PUSH!

I wrote the following on New Year's Eve, December 31, 2014, and posted it to Facebook. At the time when I wrote this, I was excited about the wonderful things that I knew were coming to me in 2015.

When you know you're better than the life you've accepted, and unwilling to settle for mediocrity you begin to strive for something more. After all, anything that's not growing is dead. When the people around you refuse to push you and refuse to push themselves, you have to be the catalyst for your own change. Sometimes its like pushing a boulder up a hill. It could take a while to see progress and you might get run over. But you never stop. You get right behind that boulder and push some more. Some people, the ones who like the boulder where its been and don't understand where you're going or why you want to move it, will get in the way. They may try to push back. Sometimes the pushing you do will push them right out of your path. The strong ones, the good ones, will see the vision, see the good and join you. These people are few and far between, but you'll find them along the journey. The thing is you have to start pushing, even if no one joins you. 

You'll develop muscles along the way, strength you've never had, you'll have to make tough decisions on which direction to go, you'll find companions, you'll lose a few who get tired of pushing, some will find their own boulders to push, and you'll pass many who just sit on top of theirs watching you work. You might take a rest, and get back at it, but you never stop. 

I want to be pushed and challenged, I think the people who really love me inspire me in this way. Don't accept my foolishness, my excuses, my laziness, call me on it. If I love you, if I care and I see you're making a mistake, I'll do the same for you. Call me a nag, call me a bother, call me irritating if you like. You should be worried when I stop pushing, because then I've lost all hope for you, and refuse to waste my energy and time pushing dead weight. Granted some people don't want to be pushed, and I've learned to just leave them alone. 2015 I'll be pushing like never before, some people I can't take with me, some will go their own way, some will even try to hold me back. But to the few who have pushed me this far, I'll help you push yours, help me push mine.

Since writing this article, I can't explain how my circle of support has changed. The people that now surround me are strong, motivated, and determined. Never making excuses and never allowing me to make excuses either. I've grown tremendously in my career, I've lost weight, committed to a healthier diet and exercise routine, and just relaunched one of my businesses. It's amazing how we attract people and success into our lives just by our thoughts, words and actions. I feel the love and positive energy around me, and I've grown muscles in areas that I was weak. I thank God that I wrote it down, to read those words, and to see the changes and growth just mid way through the year gives me such hope for my future. It's never too late to PUSH!

Contributed by:
Chaun Archer
Writer, Actress, Entrepreneur

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Enter into The Sanctuary To 
Pray Until Something Happens

Father, thank you for the gift of friendship. Lord, where I have made poor choices with whom I have allowed into my inner circle, help me to reconcile those situations. Guide me with your wisdom. Proverbs 18:24 says, "But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” So Father, where I am lacking true relationship, would you grace me with a deepened friendship anchored in you. Give me courage to step out of my comfort zone and embrace the gift of friendship again. Teach me to "guard my heart” so that I can guard my hearts in friendships. True friendship is a gift from God. So I desire to be wise about who I allow into my inner circle — the circle of friends closest to me. Just as Jesus enjoyed an intimate relationship with Peter, James, and John, I pray to be surrounded by "A friend that loves at all times!" (Proverbs 17:17) and that is willing to walk through the valleys and is overjoyed to experience the mountaintop with me.

I ask that you open my eyes to all my close relationships! Help me to see them clearly, whether good or bad, pleasing or not pleasing to you that may bring glory to you! Surround me Father with those who have an intimate relationship with you so that they see me with your eyes and love me with your heart, as a friend listens not only to our words but also to our heart. I commit Father to returning to the gift of friendship and relationship. We will praise each other when times are good or bad. We will stand together in praise even when we do not understand why we are praising Him. We will pray and praise regardless of what we see in each other lives. We will pray and praise together because we know that with You, whatever is best for us will happen because we both love God and are called according to His purpose. We will have faith even when we do not see the outcome because we know your divine plan will avail. 

I thank you Father in advance for surrounding me with those who love me enough to lay down their lives, as I know there is no greater love. (John 15:13) It is a wondrous blessing that you are now surrounding me with those who are willing to push me through the valley and to the highest mountain because they believe Your promises in my life.