Did You Inherit Your Space in Trouble?

Often, the Trouble we find ourselves in stems from fear-based mindsets that have been passed down through our families for generations.

Our particular approach to dealing with the details and relationships of life is as much a part of our legacy as our family stories and our grandmother’s china. As children, we all tended to pay keen attention to the affairs of adults. We came to know the fear and the faith of our close family members, very well. We were watching as our mothers, grandmothers, aunts and sisters handled the most common life-relationships—with Self, mother, children, money, significant others and friends—and we internalized what we learned, re-dressed it a little, and from it, carefully crafted our own repertoire of how-to-behave/react/act-in-this-situation theories, albeit long before we were old enough to question the validity of our perceptions and our subsequent hypotheses.

Now, as we’re thinking about the ways we have come to deal with certain of the issues that arise in our own lives, we have to ask ourselves: Were my perceptions valid? Am I currently walking out my life according to a set of principles and values that are truly mine? Or am I drawing from a well of responses that are based on the scenarios I witnessed and formed opinions about a long time ago?

Excerpt from From Trouble to High Places: Meditations for Women Who Are So Ready to Cross the Bridges that lead to Joy! Copyright 2009 Esther Davis-Thompson

Are you moving forward… or residing comfortably on Trouble Lane?

Most of us know, or have at some time known, Trouble. Who among us hasn’t dropped our baskets at some time or another? We’ve lost jobs, flunked out of classes, spent the bill money,  limped through relationships that we knew were bad, made foolish decisions . . . or whatever. We’ve all known Trouble, and so Trouble is easy to believe in. However, until we actually believe in the spiritual reality of our High Places, we won’t ever reach the understanding that our Trouble is not supposed to be our permanent dwelling place, and we won’t even bother trying to seek a better life.

Let’s start at the foundation:

If you do not believe in a loving and gracious Creator-God, you will not believe that you will ever be blessed.

You won’t believe that there’s a source of power available to you that isn’t limited by your human capabilities.

You won’t believe that positive change is a possibility for you.

And you won’t truly believe that your tomorrows can be any better than your today.

Living your best life requires you to be your best Self. In order to be your best Self you have to believe high for yourself.

Can you picture yourself in a different state of being than you’re in now?

Can you picture yourself taking one precarious step at a time to build a bridge toward something better?

Know this: change happens always. Positive beliefs lead us into positive actions, and positive actions tend to net positive changes. Yet, sitting still in situations that are not good for us will eventually net just as much change. This hanging-out-in-default-mode kind of change, though, just gets you a new address in Trouble.

So now, think about it. Where will your current beliefs, about yourself and your capabilities, lead you? Are you holding tight to any low beliefs about yourself that could be stopping you from moving forward?

Excerpt from From Trouble to High Places: Meditations for Women Who Are So Ready to Cross the Bridges that lead to Joy! Copyright 2009 Esther Davis-Thompson

Have You Built Yourself a Cozy Little Nest in Trouble?

Think about this:  Whatever space you find yourself in that feels like Trouble to you—whether it’s a draining relationship, a state of lack, a struggle with depression, or a battle with ailing health—you are more familiar with your Trouble scenarios than you are with your High Places possibilities. In other words, your Trouble has become something of a comfort zone/home for you.

. . . Step . . .

Just for a moment or two, stop thinking about your Trouble and begin to think about your High Places. Your High Places.

Who are you on your High Places?

What do you do there?

What do you think about?

Who are you as your Highest Self?

What is your purpose, and what is your passion?

Do you have courage? Are you a bold woman, saying what you truly think and owning your true feelings?

Do you have convictions? (What are you certain of?)

And do you have integrity?

Do you walk in the grace of God . . . living your days by faith . . . and your nights?

Are you focused and clear and passionate about living your life?

Have you been stirred to a gentle excitement about what it really means to be alive?

Can you see yourself on your High Places?

Now, here’s the real question:

Are you, yet, ready to leave your Trouble for your High Places?

Excerpt from From Trouble to High Places: Meditations for Women Who Are So Ready to Cross the Bridges that lead to Joy! Copyright 2009 Esther Davis-Thompson

Can You See Yourself on Your High Places?

There are several things that can keep us in a larva state of never becoming who we are really capable of being. Major on that list are the relationships that tie us to our old ways of being.

By far, the most life-altering relationship we’ll ever have is the relationship we have with Self. Yet, in Trouble we tend to stop loving and accepting ourselves for who we really are. We stop supporting our real emotions and our real truths, and we put all our energy into crafting constantly evolving tactics to enable ourselves to survive our stay in Trouble.

Trouble is an ugly mirror that rarely offers us a glimpse of our true-Self. Every self-image we form in Trouble is reflected back to us distorted. Our Trouble self-images can make us look so bad to ourselves that, if we aren’t careful, we can venture into a realm of self-loathing.

Now, know this: Who you were in Trouble is not who you really are. Whereas in Trouble you were, mainly, a reactive being, you are different as your pro-active, High-Places Self.

Today, begin to build a new relationship with your Self. Imagine yourself on your High Places—separated and far away from the elements of your Trouble. On your High Places you are truly yourself. With your mind made up and your confidence in place . . . with your beliefs set high and your spirit leading the way . . . with your mind focused and your passion following your wonder . . . you are indeed quite different, I assure you!

Are You Ready to Make this Journey?

Each of our life-experiences has given us a platform to stand on . . . and a gift to give.

Each one of us could say “I have been here . . . and I have been there . . . and . . . LOOK At ME!

I have come through to a better side of things. This is what I’ve learned . . . and this is what I can share with you.”

And it’s only this attitude that will set you on your path to your High Places.

Self-pity will not.

Fear of moving forward . . . will not.

Fear of being hurt . . . again . . . will not.

Your responses to your life experiences will determine your direction. The hard work of real-life will either inspire you to reach for your High Places . . . or scare you into hiding out in Trouble until your life is over. You get to choose.

If you choose to leave Trouble, you will need some new way of being to walk toward, because your first step away from Trouble will be your first step toward your High Places. So, today, ask yourself these questions:

“What am I choosing to walk away from?”

And even more importantly—“What am I choosing to walk toward?”

Excerpt from From Trouble to High Places: Meditations for Women Who Are So Ready to Cross the Bridges that lead to Joy! copyright 2009 Esther Davis-Thompson