Do What You Know To Do

I'm going to be honest, the last thing you want to do is the thing you need to do. When life is throwing a curveball or ten, we tend to quietly (or not so quietly) tap out if nowhere else but on the inside. We disengage from many of the helpful things because they can just feel too much. But in this way we stop showing up for ourselves in a way that would otherwise get us to the other side of a pretty uncomfortable season.

This episode is the equivalent of showing up on your first day back in the gym after a hiatus. We're going to do the things. And I am here to push you on. #GilonTheeTrainer

The ground level stuff is the stuff. Doing the things you already know you ought (cuz I don't believe in shoulding ourselves) to do, those foundational things, are the baby steps to moving through and creating momentum in funky spaces. So listen in as we talk through the things that help us get to the other side!

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Transcript

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Gilon: [00:00:00] Hey guys, this is the Walking Well Podcast and I am your host Gilon Marts. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much for tuning in it's, it's, it's always for me like, 'oh my gosh. People are listening. That's crazy.' Um, and not crazy because like, I don't know, not crazy because God isn't doing anything but crazy because like, oh, wow, Lord, like this is speaking to people.

That's always humbling. And so I appreciate you showing up. And, um, this season we are spending time kind of just talking about the tools that you need to make it through difficult seasons, wilderness seasons, seasons full of uncertainty or discomfort or disappointment. And that can show up a myriad of ways, right?

Like a disappointing season could be, you know, you didn't get into the school that you wanted to get into. It could be, you thought, you know, your career was going in this direction, but now you feel like God is speaking to you something else. Um, [00:01:00] or that door's just not opening. You feel like you're banging your head up against it.

Difficult or disappointing or challenging seasons could be with like health. They could be with family. They could be that you anticipate an outcome. It could be heartbreak, it could be any, and everything. It could be that your faith is changing and evolving, and that comes with shifts and dynamics.

And a lot of things you have to navigate. Um, you could just be feeling uncomfortable in life. In general, we are still on the whole Panorama. So that's a thing. And it's been a while. And so I think there's a collective exhaustion in that way, but if you find yourself in one of those spaces where you're like, oh my gosh, um, you ain't alone welcome, but also it can just be really hard faith wise, cuz you're like, you know what I like, I like feeling on top of the world, this ain't that when we gonna get back to that, you know, um, but God is in your midst and God is with you.

But I think so. our posture can get in a place where we feel and [00:02:00] show up kind of battered and even in wilderness spaces, even in difficult places. Um, I wanna lovingly kind of encourage you and remind you of who you are. and, um, if it feels like I'm yelling at you, uh, I just want you to imagine, you know, that this is kind of like a mental, emotional, spiritual gym, right?

And so this is gonna be gym talk. So like, I'm like your trainer and you told me you had a goal. Um, and by told me you're listening to this. So, you know, it's kind of like you signed up by listening. Um, And you said you wanted to do something. And so it's like, Hey, I see it in you. You may not see it in you.

I can see a bigger picture. Um, you may not see the big picture, but I just wanna encourage you, remind you of who you are that you're not powerless. You are in power. You can do something productive. You can kind of take your power back in this space, cuz again, I think sometimes when life be life and it's meant to batter our sense of loveness it's meant to batter our identity.

Um, as the beloved, as the chosen. [00:03:00] As, as the one who God delights in who God rescues, God, redeems, all things, makes all things work together for your good tries to keep you shortsighted and kind of blinded if even that. So anyway, um, if you feel like I'm yelling, I'm not, that's not what I'm doing. I'm just like, you got one more in you kind of yelling, you know what I'm saying?

That's your little, your pre-warning forewarning. What have you, but today we're talking about do what you know to do, right. Um, and we already shifted into that space, do what you know to do. And so in these places I've already said, there is such a tendency, I think, to start crouching, to start like slumping your shoulders for your hope to be eaten away at for you to just kind of get bounced around.

Right. And that's understandable. You can totally be tired. You can totally be exhausted. You can totally be over it. I get it. And so I wanna start with the scripture and then we're gonna like hop in, right. So super familiar. And I'm gonna read it to you in two different versions. You will absolutely hear my Bible [00:04:00] pages turning cuz that's what we got here.

