Guest Blog Featuring Aleasha Orth,
How often do you tell yourself that once you finally reach your next goal, you will feel fulfilled? So, you keep striving and working only to find that you are no more fulfilled than when you achieved your last goal?
While working a seemingly dead end job, I was screaming on the inside knowing that I was meant to be and do more.
But then I was hit with the big question…”OK, Aleasha, HOW are you going to do that?”
So I took to my phone and found podcasts, videos, and posts from people that were successful hoping to find the secret “how”.
They all preached the need for working tirelessly, sacrificing, and having high expectations of yourself as some of the requirements to create a financially free life.
But, looking behind so many of the success stories, more often than not you’ll find broken, discontent and empty people.
I too felt empty, but why…?
What I would ultimately learn is that the answer was right in front of my face, but it took intention (and some waking up) to see it.
When I finally had enough I raised my white flag to surrender, I had no idea what I was doing or what I was doing it for.
Then, there it was…
“Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.””
John 4:13-14 NIV
If you drink from the world, you will always thirst. He is the living water that TRULY satisfies. DUH!!
Please don’t miss this, I almost did.
This will become the very foundation you build upon. But to quickly clarify, yes you should always have big goals – we have to have an idea of where we’re going to get there!
Although, when things aren’t happening or that goal isn’t reached the way we think it should be, instead of finding disappointment and frustration we can look at it in a new light to keep going.
With that truth in mind, I am no longer dependent on striving for the ‘next thing’, just to hopefully make me happy. Hitting that number, buying the house, traveling, having . . . (insert your own “next best thing”). There’s enormous freedom when your perspective changes and clarity of mind will follow.
Here comes the random visual to help really hit this point home. . .
When you hold damp sand in your hand it feels strong and well, in your control, you can easily mold and shape it. Sadly, that sand will eventually dry out.
Losing that seemingly concrete feel, and can blow away by the wind – slipping right through your fingers. Before you know it, what once was so concrete is now gone.
Would you go back for that quickly found, momentary satisfaction of building something beautiful with damp sand, now knowing it will blow away?
Most will give an obvious, no!
That leaves you with the CHOICE to seek out something that can bear the storm. Your quickly made sand creation might turn to nothing – but what if you try stone? It won’t dry out, it won’t blow away, that stone is not going anywhere. No matter the storm – it will always be there.
I’m proposing you shift the “why”. Don’t make your goal or striving be your why; like sand it works only for a small moment until it’s gone. Have big goals, work your butt off, and be passionate about what you do. But make the choice to turn from the temporary to the eternal as your core source of satisfaction.
When you seek satisfaction from the world you will become a slave to it – it’s addicting! But like any addiction that satisfaction fades causing you to go back for more.
Drink from the world, you will always thirst. He is the living water that truly satisfies.
In this transforming truth you will have new found freedom, strength, and recilliance. Allowing you to bring the Lord’s Light into the world, bring more of YOU into the world. Now you can reach those goals, or not and your satisfaction still remains. You find rest in the Lord.
At the end of the day if you look to the world to find your “how” you will find, well, worldly answers! I challenge you to make the shift, look to Jesus to find your deeper “why” and the “how” will start to flow from it.
I hope this is a good start to your new found freedom. If you’re wanting more, dive deep with Grace and I on the podcast. We discuss some practical and freeing ways to implement this shift of satisfaction into your day-to-day.
I am SO excited for you to truly come alive by the Truth that sets us free!
Tune into our podcast to hear more of my story!