Episode Nine: Don't Get Distracted

Distractions are the number one joy killer, mission robber, purpose stealer we can encounter. I also believe it is one of the Enemy’s greatest tools. We can grow so busy doing unnecessary tasks, busy tasks, even tasks that seemingly seem good that we MISS our greater purpose, that unique gift that God has given you to give to the world. Let's dive in and learn how we can live on purpose, with less distractions to be the difference makers we were created to be. 

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Welcome to and then it's a podcast where we look at what comes after the struggle, a tough season, or even just a setback. My name is Susie Chafin. And I'm absolutely passionate about helping people transform from struggle, and surviving, to absolutely thriving. If you are anything like me in the beginning of the year, I take inventory. Do you do that? I look back. And I think, you know, what? Am I really proud of what what did I do well, this last year, and then I look at what did I miss the mark on? What do I want to change? It's a reset of sorts, I wouldn't really call it a resolution. But it's a time to determine, you know, what am I on track for? What do I want to leave as my legacy in this world. And what I found is the number one detriment to achieving the things that I feel like I'm supposed to do, or God put me on this planet to do, or distractions. And so it's we're going to talk about today. distractions, in my opinion, are the number one Joy killer, Mission robber, purpose stealer we can encounter. I also believe it's one of the enemy's greatest tools, he doesn't really have to work that hard to throw big sin or temptation in our way, when we can grow so busy doing unnecessary tasks, busy tasks, even tasks that seems seemingly good that we miss our greater purpose, that unique gift that God has given you to give to the world. I want to share a story to kind of illustrate the power of distraction. One time when our kids were very small, the twins were nine months old, we had an almost six year old and a four year old and we thought it would be really great to drive to Colorado Springs. We loaded up our suburban and the entire drive, the 12 hour drive from Dallas to Colorado Springs. The twins cried and cried and cried. Sometimes simultaneously, sometimes individually. But there was not even a probably a 30 minute period and that whole 12 hour track or somebody wasn't screaming and it was exhausting. And we made the very wise decision to when we made the return trip that like we are never living that ever, ever again. So we were like we're going to change up the strategy. And we're going to drive through the night my husband and I were going to take turns that way all of the kiddos could be sleeping, and we could have a peaceful drive home. Well, the strategy worked great. And it came time for my my turn to be driving and it was the it was before you had Google Maps or Apple Maps or navigation on your car. I got all you had was your printed out Mapquest directions. I know that makes me a dinosaur, but that's what we had. And as we were approaching Amarillo, there was one particular area that I needed to be very aware of as to where to stay on the road and exit and not turn or something like that. And my husband grilled me on it. Okay, when we get here, you have to do this and this and this and this and I'm like, okay, got it. It's like no, do you understand, like, you can't do this or this. I can't remember what it was. And you know, because I'm getting annoyed now because I'm like, I got it man. Like, I'm not an idiot. I know how to drive. Like I can do this. So he trusts me to that. And we get through Amarillo. I do what I'm supposed to do. And I keep driving. About two hours later, my husband wakes up and he's watching the signs go by, you know, one after the other show. And he's like, Suze, where are we? And I'm like we're on the Whatever road we were supposed to be on. And I set it very convincingly. I was convinced we were on the right road. And my husband's like, looks he's like No, no, that's not where we are, we have to stop, we have to turn around, we're in the wrong place. And, much to my dismay, we were in the wrong place. Somehow, I had gotten distracted, I had done something that I thought was right. But we were completely lost. And I didn't even know it. And that mistake cost us not only the two hours going in one direction, but another two hours just to get back to Amarillo to go to get back in the right spot, a four hour waste of blissful sleep. And it's a it's a story just to illustrate that when you get distracted, there's a cost. And when you get distracted, you don't even always know it, you feel like I'm in the right place. I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. This is good. I'm on the right track. And so today, I want to really dive into this because you could be distracted right now, you could be on the wrong track. And there could be a really great cost that's more than just a four hour loss of blissful sleeping children. It could be, it could be so much more, it could be the mark that you were supposed to make on this world. So I want to dig into first, what are the ways that we can become distracted? We have become so good at numbing our minds. Let's think about some of the ways we do that. binge watching Netflix, or Amazon Prime, or Disney plus, or Hulu or whatever it is that you subscribe to. We can we can get sucked into it for days, weekends, a whole weekend can be gone from watching a TV series. Or how about when we wake up in the morning and we reach over to our phone and the day starts with Reddit, tick tock Instagram, Facebook, whatever. And it continues that way throughout the day whenever we have a free moment. Lunch Break time in the carpool line that we go to what is nine, Monday night mind numbing. And we looked at those forms of distraction. Video games I know for kids in my children's generation that these 20 year olds, these teenagers, video games are huge, and they take such such blocks of time. But if you're an oldie like me, it can even be things like Wordle I admit it. I love Wordle. And in the moment, it's like yeah, everybody just needs some downtime, you just need some time to not think which is true. We do need to reset. But when the downtime turns into hours, weeks, months in a given year, what has been the cost? What else could have been learned? Done? Loved, given, shared, instead of just been mindlessly consumed? Of course, there's other distractions to fear. Yeah. Well, what if I, what if I do actually do what God has really written on my heart that I feel like I'm supposed to do and I try it, and I fail? Well, guess what, you probably aren't going to fail. That's totally normal. And you're probably going to succeed some failure just means you learned something, it just means you're putting yourself out there. failures, not to be feared failures, just part of the growth. To comfortable, who sometimes we are just so comfortable exactly where we are. And I could tell you in this past year and 2022, that was something I really wrestled with. I found myself in a role professionally. That