So we're gonna look at Galatians six. And I'm gonna read it to you and the amplified, and then we're gonna hop over, I believe into the voice because I think that's where I also love it. So Galatian six. Um, like I said, super familiar, six, nine. Do I need to read more than that? Um,

I think we're good at the six nine, so, um, Galatians six, nine in the amplified, it says, and let us not lose heart and grow. We. We rightness is a whole mood, not a good one, but it is a whole mood in the space. Um, let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint and acting noble and doing right for in due time.

And at the appointed season, we shall reap. If we do not loosen and relax, our courage and faint. So in the, uh, voice translation, um, it says maybe we never tired of doing what is good and right before our Lord, because in his season we shall bring in a [00:05:00] great harvest if we can just persist. Mm Ooh. It's just keep going.

Like, just keep going. Um, and this is talking about like, do what you do, what you know to do, but like, Hey. Be a person that is so in good, like be the good seed in the earth. So I'm actually gonna read it to you in one more translation. And that is the passion, which is really great. Um, Galatians six, nine in the passion, so that one reads and let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint and acting.

Nope, just kidding. That's amplified. Just playing with you. That's not. Um, six, nine in the fashion, it says, and don't allow yourselves to be weary and planting good seeds for the season of reaping. The wonderful harvest you've planted is coming. And so just like when we start out with hope, I just kinda wanna point your mind in the direction of kind of the inherent promise in this right.

Don't allow yourselves to be weary and planting good seeds for the season of reaping. The wonderful [00:06:00] harvest you've planted is coming. Right. It's kinda like that verse that I read. Um, I think it's Proverbs 2318. Your hope and expectations shall not be cut off. Like, Hey, keep going, because you will reap, like it will come up and seeds seeds do what seeds are supposed to do when you put 'em in the ground, they grow.

Right. And so when we talk about do what you know to do, we're gonna talk about three key areas to do. um, but just know that this is taking action and it's just as sure as planting a seed, when you do what you know to do it is like planting a seed and it will come up if you plant the seed. Right. So, um, let's start off with the first place you gotta do what you know to do.

So number one, I think of doing what you know to do in the spirit realm, spirit space. It's like sitting up in the. right. Um, again, you have the tendency to just like slouch, sit back, come off it, lean back and like, no, do what you know to [00:07:00] do, do what you know, to do in the spirit. And so it's kind of like asserting yourself, like, hold on a second.

I'm not defeated. I'm not beneath, I'm not behind. I need to do what I know to do. I may not be able to change my circumstances. I may not be able to make this season wrap itself up. I may not be able to move to a new city. Base get new friends. I may not be able to change all that, but what can I do? What do I know to do that works?

Right? What do I know I'm supposed to be doing in any space to sew good seed, right. And so sewing good seed is literally just doing what you know to do in the spirit. Right? So command your day with your mouth. Like prayer is good. You should be praying and communing with the Lord, but I'm kind of talking about when you get up and you have confessions, like this is the day the Lord has made.

I thank you that I have a sound mind. I thank you. That I only release words that are good for the spiritual benefit of others. Like I thank you that I am the good seed in the earth. I thank you that wherever the, wherever I step, the kingdom of God has come. I thank you that I am. God's distribution center of love.

Command your day. I thank you that I am the head and not the tail. I think you that whenever people [00:08:00] encounter me, they encounter the kingdom and their life has changed. Like command your day. Do what you know to do. Don't just wake up and roll into a day. Command your day. What are we doing today? What is, how is today gonna go?

Cuz here's the thing you're created. And I say this all the time, you were created in the image and likeness of God, God speaks and things. Right. And you have the exact same authority on the inside of you. You speak, and it becomes right. The same spirit that raised Christ from the dead, right? The one that resurrected a dead body, that's what you got on the inside of you.

And so if you wake up and you don't say nothing to the day about how it ought to go, what, why we wasting that real estate? I don't understand. I don't understand. Get up and command your day before you, I think you, the angels go ahead of. . I mean, you're not gonna, you're not gonna address your safety.

You're not gonna address your mind. You're not gonna no command your day because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So if you not saying nothing, if you're not [00:09:00] releasing your faith in a direction, what are we doing? We're was we're we're not taking advantage of that. So thinking also like in the gym, right.

You working. You're not actually like lifting weights to try to like out pump the person next to you. You're trying to kind of outdo what you did before. right. And so many times, especially when I'm working out, I think working exercise is so good, especially when you're in like a mental, emotional funk, because you get to see firsthand, who's running the show, right.

