Sunday Seven

1. Self-care matters. Last summer I took a deep course on self-care. I incorporated it into my everyday schedule. This week, I practiced quite a bit of self-care. I know that caring for myself is a great idea and it pays off.

2. Marriage matters. It takes a lot of intention. I am a believer that my marriage has a 100% chance to succeed if I do it God's way. Marriage matters and it is worth all the investment.

3. Courage matters. I've had to step out of my comfort zone and do some new things. I recognized that it feels uncomfortable. I also recognized that courage matters. Doing it afraid and facing new situations with all the grit God has given me matters.

4. Friendship matters. My friends have been so kind to me. I have a few folks who make time for me. They listen to me. They make room in their schedule, on a regular day, to communicate with me face-to-face. Those relationships matter and I am incredibly blessed to have them.

5. Self-assurance matters. I define it as "knowing what are the gifts and talents God has given me and being able to verbalize them so the other person knows how I can help them." I had to practice this quite a bit lately. It is always interesting to explain yourself to others. They can read insecurity as well as the opposite. Self-assurance guarantees that the need of the person can be met. You can be the solution to their problem.

6. Listening matters. I stepped out of my own head the other day and I listened to a stranger tell me about his late father. My daughter and I could have said, "we're too busy for chitchat." We decided to listen. We thanked the gentleman for sharing that story and we told him he was blessed to have such an honorable man as a father. Listening matters. We felt that we honored the person and the person who was. Listening is a great way to empathize with the pain that someway will turn into joy.

7. Methods matter. Instead of being overwhelmed about a personal project I have, I decided to be methodical about it. It's a pretty big project and it does require help. Still, my organization method has helped me conquer every little task in my long to-do list. Methods matter. They work if I decide to use them.