Renewal

How can I feel renewed and refreshed?

Marie Palmer gave us a reteaching of Dr. DeMille's talk on renewal from Liber League. This was presented for a conference on entrepreneurial endeavors so it's in that language but I hope you will convert it to your circumstances. Anyone attempting to live a mission-centered life is certainly in need of renewal on a regular basis. I hope you will use these ideas to refresh your soul.

The purpose of a retreat/renewal is to address challenges. Identify what the challenge is (5 most common listed below). Design your renewal time in response to a challenge.

Most people work for a corporation or business where there is planned renewal - breaks, vacations and such. If you’re anxiously engaged, working on projects, studying, living the mission-centered life you will need to plan and take responsibility for your own renewal. You need to create a pattern of renewal for yourself - plan a yearly vacation etc. But most importantly, in the day to day, try to identify the challenge that is wearing you out and address it.

How can I go about renewal?

Challenges:
1. Frustration - Turn on your manager self. Frustration is often caused by things that are out of our hands and not going well. Find unique gifts in others and empower them to do better. Adjust and manage well so that the flow will resume.

2. Boredom - Turn on leader self. Rally people around you and get moving on what really needs to get done.

3. Unfulfilled - Turn on your romantic self. For single women this often means you need to find situations where there are worthwhile guys to get to know and date. Get creative or even consider something drastic like moving! We are women who live deliberate lives.

4. Drained or Burnt out - Replace yourself. Stop doing what you don’t like, replace yourself. It will be a relief just knowing you're in the process of doing so.

5. Stressed, Worried or Anxious - Focus on your mission self. Visualize how to fulfill the needs of the world. Take time to remember why you are there and regain faith.

Other Ideas:
Change your environment (a change is as good as a nap)!
Take time to ask real questions
Find the right people rather than spending time getting the right skills to do the job yourself.
Don’t work on weaknesses - instead work on and focus on strengths, but not get blindsided by weaknesses. Starve weakness and feed strengths.

If you identify the challenges you will not be slowed but will be properly refreshed.