If you live in the US, then you know that this weekend marks the unofficial end of summer. Whether that’s good news or not for you depends on whether or not you prefer warmer or cooler weather. One thing for sure is that it’s definitely a time of exchange.
You have to exchange the sandals for boots, the bathing suits for a backpack, the iced cold Latte for a warm cup of apple cider and the air conditioner for the heater.
Just as we need to exchange the old for new in our natural lives, it’s time to start making that very exchange in every other area of our lives too. It’s time to exchange the fear for faith, unhealthy relationships with new relationships, worry for trust, lack for prosperity, troubles for triumph, and failures for successes.
Before any real change happens in your life, it must first begin in your mind. The world has this unfruitful mentality that says, “I’ll believe it when I see it”. However, as a woman who is achieving a legacy of faith, purpose and success you have to decide to exchange that mindset to “I believe it so I will see it.” Successful people think about all the possibilities while unsuccessful people keep replaying the failures; allowing those past disappointments to limit the possibilities of the future.
Don’t let this be you.
I understand how difficult it can be to move forward when you’ve experience so much disappointment, discouragement, pain and failures in your past. But just as I’ve had to encourage myself, I am going to encourage you to exchange the old for the new.
What’s an old way of thinking or acting that you need to exchange for doing things differently? If you’ve experienced failures in gaining clients for your business, then maybe you should exchange your old marketing strategies for some new, innovative ways to reach your target audience. Maybe you need to exchange the fear of rejection and failure for faith that God will take care of you. Maybe you need to exchange trying to do everything on your own for asking for help when you need it. Or maybe you need to exchange working for someone else to finally working for yourself.
A great way to start deciding where you need to exchange the old for the new is to set your top 10-15 goals for next 12-16 months. Don’t wait until January to start thinking about what you want to accomplish in 2017. Last week, I set my 2017 goals and started working towards them too so I’m not encouraging you to do something I’m not doing.
Also, don’t limit your goals to business, money, career or health goals either. Consider all areas of your life including your emotional well-being, family, relationships, and confidence. Write down these goals so that they are positive, measurable and specific. Don’t allow your current situation or past failures to frustrate the opportunities for your future. I highly suggest you take my Goals Bootcamp course to get you well on your way!
If what you are thinking, speaking or doing is not getting you closer to those goals that you’ve written down then it’s time to exchange some old ways for some new ones. Your thoughts and words can be the very things that are holding back the new season of victory in your life. You are NOT a failure, you CAN get through this, and happiness IS available to you.
As you write down those goals, consider what old habits you are going to have to exchange for something new. If you want to save $5,000 then maybe you have to exchange buying lunch every day to packing your lunch from home. If you want to become a woman who is filled with faith then you should exchange fear-based thoughts for faith or take 10 minutes to pray in the morning instead of using those first 10 minutes to check social media.
You might be a few days away from things changing in your favor but what if it’s waiting for you to change your attitude first? What if your breakthrough was at the other side of you exchanging complaining for being grateful?
One of my greatest lessons of my journey has been that oftentimes we want to have God magically remove our troubles but sometimes those very troubles are what He may use to develop something new on the inside of us.
In the light of this new season of victory that is waiting for you to grab hold of it, what are you going to exchange for something new? Write it down and do what it says!
Here are some resources to help you:
- Take my Goal-Setting Success Bootcamp Course here
- Order our Slaying My Goals Journal to write down your goals, action steps and new exchanges here
XOXO,
Maria I. Melendez
@embraceherlegacy
