The Hearts Hello

Pressing Forward

• Keona T. Ellerbe • Season 3 • Episode 1

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What happens when we keep going even when everything inside us wants to quit? Celebrating the Hearts Hello podcast's second anniversary and my son's 21st birthday, this episode explores the transformative power of perseverance through life's most challenging moments.

The wisdom behind Philippians 3:14 offers a profound yet simple message: don't give up. We often forget the obstacles we've already overcome, focusing instead on current challenges that seem insurmountable. But what if we viewed these barriers differently? Like planes navigating storms, we can fly around obstacles, adjust our course, or sometimes power through turbulence—understanding that reaching our destination matters more than maintaining a perfect journey.

Forward motion comes in many forms. Sometimes you sprint, sometimes you tiptoe, sometimes you crawl—but all movement counts. Creating "invisible finish lines" helps celebrate incremental progress, providing the psychological fuel needed when motivation wanes. I share five practical strategies to maintain momentum: breaking goals into micro-movements, anchoring to your deeper "why," reducing distractions, celebrating small wins, and keeping your vision physically present. Remember, when you consider quitting, you're walking away not just from work but from untapped potential, lessons yet unlearned, and versions of yourself yet undiscovered.

Whether you're running strong or barely inching forward today, know that your persistence matters. Your future self acknowledges every effort. So tiptoe if necessary, just don't stop—because the moment you stop moving is the moment you stop becoming.

Speaker 1:

Okay, so this is a special episode because y'all, we have turned two years old. The Hearts Hello podcast is officially a toddler and, as you know, or for those who are parents in the toddler stage, you will get a little bit of this, a little bit of that. You will get a whole lot of something and it's going to be a great time, you all. When I say I am so excited about what is getting ready to take place in not only just this show, but what's getting ready to take place in my life, what's getting ready to take place in your life, we are going to another level. Matter of fact, let me just go ahead and claim it now. We are already on another level because we have been doing the work. We have not just been listening to this show week in and week out without taking any action. And for those, if this is your first time listening, welcome. You are in the best place and I promise you that I am going to take great care of you. But not only you all is this a special episode? Because we have officially turned two, but y'all, my oldest has turned 21. Oh, yes, I have already cried the tears, but I am so thankful and grateful because he gave me the opportunity to have the best title in the world, to be called mom, and so I'm super excited about celebrating this two-year anniversary together. Two years two the number two will represent perseverance, growth, gratitude. And then just honoring my oldest son, like 21, that's a big deal. So that's all about legacy and impact and being able to see the seed that was planted to be able to bear fruit. And so as I was going on my journey this morning of looking at pictures old birthday pictures of him, just when he was a little I ran across this video and it truly made it all make sense for me, and so I think we were. It must have been a snow day or something and we weren't going to be able to go to church, and so they kind of set up and had their Bibles out, had their notebook, and he was standing and he started out in prayer.

Speaker 1:

And then he talked about the scripture, philippians 3.14. And he gave his interpretation of what that scripture means, and for those of you all who are not familiar with it, philippians 3.14 talks about pressing towards the mark, and he just gave three simple words. His interpretation, his definition of what that meant to him was simply don't give up. So you already know what the title of this is going to be today, because I feel like that. There are some of you all who may be right there at a place where you're getting ready to cross over into your next, and it may seem hard, it may feel like things are just not lining up, but I promise you, if you have your why in front of you, I promise you, if you have your goal in front of you, of you, I promise you, if you have your goal in front of you, that it is worth pressing towards the mark. See the rest of that scripture says I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Again, his interpretation simple, but so powerful Don't give up.

Speaker 1:

So, again, when I hear that, I look at where I am. I look at the things that I have been able to accomplish, the hurdles that I have been able to get over, the detours that I have had to take, and I know that is your testimony as well that there have been some things in your life that you have had to go through in order to come out on the other side victorious. And I just encourage you by saying don't give up, because here's the deal. If you give up now, what will it cost you If you decide that all of the work that you have put into getting to where you are right now, today, you decide that you're going to throw it all away? What happens, see, most of the time people don't look at the well, what will happen if I don't? I need you to focus on what will happen if you will, what will happen if you continue to go, because we already know in your life has been a testimony that this is not the first time that you have had to press towards something. This is not the first time that you have had to push yourself to keep going. This is not the first time where you have felt like it's just not going to work out. And guess what it did Did not. Did it not work out for your good? Did you not learn a lesson from whatever it was that you were going through in order to get you to where you are now?

Speaker 1:

And so oftentimes we so forget all of the things that we have been through to get us up to this place, as if life has just been this crystal stairway and we have not had to go through anything, that we have not tripped up some steps, that we have not scraped our knee, that we have not been in a place where sometimes we're just trying to figure out what is going to be the next thing that we need to do. Sometimes we forget, but I'm here to remind you. Don't give up. See, when I started this podcast, I wasn't sure how it was going to go. I wasn't sure what I was going to talk about for two years. But what I did know is that I was given an instruction to start this podcast and so, therefore, without knowing all of the pieces, I kept going First month down, second month down, six months down, year first year completed. All while still going through life.