You get to see like, is my mind, am I tapping out along with my mind or is my body tapping out? You get to see that very clearly. And so I know whenever I'm like, Ooh, squat to pull up. Jesus. Um, both of those are moments where I'm like, I don't wanna do the next one, but I know I intentionally go, all right, you wanna quit at the halfway mark and take a break, but we're actually gonna do two more because I need my mind.

I need me to see that my body is going to follow my mind. And so if my mind goes, no, I can't. My body goes, oh, no, we. You know, and so I need to see who's in the seat. Right? [00:10:00] And so when you get up at the beginning of your day, if you don't take advantage of the authority that you've been given and tell your day, give your angel something to do, you're just gonna be subject to the whims of the day.

You're not gonna get ahead of, okay. I might meet some people that are like, just crazy on the road and I need, I know I need to be walking in the fruit of the spirit, but if I haven't declared that, that's what I'm going. I'm just leaving everything up to chance and being willynilly about it. And greatest stuff can still go left and still go sideways, but it's not gonna be because I was reckless and didn't stand first in my place of authority and speak to my day.

it's not gonna be because of that. Right. Because even if things go left, I know I already know what I've said. Right. So then that looks like opposition. That looks like my body. Like when you work out trying to tap out and that's not what we gonna do, cause I've already spoken to powers and principalities.

So you popping off over here, not even getting into it. Cuz I was walking in the fruit of the spirit at 6:00 AM. When I sat down with the Lord. We not doing it. So, uh, first things first do what you know, to do command your day [00:11:00] with your words. Let's make sure we're doing that. Right. Um, and this don't have to be no like 30 page anything, but speak to something, even if it's just your mind.

I think you, that I have a sound mind. I think you, that I know I am the beloved and, and you gotta know that sometimes you don't feel like these things are true, right. They may not be resonating. Right. That's okay. Keep saying them and choosing to believe them and enact your will in that. Completely fine.

The other thing that you need to do, um, doing what you know, to do stay connected to safe believers who are also going to hold your arms up. Right? So these seasons can get tiring and you may not really want people pushing the word in your face. I get it. I totally understand sometime. And then timing is a thing, right?

It may not be the time to quote scripture when people are feeling really down. It just may not be the time. It might just be the time to listen. That's the thing we could all get more skillful at, but don't disconnect from your people, right? Like you can be questioning, you can be doubt. You could be pissed.

You could be so mad at Jesus, but [00:12:00] don't disconnect. Like do what you, it's kind of like you have any spaces, these like critical periods in the. Where it's like, all right. I know things are a little tight and a little tense. It may not be the time for me to disconnect from. Communing with believers, because that might actually send me the opposite direction.

Isolation is actually not gonna be good for me in this space. So you need to make sure that you're staying connected to safe people. And there might be people that it's like, hi and bye kind of believers. But then, you know, you gotta have your people that you can get in there and wrestle with and be like, this is where I'm at.

This is what I'm really thinking. This is how I'm actually feeling. Don't disconnect from those people actively seek them. And this is one of those things that even we, you know, we kind of talk about in the mental health space, like when you're in a space, it is so, so counterproductive to isolate. And so you might want to do that whole, like, you know, people feel sad.

They wanna listen to sad music. I've never understood that because I'm like, what's gonna make you sad or I don't understand. But, um, it's kind of like that. It's like you already are feeling [00:13:00] some type of way. Why would you retreat even further into yourself where you are your only counsel? don't do it. do not do that.

Even when, if people irk you, if you're like they don't understand da, da, da. In whatever way you can manage, stay connected to people, your safe believers, your safe community, people that, you know, you can be honest with that are gonna be praying for you that are gonna check in on you and be like, Hey girl, Hey bro, where you at?

What's going on? Y'all wanna get lunch. Like, and if you don't have those people begin to ask God for those people, because one of the beautiful things about God is if you don't have them, you. Ask. It's amazing. It's the most wonderful thing ever. So stay connected. That's another thing you, you know, you need to do, do what you know, you need to do.

Right. The other thing, um, that I think is really interesting is. Your thought life, man, uh, in spaces like these, it's like you just kind of pull up in general. Like you just come up off of your prac your best practices and it's kind of wild, but like, [00:14:00] man, watch your thought life. And I want you to imagine it being like a garden, like a plot of land and in funky seasons and funky spaces in transition, you absolutely cannot.

Afford to fall asleep at the wheel when it comes to your thought life, because in normal times, thoughts are just swirling. Like, you'll get a rogue thought here and there. And it just be like, man, where that even come from. But when you, in these critical periods in the. the enemy is just like, will they accept this?

