Well, here we are! Session #4, our grand finale.
I've loved that you've joined us as we explored just a few chapters of Emily Freeman's superb little book, The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions. If you're like me, sometimes I don't decide to buy a book 'til after I've finished reading it and determined I want it to reside on my rather limited shelf space with my other absolute favorites.
If that's true for you, you can pick up the hardcover or the Kindle edition by clicking on these links. {And yes, I make a small commission if you shop from here. I'm so appreciative.}
If you've missed our other dialogues along the way, here they are:
And if you're yearning for a bit more from Emily, please join me in listening to her Tuesday podcasts. Hearing her kind, winsome voice as she shares her wise heart is such a needed, weekly pic-me-up.
'Til then, let's chat ...
Chapter 18
Don't Give Your Critic Words
'The critic only lives if we let her live. And I don't mean the critic that is helpful and has your best interest at heart. This isn't someone in your co-listening group or one of your No Mentors. I mean the spiteful one, the petty one, the one who said those things way back when. Maybe the one who lives in your own head.'
'We aren't going to change their minds. Instead, let's change ours. Let's stop giving that critic words. Let's stop handing her the mic. Let's take her seat away from the table and put it out in the hall. Our friend Jesus knows what it means to be questioned, challenged, humiliated, and critiqued. Not once ever did he allow a negative critic to change one solitary decision he made on earth. He was about his Father's business, and all was well with him. His face was set like a flint. His soul was always at peace. His countenance remained kind. His choice was always love.'
Chapter 21
Wear Better Pants
'As I moved through the house with a trash bag, tackling the piles and purging clutter, I noticed a shift, ever so slight. My energy and my motivation began to sag. Usually decluttering and straightening give me new energy, so I paused for a moment to consider why my shoulders were dropping, why my eyebrows were furrowed, and why I felt so fussy. When I retraced my steps, I found it. It was the jeans, the favorite ones I'd pulled on from the bottom drawer. They were making it hard for me to breathe. And because I'm always aware of how the outer life affects the inner life, I quickly made the connection between breathing in my soul and breathing in my body.'
'If I'm honest, I struggled about making something as trivial as getting rid of pants that are too tight into a spiritual practice. It felt weird. But then I remembered how life with Christ is about being a whole person, not pieced out into important parts or unimportant parts, seen or unseen, sacred or secular. In this one day I can carry both serious concerns in my soul and a pile of old clothes to the car. Making that pile of clothes was a spiritual practice for me that day, finally taking the time to honestly confront some of the small ways I've been disrespecting myself by keeping clothes that didn't fit.'
As we wrap up this literary journey, I'm curious to learn from your observations, your experiences, your learnings ...
Linda
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