was not utilizing my gifts, even though it was comfortable. And I could do it. It was not something I was made to do. And I found myself saying, I just God put me on the earth to do forth in this. This I have important work to do. And even though I was making a nice income, even though it was work that I could do, it wasn't what I needed to do. And I had to quit. It's a little scary. Is very liberating. And now it's given me the time and energy and excitement to really pursue the things that I do believe God has put is written in my heart for me to do. And to accomplish presentments all band that can be a big distraction. It's really easy to sit in that miry pit of resentment. Sometimes we love just kind of rolling around. And that resentment and rage that we don't want to get out, it's too too comfortable. Maybe it's resenting that something that was stolen from you in childhood or something that was really wrong to you. And it's never quite healed. And you just can't seem to move forward. Or maybe a relationship that ended that you didn't want it to end. You're just kind of stuck there, unable to move on. Or unforgiveness for something that was done to you, that wounded you and wronged you deeply. And instead of being able to move forward with healing, you remain stuck in a pattern of victimhood. And I'm not saying wounds shouldn't be recognized. tended to cared for, counseled, nurtured, healed. But God does not want you to stay in that miry pit. He wants you to come out and have a victorious life. One that's full of hope, and meaning and lasting legacy. Busyness, that can be a real distraction, right? We get so involved in so many worthy, great things that we have no margin for what's really important. And I can definitely attest to have being a busyness person, the person who said yes to being on the silent auction fundraising committee, driving countless carpools, booster clubs PTAs, serving on the boards. It feels great, like, wow, I'm doing things that are important. They're all good things. But do we really need to be in all of them? Do we have to say yes to everything? Do we have margin left in life for the things that could be even more important? Or what about the life that we the lie that we tell ourselves? That happiness will come when fill in the blank? I don't know about you. But here's few of the ones that I've been guilty of telling myself. Oh, you know, when when the baby's sleep through the night? Oh, yes, that's, that's when things will be better. When we have a little extra in the bank account, when we can finally take that nice vacation. When we can have date night, wouldn't it be great just to have three hours of adult conversation. When we can't get a bigger house, oh, just more room, we just need more room to spread out. And when we get the kids out of college, when we get that when you are when I get that promotion, oh, then everything will be better. It'll be just Just what we wanted. When When, when, when when Joy robbers, those are Joy robbers. Those things may or may not happen. But living thinking that any one of those things is going to be what fulfills you or brings you happiness or makes the difference, then you are robbing yourself of the absolute wonderful blessing you are in today. You know what if you do get that bigger house, you get the bigger house and then all of a sudden, you could feel in bondage to it. The taxes, the maintenance, the cleaning, the sheer keeping up of the house, something that was supposed to be a blessing is now feels like a curse. Or you get the promotion. And it comes with debilitating stress and travel. And while you may still be with your family and may be present with them, you're not present because you're thinking and stressed out about work. Eliminate the win, eliminate the Win win when we do this when this happens when that happens. Look for the now. Where am I now? Look for the amazing, wonderful things you have now. The last distraction to be aware of is the one of good intentions. It's, and it's a dangerous one. Because we actually believe that we are going to do whatever it is that we intend to do. You know what, tomorrow off tomorrow, I'm going to start writing that book. Tomorrow, I'm gonna wake up in the morning, I'm going to start exercising. Yeah, I've always wanted to serve in prison ministries, I'm gonna look into that tomorrow. And we trick ourselves into thinking that because we want to, and because we believe that we will tomorrow, we actually believe that we will, that tomorrow comes. And most times, very often. And again, we get distracted with the with the social media, scrolling, the Netflix, the whatever, we pin it again for the future. We don't make the call to the loved one. We don't begin the book. We don't begin the ministry, we don't begin the podcast, whatever it is, because you know what we have tomorrow. There is a cost. Remember, I talked about the drive that that we lost four hours of a blissful car full of sleeping kids, that was a real cost? What is the cost of being distracted right now costing you? What dreams? Have you given up on? What relationships are no longer functioning? What are the passions? That you know God put in your heart? He knows you know, that he put this dream, this desire this love of something in your heart, and you have not yet actualized on it? What is it that you want? Do you want to write a book? Do you want to volunteer? Do you want to spend time with your parents? What is the great passion that God has grafted on your heart, that you have the unique ability and desire and passion to give. So as we wrap up, I want to challenge you limit your screen time how device down policy should come through the door, like maybe you have a box, throw it in there. Maybe you only look at it so many hours a day, maybe you decide I'm only going to look at email. So this time or at this time per day, audit yourself weekly, daily. How are you doing? Are you getting, you know, kind of suckered back into the distraction world? Are you finding that you're being more intentional? The last thing I would say is bring others in business coaching, performance coaching of therapy, friends, colleagues, bring these people into your life who can help you be more on purpose? Now, don't go to the people who are more distracted Did you don't go to the people who played more video games than you or who watch more Netflix than you that will do nothing except make you feel like you're not as distracted as they are. You need to be around people who are living on purpose and creating the life they want. And helping you be accountable to creating the life you want. Share from them learn from them. What do they do to stay on track and live on purpose? Enclosing Life is short. It is so short. No one is promised tomorrow. And you have this one great life and you have a legacy to live and to give. You have gifts to share. You were created to do something unique and purposeful. Don't get distracted. If you found today's content helpful, it would mean the absolute world for me. If you could rate it and review it. Be sure to subscribe, like and follow to stay up to date with the latest episodes. We'll see you next time.