Oh, let's try this. I dunno if they have never, ever like in their life entertained this kind of thought, but let's see, let's try it. Cuz you're just in a space and you can be extra susceptible. Right. Just cuz you're in a space. It's kind of like, um, when someone is sick or like, uh, a cancer patient has gone through chemo.

their immune system is suppressed. And so they are much more susceptible to diseases, infect and infections because of that. And so finding ourselves in these, in wilderness spaces and difficulties and discouragement, um, in depression, battling with mental health battling with like relational distress and things like that, you're [00:15:00] kind of like your immune system can be sort of suppressed.

Right. And so doing what you know to do is like giving yourself vitamins. It's like taking emergency, um, and, and your thought life. Extra susceptible in these spaces. And so if you got a plot of land, you know, in good times and harvest times and like, Ooh, this is amazing. You're just like reaping the benefit of what you've sewn.

Right. And that's beautiful. But in, in these seasons and spaces, it can get a little wild because the ground is it's like, it it's it's prime for anything. Right. And so you can have tons of weeds just getting seated and because you're tired because you're discouraged because you're, we. Because you're mad at God.

Those things are, are more likely to take root or you might, you might let him sit in the ground a little bit longer than you would've in a previous season or in a different space and season. Um, and so you actually have to tend to your thought life. Like you gotta stay awake to the thoughts that you're entertaining.

You absolutely have to. You have to be active in [00:16:00] casting down imaginations. Because, and that falls in line with, you know, paying attention to your thought life. Cause enemy will just throw up a scenario. Right. What about that? Did they bite? Oh, okay. All right. Maybe, you know, you gotta stay active and awake.

Um, a couple nights ago. Um, I woke up in the middle of the night and my thoughts are just racing immediately. All the things that I'm thinking about considering weighing, wondering da, da, da, and my brain's just going, going, going, going, going. And that has, has been happening to. A couple for a couple weeks or just on and off.

And, and just whenever, like things would get like stressful and it was like, the holy spirit just reminded me, like, you need to tell that to stop, like what what's going on here. And I was like, oh, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And it was like, I literally was like, Hey, it was like, I in my brain just, Hey, stop.

Mm-hmm. Uh, no, we're not thinking about that. No, we're not thinking about that stop and it, and the thoughts would keep coming, you know, but it was like where it'd be like, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, [00:17:00] boom, boom. Like a heartbeat. It would just kind of do, do, do, do, do do. And as I resisted right. Or resist the enemy and heal flee from you.

Um, as I resisted the thoughts as I was like, no. I said, no, it stopped eventually right over like five to 10 minutes time. And then, and not to say the next night, I didn't have to do that. Right. Um, but the more that I've done it, the more permanent the practice, I don't have to do it every night. In fact, when it happens, now you might get a, you might get a one thought and it's like, Hey, we not doing that.

We're actually going back to sleep. And we go to sleep off of that. You know, I think about my. Um, we got a second dog. Y'all not really, we, um, anyway, it's a long story, have another dog and, um, , he's a puppy and he knows when I tell him to go into his kennel. Right. And one of the things that I've learned is when you speak to him firmly, you say it one time and you don't break eye contact, but he knows what you said.[00:18:00]

He'll try to like look off like, oh, I don't know what you said. I, I don't think I gotta listen. And I like, Hey, Ken. And he looks at me and I don't move off of it. Like I said, what I said, I'm looking at you and I'm looking at you expecting you to be obedient, expecting you to listen to what I said. And he'll like, try to walk and out, keep eye contact.

Like you, this hand is pointing at your candle, cuz that's where you're supposed to be. And eventually he's like, ah right. I heard you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. And that's how we gotta be with our thoughts. That's how we have to be guarding our thought life. Right. Um, you not gonna be over here just having my brain running.

We're not doing that. We're not doing stress, anxiety, fear, worry, overthinking. We're not doing. No. And no, like we'd be telling people, is it complete sentence? No, just no mm-hmm thought stop. Nope. We're not doing that. Nope. I'm not touching that with my thought life. I'm not picking that up. I'm not carrying that.

Nope. We're just not mm-hmm we're not gonna start digging a hole on that thing. Absolutely not do that. You have that authority, you have that power and you know, it's your, it's your. your thoughts, [00:19:00] you run this. And sometimes I know it feels like, oh, I'm just subject to my thoughts. And my, my thoughts just go and I can't no SIS, no, sir.

