Unseen Decisions Creating Who You Are

We all make decisions through the day that no one sees. These decisions range from simple to serious--brushing our teeth to how we care for our souls. 

I'm learning, in my own journey, it's my unseen choices that have the biggest results (positive and negative) in my life. It's those unseen decisions that mold and shape me into who I am. 

In today's conversation, we'll reflect, take inventory, and talk about a practical next steps for making choices that honors the person you want to be!

www.mrsannamcguire.com

Transcript

Hey friends, welcome back to a nother episode of The sowhat podcast. My name is Anna McGuire. And I'm so excited to have a conversation with you today about sewing intentionally into our lives so that we can reap abundantly in the days, weeks, months and even years to come. Not only do I love creating a podcast, but I love listening to podcasts. And one of my most favorite podcasts is the Craig Groeschel leadership podcast. And Craig Oh, my goodness. First of all, I feel like he's my friend, because I've been listening to his stuff for years, like literally since I was in high school, I've been reading his books listening to his messages. And so I love tuning into this podcast every month, it releases the first Thursday of the month, shout out, go ahead and listen to it. If you're in human services, business, church ministries, it is relevant to your leadership and the influence you have in the way that you serve people. With that being said, back in January, he started a mini series on about the person were becoming. So he said, a lot of times in the New Year we focus on do goals, like I want to do X, Y, and Z. And he said, What about if in 2022? Instead of having do goals, we have who goals? Like, who do we want to become? And I thought this was so powerful, for me personally is like, Who do I want to become not just what I want to do, but who do I want to become? And it's when I own who I want to become then the do things follow? So I was really challenged on this. And I started to think about who is it that I want to become? And I started to list off these things like, Okay, I want to become someone who is Integris, someone who is loving someone who's kind, someone who is strong, both physically, spiritually, emotionally, I want to be someone who is loyal and available for people. And as I began to look at who I want to be, Craig then actually entered in with the next series of like, okay, so what kinds of choices is necessary to become that person? So over the last several months, I've really been leaning into, yes, who do I want to be? And what choices do I need to make to get there? What kind of choices what kind of decisions do I need to make in my life, to be the person I want to be? So one thing that Craig said in that podcast, but he has said it in many, many, many podcasts and all of his content, he said, it's, it's the things that no one sees, that results in the things that everyone wants. He said, If you see something in somebody else's life that you admire, or you think is great, they made some decisions on the back end that you can't see. They made choices that no one sees, but it brought about a result that everyone wants. So I started to take inventory, and a deeper level of what choices what was I sewing in my life each day? And I came to this place of okay, what are my n seen disciplines? What are the things that no one sees, and nobody's keeping track of for me, other than me, that really will make a difference in my life. And one of those things, this might sound crazy to you was water, drinking water. I've always been pretty good about drinking water. I've always tried to drink about 6070 ounces of water a day. But over the last several months, I've made the commitment to drink a minimum of 90 ounces of water a day. Now, is anybody tracking that for me? No, no one is tracking how much water I drink. Andrew is not my friends are not. I'm I'm not like I am the one who's tracking it. But there is some great results that come with doing that unseen thing, drinking water consistently. So like you may know this, but there's phenomenal benefits with drinking water, like it carries nutrients and oxygen to your cells have flushes bacteria from your bladder, it aids in digestion, it prevents constipation and normalizes your blood pressure. It stabilizes your heartbeat, it cushions your joints, it cushions your organs, it regulates your body temperature, and then it really helps with your sodium balance. So aka like maintaining electrolytes in your body. Water is good for you. But nobody's keeping track of whether or not I'm doing that other than me. But I get to feel the benefit of whether or not I do that. So I'm looking at what are my small unseen disciplines, the things that no one sees, but results in things that are desirable and that are beneficial for me and for those around me.
So if I I can invite you in on this moment or this conversation, this journey with me it would be this is your unseen disciplines, your unseen choices, are they getting you to the place of who you desire to be? Craig gave another great example of a small discipline, a small choice that no one sees, but has great benefits. And that is flossing your teeth. No one sees if you're flossing your teeth other than your just dentist when you go like once or twice a year, whatever. But no one sees but you get to reap the benefit of that of hopefully not having a cavity or ginger Vitus, or whatever that may be. No one sees it. But it has great benefits in your life. Or something like prayer in the morning, no one may see that you do it. But it has great benefits in your life. Working out, nobody's clocking that for you. It has great benefits, but nobody sees you doing it. Nobody's tracking it for you, what you watch on TV, or the things you engage with on the internet, probably nobody is tracking that for you. But what you do or don't watch does have an effect on you. The choices that you make that no one sees, yields and some of the biggest results in our life. I think a lot of times we think oh, the choices I make in front of people are the choices I make at work or the choices I make in social circles that those are the ones that give me the greatest rewards or the greatest downfalls in my life. And can I just maybe challenge you a little bit in that area? And say, I would say it's the opposite? Is that the things that we do when no one else is watching have the greatest result in our life, whether for the positive or the negative? And so what are those unseen choices that you're making? What are the the choices you're making when nobody's watching? For me? It can be really hard does sometimes