Goals do not move simply because we write them down, pray over them, or talk about them. They move when our decisions begin matching the future we say we want. Over the past few weeks, I have been focused on two major things: strengthening Mom Wellness™ and being more intentional about where I belong.
For Mom Wellness™, that meant taking a closer look at my journals. Who should print them? Where should my money go? Amazon helped me begin, but beginning somewhere does not mean I have to stay there forever. Choosing a local printing company allows me to support another business while building my own, it gives me more control over my product, creates room for a real working relationship, and keeps more of the investment within the community. That decision brings me closer to the vision I have for Mom Wellness™.
The Blessing Bags are also being prepared for holiday shipping which is a HUGE undertaking meant to really get the ball rolling on support for moms! Every journal, comforting item, and thoughtful detail moves the vision beyond an idea and places it into the hands of a woman who needs encouragement. That is forward momentum.
I also made a personal change and began attending a different church. After two years at my previous congregation, the same four people spoke to me regularly, and one of them never got my name right. I tried to help and serve, but everyone already had “their thing,” so it left me wondering why I was even there especially when I felt more like I was attending the church not a part of the congregation.
When I gave the minister a letter explaining my decision to leave, he asked, “What’s going on?” He then told me, “The other night wasn’t about you.” There was no apology and no acknowledgment of the larger experience that led to my decision. The letter was not about one night, it was about two years of feeling unseen, disconnected, and unnecessary. It was about being present without feeling known and at some point, I had to stop trying to force myself to belong in a place that did not feel like home. I wanted to experience what a Church of Christ should feel like to me, grounded in Scripture, welcoming, connected, and not so weighed down by conservatism that there is no room to breathe, or grow in my spiritual walk with brothers and sisters in the faith.
Moving closer to our goals also means recognizing what has been stunting our growth. Sometimes it’s a habit. Sometimes it’s fear. Sometimes it is an environment we have outgrown. And sometimes it is continuing to give our time, money, energy, or presence to something that no longer supports where we are going. Stopping does not always mean quitting. Sometimes stopping is the most responsible decision we can make. It clears the path so we can redirect our energy toward what is aligned, productive, and purposeful.
Ask yourself: Is this moving me closer to the life I want, or is it keeping me comfortable in a life I have outgrown? The answer may require a change in routine, location, relationships, spending, or support. Make the change anyway!
Forward momentum is not always loud. Sometimes it looks like selecting a new printer, preparing the first holiday shipment of Mom Wellness Blessing Bags, walking into a new church, or finally deciding that your vision deserves better.
Do more of what moves you closer and stop feeding what keeps you stuck.
