed like it was
just too much? When we don't consider the trade chances are
that we will procrastinate. "Not making a decision is actually a
decision. It's the decision to stay the same." God gave us an amazing
example through his son - Jesus and the Holy
Spirit to guide us in our lives. Through prayer and the studying of His
word we have all the resources to make these seemingly tough
decisions.
Chapter 9 - "Show Up To Practice"
After learning how to discern what to release and what to take on, we
then get to learn how to develop this new skill. Lysa shares how her
pole-vaulting teenage daughter went from consistently placing last to
breaking a record for her high school.
God gives us clear instruction on how to attain and use wisdom in
Proverbs 2:1-11, which is essential for making everyday life choices.
However, if we don't practice this daily then we will continue to fail
or even worse, give up. When I'm at that point of
giving up, I will find myself calling out to God, "Help me!" But, what
if I had practiced wisdom as fervently as Lysa's daughter practiced her
pole-vaulting? In the moments where I'm faced with seemingly tough
decisions, I will already know what to do. On
the occasions that I still don't know, then I can be still and ask for
wisdom (James 1:5) instead of saying YES and then stressing out.
Chapter 10 - "Managing Demands Means Understanding Expectations"
I'm a free spirit and highly ambitious person, so I tend to set my
expectations high and simply follow the flow of life. I love this mantra
and don't plan to change this part of me. However, I will only be
happier and help others more effectively
if I learn to release and trust God to guide me.
Lysa posed 5 questions to ask yourself before making a commitment that I've paraphrased below:
- It may feel thrilling to say yes now, but how will this feel later?
- Do the expectations that will come from this yes feel forced or frantic?
- Could this yes be tied to people pleasing?
- Which wise people in my life think this is a good idea?
- Are there any facts that I would try to hide when discussing this with my wise advisers?
For me, saying yes creates another opportunity to prove that I am
capable and I am powerful. It always sounds amazing in my head, but it's
just not realistic! I can't do everything and that's OK - it's more
than OK! Releasing unrealistic expectations
of ourselves is total freedom and happiness. I desire to be happy and
make others happy, but the evaluation of expectations will eliminate
frustration. Self-reflection is a humbling process, but it is essential
to find out why you say, think and act the way
you do. Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.
Well, that's all I have to share with you for now. I am so glad that I
was able to participate in hosting this book club, because I don't
think I would have followed through with reading this book had I not.
This is what I have learned and have
already begun to apply to my life, but I'm sure it will be different
for everyone. I would love for you to share your thoughts on the topics
or what you have taken from reading The
Best Yes.
~Dominique
No comments:
Post a Comment