wake up in the morning and have quiet time with Jesus? Legitimately it is really challenging with a two year old and Real Talk daylight savings time. I'm so glad that it sounds like the Senate is like all in favor in the house is all in favor about getting rid of it because I'm about it. My son has been up and down and struggling with sleep since it and therefore, Andrew and I have been struggling with sleep since it okay anyways, waking up in the morning is hard. Nobody sees it. Nobody's tracking that for me as to whether or not I'm doing it. However I can feel in my life whether or not I'm doing it. And that overflows into every other area of my life. It overflows into my business, it overflows into my ministry, it overflows into my motherhood, the choices I make when no one else is watching. Those have an effect on my life. So one thing that I've been leaning into is I want to be more disciplined when no one is watching, versus when someone is watching. I want to be more intentional when no one's watching than when people are watching. Why? Because it is the choices when no one else is watching that give me the greatest results in my life. I'll tell you what, nobody was telling me, Anna, you should start a podcast a million times I actually shared that one time with somebody who's in the content creator world. Like that's his job. And he told me that starting a podcast was not a great idea. He said that it was kind of a waste of time. And that that would be a good side project in the future. So that's a side note. But nobody was telling me to start a podcast, it was something that I was doing behind the scenes that nobody else was seeing. I was dreaming behind the scenes and had great benefit. When I started on my health journey. I was not doing it in front of the camera immediately. You know now I've invited my friends and those that I'm friends with on social media into the journey with me. But initially I was making those choices because I knew that they would benefit me
in the long haul. I knew that they would bring about great results in my life. When it comes to prayer or reading my Bible or doing some sort of leadership study or business development, something that is behind the scenes. You won't see that. You know it Andrew may see it but that that's not even guaranteed. No one sees it but those yield great results in my life. Making the choice not to watch particular movies or TV shows just because they're popular. Man. Nobody sees that and nobody's like sitting at home with me seeing like, what is it that I'm watching on Hulu, or Netflix. But I know because it yields some sort of result in my life, the unseen decisions. So I'm wanting to become someone who is strong, someone who is integral, someone who lives congruent with her beliefs. Therefore, I must slow down and be intentional with the decisions I make when no one else is watching. Because it is those decisions when no one else is watching, that honestly lead to who I am. If I want to be a strong leader, then I need to do things in the background that develops that strength inside of me. If I want to be a good mom, a good wife, and I need to have some time for me where I'm getting meditated in the word and I'm spending time with Jesus and I'm hearing from the Lord for me. So I'm not pouring from an empty cup. If I want to be a good pastor, then I need to have accountability in my life and people asking me tough questions, so that I lead in a way that honors God and honors His Church. The decisions when no one else sees one thing that Craig encouraged was to create a an I am statement, I like to call it an anthem, but an I am statement. For the moments when you're behind the scenes making the decisions that no one else sees that's helping you become the person you desire to be that you have an I am statement on hand in those moments so that you know, this is why I'm making these choices. And this is what I'm working towards. So here is my im statement, my behind the scenes statement when nobody else sees what I'm doing. But I'm wanting to become the person I envisioned for myself. So here it is, I am a disciplined leader. I choose what I want most over what I want. Now. I make honorable and Integris choices. When no one else is watching. I honor God with my time, attention, habits and body. I am a disciplined leader. Can I share that with you one more time, I am a disciplined leader. I choose what I want most over what I want. Now. I make honorable and Integris choices when no one else is watching. I honor God with my time, attention habits and body. I am a disciplined leader. Maybe there are some choices in your life that are really hard to follow through on choices that no one else sees. But you know that if you implemented them, and really were consistent with them, it would bring about a result and a desire that you so badly want. Can I give you that next step that Craig gave me and that is write out an I am statement. Something in that moment that you can say to yourself, Man, I can do this because I am strong. I am creative I am whatever it may be, that fits to your choice. I applied this as recently as this morning, my son woke up super early. Love him. And I just wanted to bring them in my bed and turn on the TV for him and so that I could continue to sleep. But I began to say to myself, I'm a discipline bleeder I choose what I want most over what I want now. So I was like, okay, I can get up and get my day started right now. I can get a head start on my day. Because you know what, I don't want to lay here in bed and be all groggy and then hat feel cranky, because the TV was on and all this stuff. So I'm going to get up right now because I'm a disciplined leader. Super helpful for me. So who is it that you want to be? And then ask yourself, do you mind decisions that no one else sees? align with that person that I'm wanting to become?
Do my decisions that I make when no one else is around when no one else sees? Do they align with the person that I want to become? And if the answer is yes, awesome, pedal down, stay in that direction. And if the answer is no, make today the day where you start making adjustments in those areas. And maybe like me, you need an anthem in those moments where it's really hard to make those choices. Create an im statement for yourself. And I'm telling you this morning at 5:55am. It was incredibly helpful for me That is literally what got me out of bed this morning. Friend, I'm always in your corner, and I'm cheering you on. You have what it takes. You are capable of making strong, healthy and Integris decisions that honor you and that honor God when no one else sees. I love you so much, my friend and I can't wait to talk to you next week.