Kim Avery Coaching

A Fresh Infusion of Grace

by | 8 comments

Emails, deadlines, laundry, projects, phone calls, and a doctor’s visit – these are the things on today’s to-do list. And that’s all before noon.

You’ve had days like this. Maybe everyday is like this.

So, how do you hold onto your dream and move forward with building a coaching business when even the turtles are whizzing by?

FreshInfusion

No Forward Progress

Last night, I posted an “I’m feeling sorry for myself” status update on my writer’s Facebook group. Thinking I would garner some sympathy, I belly-ached about the myriads of things jostling for first place in my day.

This morning I popped onto the group to see over a dozen responses. It was a needed wake-up call.

Book deadlines, sick children, needy spouses, unpaid bills, unexpected trips, working two jobs, finishing a dissertation and so much more were added by others to the growing list of undone things we ALL had to do.

And strangely, the longer the list grew, the better I felt.

Caught up in my own little world, I had been imagining others driving in the fast lane towards their goals while I was still stalled in traffic. And with no way to speed up, to refuel or to catch up, why bother?

When others were eating the fruits of their labors at the great oasis of goal’s end, I would have barely moved forward one foot, all while choking down stuffy, polluted air.

Why bother, indeed!

But as I switched perspectives and looked at reality from the traffic helicopter’s point of view, it looked different than I thought.

Grace Infused Living

ALL of life is a crowded highway. Sure, there are occasionally stretches of wide-open road, but eventually the other lanes of life merge into that one and the speed once again slows down to a crawl.

The coaches who move forward and succeed are the ones who break down, run out of gas, refuel and repair AND still keep going. No matter what.

They measure the journey differently.

They don’t look at those in front and rue the distance between them. They don’t look at those far behind and secretly cheer that they lapped them by a mile. They don’t even look at those traveling beside them to see who is ahead at any given point during the busyness of the day.

Fresh Perspective

Successful, seasoned goal-meeters mark out their journey in advance. They set realistic mile-markers and cheer when they end the day further ahead than when they began. They don’t beat themselves up when unexpected breakdowns occur.

And they never, ever, ever take the off-ramp away from their dreams just because the journey seems too hard, too long, too lonely or too far away.

When life overwhelms, a rest stop is fine. If the project is too hard, don’t be ashamed to call for an expert to give you a lift. And when the path seems lonely, it’s okay to hitch a ride with a friend. But whatever you do, keep on keeping on.

When you look up from your life today and see the turtles whizzing by, smile. That’s good news. It means you are still out on the road moving ahead inch-by-inch.

It’s Your Turn

How can you give yourself some much-needed grace today?  Let’s share ideas, so let me know in the comment section below.

 

8 Comments

  1. Nancy Hull

    Thanks for sharing this Kim! As I woke up earlier than normal this morning, I got up to see what God had in store for me in the stillness of our home. The first thing was to get a lot of “things” done, but what I really needed was to just be quite before the day got busy and the list got longer.
    What a gift to read this morning…….what a great reflection of what we all do and how we all need the rest stops in our lives….

    • Kim Avery

      Thanks, Nancy. I’m praying that you have a blessed day as you seek to follow God’s will in this new season of your life.

  2. Susan Fleming

    I love this analogy, Kim. It is right on target. Plus, it gives me something to think about when I’m really stuck in traffic instead of just being frustrated! It is exactly what I needed to hear this morning.

    • Kim Avery

      Thanks for the encouragement, Susan. I’m glad to know that we’re traveling the same road :).

  3. Mary Lou Caskey

    Thanks so much for sharing this Kim. The graphic and title drew me in….then I was drawn in further by your personal story!!

    On the days that I feel that I am going slower than a turtle…great reminder. Bless you.

    • Kim Avery

      Thanks for taking time to comment, Mary Lou. Your feedback helps me to know how to best minister to those reading this blog. It seems to always come back to “keeping it real,” right? You are a blessing,

  4. Kinsey Oglesby

    There is nothing I hate more than having to slow down and pace myself. Argh! Give it me now! There is nothing I love more than truth and a good friend who will share it. You spoke that today in your post. So thanks friend!

    • Kim Avery

      I understand! And was that your turtle just whizzing by mine????