Speaker 1:

See, oftentimes I think that people only move when the conditions are perfect Absolutely not. What if airplanes only took off when the weather conditions were perfect? What if things only moved when they were perfect? Now, yes, there will be times when planes definitely cannot fly in certain conditions, or boats certainly can't sail in certain conditions, but nine times out of 10, they have already realized that. You know what? This is only happening for a moment. And guess what? We can fly around it. We can go in a different direction and it may take us a little longer to get there, but we are still going to reach our destination.

Speaker 1:

And sometimes I think we feel like, oh, I can't just do it right now because you know the conditions aren't right. Well, can you go around, can you go through it? Sometimes planes have to fly through it. Right, but what conditions are you waiting for right now to be perfect? That have you stuck? What conditions are you in the middle of right now and you're just waiting for the clouds to roll away? Can I just tell you that that is a setup, because if you think that every time your life is going to go and just be peachy keen, you will always be in a stop and go pattern, because when something pops up, you have already made in your mind that it is okay to stop Instead of.

Speaker 1:

Well, what is it that I can do to continue to move forward? I like to say it this way Sometimes you cannot always run, but can you tiptoe, can you crawl? Can you still have forward momentum while life is lifing? Can you cry through it? Sometimes, no-transcript, because I've said before, it's harder to roll a boulder when you have lost momentum and you are on a hill, you have to keep going, you have to keep pushing, you have to keep moving forward to where it is that you're going, but too often we give up. Where it is that you're going, but too often we give up. Too often we feel like tiptoeing is just not going to get us there fast enough. But I promise you it's getting you there faster than the person who has decided to not move at all.

Speaker 1:

See, you have to begin to create your invisible finish lines. You're going to have to figure out what does that look like? Because there are milestones along the way that you're going to hit, and when you hit them, it's going to give you just like the games that we used to play. I don't know how old you all are, but sometimes you'll hit these games where they will give you a burst of energy If you may grab, hit a certain thing or grab a certain thing. You'll get a boost of energy for maybe like 30 seconds or something like that.

Speaker 1:

But where's your invisible finish line? Where are the milestones that you have begun to set for yourself? And then, when you hit that milestone, you begin to celebrate. It doesn't have to be extremely big, but there are times when you're going to have to celebrate yourself. There are times when you're going to have to encourage yourself, because sometimes there is no one else pressing with you. There are going to be times when you're going to have to press by yourself. There are going to be times when your energy is low. There are going to be times when the applause has stopped and you're going to have to hear your own voice say don't give up. I know, I know, not because it sounds good, not because it's the motivational thing to say, but because stopping will rob you of the very thing that you've been pressing towards.

Speaker 1:

So let me tell you why you shouldn't give up. Let me tell you when you give up, you're not just walking away from the work, you're walking away from the lessons that you haven't learned yet. You're walking away from the doors that haven't opened yet. You're walking away from the version of you that you haven't met yet. See, giving up freezes you in place when you have the capacity to expand. You have the capacity to expand your faith, which could have been deepened, and your resilience, which could have been sharpened. And here's the truth the days you feel the weakest are often the days that you're closest to your breakthrough.

Speaker 1:

So again, even if you're tiptoeing, keep moving. See, I get it where some of those days you're not sprinting, some of those days that you're not even walking, you're just tiptoeing forward, and that's okay because that movement, no matter how small, still counts Forward, is forward. So I'm going to give you five ways for you to keep going, even if you're tiptoeing. Number one break it into micro movements. See, if the goal feels overwhelming, shrink it. What's one phone call, one email, one page that you can do today?

Speaker 1:

Number two anchor yourself to a why that outlasts your feelings. See, some of you all have tied your goal to a feeling and your feelings are fleeting. They will be up today and down tomorrow, and if your goal is tied to that, then that's how you're going to move, with what it is that you need to do because it's tied to. If you're happy today, it's. Are you sad today? Then you're not going to move. Oh, okay, everything is a distraction. So you're not going to move. See, feelings will lie to you, they'll tell you that you're tired, you're too late, you're too far behind. Your why, the deeper, the reason you started will remind you that you're still in the race.

Speaker 1:

Number three I need you to lower the volume on your distractions. Sometimes you're not stuck on your distractions. Sometimes you're not stuck, you're just crowded. Say no to the one thing today so you can say yes to your mark. Number four celebrate the smallest progress, that one baby step, that one checklist or that one tick off of your list that you can check off today. Acknowledge it, it is your fuel to keep going.

Speaker 1:

Number five keep the vision in front of you. That's why the scripture says press towards the mark. Pressing is moving. When you see the mark, you know where exactly it is that you're going. That's just like when you may be running that race and you know the finish line is up ahead. And this is also why, in track and field, they tell you to run through the finish line. Don't run to the finish line, run through it.

Speaker 1:

So I need you to keep that vision in front of you. I need you to write it, to speak it, to see it daily. The more you keep your eyes on the prize, the less tempted you will be to settle where you are. So, friend, heart seeker, maybe you're running, maybe you're crawling, maybe you're tiptoeing. So quietly it feels like no one even notices. But heaven notices, your future self notices, and the mark you're pressing towards is worth every step. So today, don't give up. Press on, even if it's just one tiny step, take it, because the moment you stop moving, you stop becoming. Now go ahead, go on now, tiptoe if you have to, just don't stop.