Hello, !

Awhile back, I created a video called “Live Life on Your TERMS” - a title that I knew would have some Christians clutching their pearls and proclaiming, “We should be living for God - not for ourselves!”

Because that sounds selfish - to live life on your terms - with no regard for your neighbor or what God desires.

And in our fear of being accused of being selfish (gasp!),

• We strive harder
• We say yes more
• We give until it hurts

And we don’t stop until exhaustion drops us.

If we own a business, we go farther - we do stuff for free or very little money, because we feel bad about charging money - ignoring the reality that money is a good and necessary part of life.

And if we are in ministry, the confusion is even worse.  Every request, every opportunity, every demand on our time is automatically assumed to be divinely appointed, and if we possibly have the strength or time to squeeze it in - then to say NO would be selfish.

Live Life on Your TERMS is an acronym (and also the core of my coaching model):

T - Own Your TIME

E - Manage Your ENERGY

R - Nurture Your RELATIONSHIPS

M - Make More MONEY

S - Define & Enjoy Great Success

It is not Selfish - it is REALISTIC to acknowledge that we each are given 24 hours every day.

Question is - who gets to decide where those 24 hours go?

Some might say - my boss decides, or my family, society, the church, or even God.

When we believe that, we remove from ourselves the RESPONSIBILITY to Decide.

That’s why I say “owning your time” is not inherently selfish - it is actually the first act of Good Stewardship.

Even Jesus himself, the Son of the Master of Time and Space, displayed this.

He sometimes chose to go to the mountains early to pray.

Other times, he chose to spend his time healing people with his miraculous powers.

But other times, he broke away from the crowds to devote himself to teaching just a handful of disciples.

One time, he even ignored the request of a beloved sick friend - delayed for days - a move that had to seem careless or calloused to others.

But Jesus was giving us the most powerful example - our time is OURS to own.

Only by owning our hours can we step out of the victimhood/scarcity mindset that the world constantly presses on us - 

And then we can use our free will and discernment to choose - 

Where will we invest those 24 precious hours?

• Into the work that we feel God has called us to?
• Into taking care of our body and spirit so that tomorrow we have another strong 24 hours to invest?
• Into nurturing relationships that will bless us and benefit others?
• Into learning the skills of making money that will enable us to provide and expand and even buy back more time?
• Into enjoying the fruits of our labor, or appreciating the joys and pleasures and beauty that surrounds us, if only we slow down enough to find it?

Or, will we keep giving those precious, precious hours to people who don’t believe in us, in causes that don’t truly matter to us, in a desperate attempt to curry favor or avoid the criticism of the generic masses?

Owning our time and taking the responsibility of it - that’s not Selfish.  

That’s the beginning of Good Stewardship.

We don’t know how many days we have (that knowledge belongs to the Master of Time & Space).

But we can be confident that we have been given enough to do what matters most - and that is all that matters.

Question is - do you possess that confidence?

This is the work I do with my 1-1 clients over the course of 12 weeks - 

1. Gain clarity - discover your unique gifts, priorities and values
2. Build confidence - learn to work from your strengths and let go of your doubts so you can break free from the overwork.overthink/overplease temptations.
3. Take consistent action - using your unique gifts to create a business and/or life that benefits you as it blesses others

As 2024 draws to a close - imagine stepping into 2025 with the clarity and confidence to take consistent action and create a life or business that you truly enjoy.

Ready?

Book a Clarity Call here.

Be Loved,