Tell it to stop. Tell it to stop. And it, it needs to, it will. And that's the thing. Do it until it works. You might be like where I was taking an hour, do it until it works. Cause like the first time you go to the gym, you may not complete a. , but if you keep coming back to it and you mean what you I'm, I'm not quitting.

I'm not coming off of this. It's gonna come up under subjection, cuz you have authority. This is, this is your brain. This is your mind. And God has given you a sound mind. So that's all that anyway. So managing your thought life is a piece of it, right? It's totally a part of it. Um, casting down imagination falls up under that whatever man, whatever scenario.

that the enemy is painting in your mind. And my friend said such a good thing to me today about this. Um, [00:20:00] you know, you can imagine and go down the street with all the what ifs and for every negative. What if you go down create and entertain a positive? What if right? You may not stop the what ifs you might be.

You know, you may not be that skillful yet, but if you catch yourself, you're like, well, what if this? And what if that? And what if I can't do? What if I don't? What if that never. Well, what if this works? What if that's, what if I end up exactly where enter to as much energy as you give, cuz that's the other thing.

This stuff steals energy, which is instilling your ability to be productive and be present, which is stealing time from you. Right? I think it's Joel that the, the Lord will restore the years, the locust aid up. This is how locust eat up. They steal your time, locusts worry, um, all that kind of stuff.

Entertain the positives. Well, what if it works? What if it's amazing? What if that actually doesn't. I'm gonna give my energy to that as well. Right? Entertain the positive, what ifs. And that's a way of tending to your thought life. Um, I mean, I don't know how everybody feels about this, but I'm gonna say it cuz I believe in it, [00:21:00] um, praying in the spirit is absolutely.

I mean the scriptures talk about praying in the spirit is like building yourself up right. That's something that you do, what you do, what you know to do. You may, you really honestly, may not even have a clue about how you should pray and you really may not have words. And when you don't have words, this is the perfect out, pray in the spirit.

You're praying the perfect will of God. You're dealing with things that you don't even know you need dealt with. You're building up, pray in the spirit, build, like if there's no other time in life, when you need to be built up internally. And you may not really be able to see what it is that you need.

Give voice to that, man, I riding in the car, pray in the spirit, in the shower. First thing in the morning, when you get up, pray in the spirit, when you feel depressed, pray in the spirit, you know, when you're anxious, choose that, choose to move that energy in a different direction, pray in the spirit, build yourself up, address those things.[00:22:00]

Because again, your battle isn't against flesh and blood, right? And there may be a chemical component to maybe wherever you're at or a biological piece to that. I'm not discounting that. Um, but as far as in you sitting up in your spirit and being a little bit more assertive out here, pray in the spirit, you have tools, you know, you're not powerless, that's the other thing you're not powerless.

And so when we talk about doing what you know to do in the spirit, um, it's really just tending to also little caveat. Um, Part of this is knowing where you are and being honest with yourself. Right. Um, when you're in, in sticky spaces, it may not be the time, um, to be heavy on social media, right. It might actually be the time where you like, Hey, I'm gonna take a break.

And I, you know, fasting, I know I don't wanna make this like religious or anything like that, but it just may not be the time for it. You know what I'm saying? Going back to that example of like, when someone's gone through chemo and their system is, is suppressed. [00:23:00] It just may not be the time for you to be heavy in the like R and B rap, scream out email.

I don't know, whatever can be a little bit sticky. It may not be the time to be in that. It might be the time to pull back and be like, all right. I kind of gotta isolate and focus in a little bit. Right. I, I just need to kind of like pull in I'm in a critical period in my spirit. Um, or I just kind of gotta make sure I'm, I'm like heavy on the things that are good for.

and not to say that you can't go back to it or, you know, balance in all things, but you need to be, it may not be the time to watch church online. It, you might need to make sure that you're, it may not be time. It may not be the time to like sit out on small groups, you know, or discipleship meetings or whatever you have going on that allows you to be in community and fellowship with believers.

It just may not be the time to step out of those things that, you know, like, you may not feel like doing them, right. Like, but it's like exercise. you feel better when you do it? It's good for you when you do it, but you, you know, up until the very moment you lift your weight or you hop on your, your machine, you like, Ugh.

But do what you know, to do [00:24:00] like do the things that you know, to do and just make a discipline out of them. Right. Okay. So that's spirit stuff. Let's get into some of the physical things. Um, you need sleep. Do what you need to do. You need sleep. You absolutely have to create space for like good, solid sleep.

