While I was blessed with a pretty serendipitous pregnancy, having my baby girl here in the world with me instead of inside of me has honestly freed me. Being a new mom has forced me to ponder what I'm doing in the world and why. Now that I have some time at home, I have privately spent the last three weeks of my life asking myself,"What defines me?" There's a wonderful list of questions on self discovery created by Aileen of Lavendaire.com. I found this amazing blogger and the journaling resource on Pinterest. While it is meant for journaling, I figured I'd share my journey with my Sirens. Come along with me as I rediscover who I am on Behind the Siren. Today, I answer question 9: what are my priorities at the moment? My PrioritiesI love that one of the questions Aileen asked was about priorities. I am a person who has piled too much on my proverbial plate in the past. I am learning to place thing in order, especially as it pertains to what I take on. Right now my life can be divided into 4 major sections: Spiritual, Creative, Personal, and Professional. Those sections are listed in order of priority. When I have accomplished something in each aspect I feel like a better, more whole person.
So, what are my SPIRITUAL priorities?
What are my CREATIVE priorities? I feel obligated to explain why my creative priorities take presidence over my personal and professional goals. My professional and personal aspirations are secondary because my creative talents are God-given. They give me the peace I need to accomplish the other tasks at hand.
What are my PERSONAL priorities?
What are my PROFESSIONAL priorities? Why would my professional goals be last?! Well, after the way that my life has changed in the last 18 months, I've learned that the heart things have to come first. I trust that if I put the things of God as priority he will put in place all the things I need for my professional life.
Taking the time to actually map out what matters most has put some things in perspective. I had to really ask myself if what I was writing was paramount. With these 8 priorities listed I can now see with clarity what I need to focus on. And boy do I have work. What are are your priorities? Let me know below!
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While I was blessed with a pretty serendipitous pregnancy, having my baby girl here in the world with me instead of inside of me has honestly freed me. Being a new mom has forced me to ponder what I'm doing in the world and why. Now that I have some time at home, I have privately spent the last three weeks of my life asking myself,"What defines me?"
There's a wonderful list of questions on self discovery created by Aileen of Lavendaire.com. I found this amazing blogger and the journaling resource on Pinterest. While it is meant for journaling, I figured I'd share my journey with my Sirens. Come along with me as I rediscover who I am on Behind the Siren. what Defines ME?
I used to have this aversion to the "box" definition of a Christian. I also hated the generalities of both black and female identities. The last 18 months of my life have slowly unraveled the tangled webs of my dissidence from "normality." So, what defines me most at this immediate moment is a profound understanding that I am like a lot of other Black Christian women.
Gasps. Grabs heart. Inner Uniqueness passes out.
Modern worldly doctrine makes us feel ashamed for having commonality with those around us. We have become so hell bent on being unique and "ourselves" that we have turned our normal human desire to belong into a curse. Now, instead of embracing other people like us, community has become an accursed thing. How dare you be just like other women who are just like you? We have turned forums and group think into quiet cult-like arenas where we hide in proverbial antiquity.
What chiefly defines me is that I am not alone. Even when society tries to make me feel I am on an island of uniqueness, it really is a nation of other women like me. Secondly, I am a writer who doesn't write her own story. There is a scripture that I have learned to appreciate even more since late 2015. “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2 KJV. My savior is the "author and the finisher" of my life. You can imagine that as a writer that scripture always struck a chord with me. It wasn't until God start adding plot twists I wasn't ready for that I truly accepted what it means. God is in control, not my own volition, and certainly not my own strength or character. I am defined by the comfort of knowing that I am not alone. There are other believers who hate Taylor Smith's music and love Nando's Peri Peri. We sci-fi-loving black girls are amongst you. Ha! I am also defined by a deep understanding that the only person who controls who I am is the savior that saved who I was. Now, when life throws some large obstacle in my direction I can yell PLOT TWIST. And brace for impact. God's got this. Are you like me and looking for a community of like-minded women? Join us on the Style Sirens page. |
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