And so if that means adding sleepy time T to your routine, if that means, Hey, you know, I'm gonna have my phone reminder to shut things down. Like. Whatever you need to do to get the rest that you need. You absolutely need to be doing that because there's, there's like certain things we can talk spiritual.

We can talk deep, but if you're not sleeping, your brain is at a definite deficit. So making sure that you're getting the proper rest, that your room is cool. It's dark. You know, you sleep in eight hours. I know is suggested as an adult. I don't really think that's realistic, but maybe some of y'all are out here doing that.

I got like four the other night and I feel. it's the worst thing ever, but get, get the sleep that you need, [00:25:00] right. Um, water vitamins. Um, if you are, if you have any kind of medication of any kind, Ugh, take your medication. Take your meds. Like you're supposed to, as consistently as you're supposed to take your vitamins, like you're supposed to, as consistently as you're supposed to, um, having a balanced diet, getting the greens that you need, if you are vegan, vegetarian, you making sure you getting all the nutrition, no things that you need to do, like get, make sure the, so like physical health is like baseline.

like I said, you can do all the spiritual, deep things and deep breathing, all that kind of stuff. But if you're not tending to your body, like practically, um, you are shooting yourself in the foot. You're defeating yourself before you get started. So just making sure you have a solid foundation physically, that you're exercising the other day.

I've been real off on my exercise the other day, I, I kind of got back into it and I immediately felt like, like this rush of like, I don't know, dopamine happy hormones, feelings, whatever. Um, and was like, oh, this is so good. I know it's gonna be hard to push through this, but [00:26:00] it's so good for me. I know it's so good for me.

Um, Diet making sure that you're eating the way that you need to, that you're moving. Like you need to getting the sunlight that you need to get, um, drinking the water that you need to drink. Um, and in some ways, uh, like if you have like physical health goals and things like that, you can rely on previous seasons.

Like if you used to be really solid and disciplined in a previous season, tap back into that. Like that is still a part of who you are. Even if you're not like actively being disciplined, you can do that and you can go, Hey, I know how to do that thing. We just gotta bring it back. and don't beat yourself up if you're not like killing it every day.

Um, kinda like the podcast, I have goals, like, all right. At some point we are going to have this ready for you. 12:00 AM on a Monday. That's my goal is a Monday now as I'm recording late at night and, and I'm just like, you know what? All right, we're gonna start. We're gonna start again next week. We are gonna begin again.

Be gracious with yourself. Just begin again. You missed [00:27:00] the mark. You don't do what you set out to do. You don't follow through on your intention. Begin again. Right? Don't abandon it. Don't jump ship. Just begin again. I'm gonna drink this much water. If I have coffee, I'm not gonna have any other sweet drinks because I know I need to be inconsistent about getting the cat, the amount of water that I need to get.

And these are the two days that I'm gonna work out or, Hey, did I take my vitamins? Why am I taking my vitamins? Okay. Maybe I need to put it next to my bed. So when I get up in the morning, it's right there and I don't have to meander through the kitchen and open the cabinet. I'm like immediately reminded, um, adjust where you gotta adjust.

And, and you don't have to tackle all of these at once, but have 'em on your radar, right? Like, okay, what do I need to do to get in bed by 10 30? What do I need to do? What needs to be in place? Um, like eating dinner at a decent time. Not that that's a struggle that I have, but what do I need to do to do that?

You know, do I need to set a reminder? Do I need to do more slow cooker meals? So I'm not making food at the end of the day? Like what needs to happen? Um, Physical health diet [00:28:00] meds, exercise. Am I missing anything? Um, oh, and if you've, if you've like, ah, I keep, I keep setting this goal and it feels like I'm never gonna achieve it.

Believe God for the grace, believe God for the wisdom connect with people. And Hey, what do you do about this? How do you handle this? Da, da, da, da. Um, God will give you God will give you the ability to do things that you've never done previously. I'm I can attest to that seasons where you eyes been. Like, I that's not who I am.

I don't know how to do that. And suddenly I'm like, wow, I put that together. Really great. That's amazing. God, where did that come from? He's he'll give you the grace for it and give you the wisdom for it as well. If you lack wisdom, ask of God, he gives to all men liberally and women. Um, so like don't get hung up on those things, but that's your baseline, your physical health doing what you know to do in that space.

Walking, exercising, sunlight, water me, all of that sleep. Um, do what you know to do there. You know what I'm saying? Give yourself the best chance of success. There are a lot of things that you can't control. These are [00:29:00] things that you can't to set yourself up, um, to walk in victory, to not be defeated in your mind, in your spirit, in your soul.

Um, so that's our physical space and then lastly, our mental space, um, Having a, having a, a quiet time, a time of reflection, meditation, contemplation. Um, I prefer at the beginning of the day, um, I say that, and it happens here and there, not here and there, it happens more often than not, but it needs to be more consistent.

Um, it's just a pause, creating space to, to just get centered, clear, set your mind, get your mind right. Commune with God to listen, to hear, to dump all the things, to then receive what you need to receive to be equipped, to go out into your day, um, is a need to do. It's an absolute need. And it's kind of like a, non-negotiable like some people are like, oh, how am I God, at the end of the day, I don't know how y'all do that.

Cuz the [00:30:00] day pulls from you so much. And if you haven't started. it. I don't know how you're doing it and maybe there's a grace on you to do it. Just cuz you're where you're at. And the season that you're in, motherhood, job, life, whatever, but creating space to just get quiet, to receive for that exchange that holy exchange, you and God, um, is absolutely necessary, absolutely necessary.

And that's something that you can do, right? That's something that you control and it may not be like in previous seasons to have a full hour amazing. Your current season, it might look like 15 to 20 minutes. God knows. Right. And, and it's not even to get all caught up in. In the, the works of it, like, okay, I checked all the boxes, but this is like baseline functioning.

What do I need to do to, to be, to be solid today? I gotta, I gotta get quiet. I gotta, I have to reset. I have to hear from God. Um, I gotta have a scripture that I'm holding at the center of my being throughout the day. I need to hear a word from God [00:31:00] that is gonna carry me through this day. Like that's what needs to happen today for me.

Um, so having that quiet time for your soul. Everything. Um, the other thing, creating whatever that looks like for you. I think we're all created to create, um, and I don't consider myself a creative and like visually creative person. Um, but knowing the things that fuel me and fill me up are really important.

Like what, and there's kinda like self care thing. So, um, I used to bake a lot. Don't do that anymore. Um, I used to, uh, walks used to be kind of the refueling space, you know? um, that I'd be, I'd be able to hear and kind of write, um, cause writing words are kind of my thing. Um, but just finding the thing that like helps you refuel to be creative in whatever way you're creative and that could be organizing that could really just like get you going.

It could be like, I love to clean things and make them fancy. I don't know. It could be [00:32:00] music. It could be a musician. You could be a visual artist. You could paint, you could draw. Whatever your craft is like create, you need to create in this space. And I know sometimes I know for me, stress usually squeezes the creativity out of me.

Um, and it takes, it takes me having some other practices to get in a space, clear enough to write sometimes then there are other times that the pressure like pushes writing out of me. Um, but sometimes I have to just take a step back and be like, I need to be reading. I need to read something like, I need to read some poetry.

That's gonna inspire me or. You know, read books, um, music is often inspiring, but you need like wherever you can create a little bit and recreate a little bit like rest, you know, there's, there's a recreation that happens for you. I think, in, in your creativity of a, kind of a birthing of becoming that takes place.

That's really important for processing creating is such an important place for processing. Um, it kind of reminds me of kids. We talk about, um, in the mental health space [00:33:00] therapy. For kids, it's kind, it is play kids work out so much in their play. And I think adults are the same way. Creativity is often our play, right?

It's where we engage our imagination. It's where we, um, you know, suspend our disbelief. It's where we play and wonder sometimes. Um, and that helps us process. A lot. And whether it dance, you know, music, um, visual arts going to a museum, whatever stimulates your mind is a place where you can process and, and it helps recreate.

It helps you recreate, recreate. So, um, creating, creating is really, really important connection. connection is so, so big. Um, in seasons where things have been Rocky and difficult being connected to people, having conversations with people, just spending time with like my friends, with my family, people that get me that know me, that I don't have to do a lot of filtering with, um, is so important for your mental and emotional health.

Like. Belonging is also a space. I think where, like, I don't know, it feels like the [00:34:00] muck and the mere and the dirt from the day and from life, you know, you're seen in that space, people are like, Hey, me too, in that space. Or like, I see you, I've had so many moments in the past couple of years where. And just having someone be like, Hey, you're gonna be okay.

Has been like a therapy session where I'm like, oh, am I, you know, I, I'm not sure. But to hear someone to be connected with someone that sees you and tells you like, Hey, you're gonna be right. Or, Hey, this is normal. Or I see you, I'm praying for you for someone to text you and be like, Hey, you were just on my mind.

I hope you're okay. I'm praying for you. Like all of that is. Right. Connection is ministry. It's why, you know God said at the beginning, it's not good for man to be alone. We were not created for it. We were created to be in community with people that remind us, um, that will make it, that they see us, that we're known that there's someone that loves us and cares about us and is thinking of us.

And I think in spaces where you feel upended connection is so important to ground you, cuz you can just be like, what is life? What is going on? Does anybody [00:35:00] care? Does anybody see God? Where are you? You know, And belonging and connection really like ground, you settle you down and it's like, yes, I see you.

Yes. I know it sucks. Yes. I'm here. Yes. You know, um, you're not alone. It's so important. And then the last thing is, and I'm sure you could imagine just knowing my background, a little bit therapy, therapy, therapy, therapy, therapy, therapy, therapy, all day long. Um, there's so many things that I think. And, and just being in the world among other people.

And I'm like, oh, you know, you need to work through that. I know you're screaming, at this person because they're not moving fast enough, but there's stuff, you got stuff going on and you just need somebody to listen to you and help you see yourself. And you'll stuff in a way that's sober and helpful and healing.

Um, you just need that space. And so I am always I've Jesus in therapy that has always been kind of those things are not mutually exclusive in my mind. And. [00:36:00] And difficult seasons and tough seasons life, family, transition, disappointment, discouragement health stuff, having just a skilled professional to walk through.

You, walk with you through it. Um, . I mean, it's so good. And I love that the holy spirit is called a counselor because I think Jesus was trying to get ahead of the stigma. Right? like, I know y'all are going to be like, no, just pray it away. Mm. You need somebody that's gonna listen. And the holy spirit is obviously, um, the master of that, but just like, you know, you got a headache, take a Tylenol.

Hey, you're struggling with depression. Why don't you? You should probably see someone. Jesus and a therapist let's do both. Right. And so sometimes we're in sticky seasons cuz we got stuff going on on the inside of us that we are refusing to deal with and be honest about, um, and therapy can be a safe place.

And so, um, I really encourage that. I think that is a, a tool. I think that is a gift God has given [00:37:00] people, um, because Gabby knowing how life was going unfold and um, I think, I think it's, it's just like doctors, um, the. Are people that are there to help you process the stuff that's inevitably gonna come up.

So those are my, my do what you know, to do things. That's my gym. Talk for you and my trainer talk, do what you know to do, you know what I'm saying? We, we talked about intentions last week, but in this space, like, okay, we set our intentions, not do the things that you know, to do sit up. Square your shoulders put, put the weight up.

Let's go. You come on because we're not gonna stay here. Right. We're we're getting to the other side of this. And so in the meantime, to get us from point a to point B, we need to do what we know to do. We need to take care of our physical bodies. We need to check in with ourselves, um, where we're holding tension.

We need to breathe, stretch. You know, taking care of our spirit, man, asserting ourselves and our authority in the spirit, doing what we know to do there, praying in the spirit, commanding [00:38:00] our day, not waking up defeated. Amen. Okay. Um, and then doing the practical things in our lives to make sure that we stay full, to make sure that we stay healthy, um, in our souls.

Because life can be life and, but we don't need soul sickness on top of that. And so I just encourage you, you know, whatever things came up for you while you were listening to this episode, like, okay, all right, I need to do the things . I need to do the things I need to set, you know, limits on my apps. My phone needs to go to sleep at this time.

Like I, whatever you, whatever came up for you. Because I'd be praying. I'm like Lord speak, you know? So whatever you heard while I was talking, um, I just encourage you to, to take action, do what you know to do, right? Like don't grow weary and well doing. Don't come off of the stuff that, you know, do what you know to do.

And I encourage you in that and I'm praying for you in that. And so, um, yeah, I'm gonna check in with Y. Like I do. I hope you set your intentions and I hope this week you take it a step further and, and start taking on some of those [00:39:00] things that are inevitably gonna help get you over the hump and get you, um, to the other side of the funk.

So I love you. I pray you make it an amazing week. Um, have an amazing rest of the week, cuz you'll be probably hearing this on Tuesdays but I'm praying for you. I love you have an amazing. Bye.