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Coming Out the Closet!

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I was inspired listening to Judy Goss, founder and CEO of Over 40 Females on a recent TeleSeminar where she chronicled her journey of going from "Foreclosure to Finding Success." Judy literally went from having a budding career as an editor and national TV correspondent for a major magazine to the brink of losing her home after she was laid off and her husband's business went bankrupt.  

Judy referred to this discussion as "Coming out of the Closet." Giving thought to her conversation, I considered how many of us (okay, most) need to come out the closet on things we have been holding onto for days, months and even years. These situations, whether big or small are blocking us from moving forward and elevating our positions. Often our closet situations can be painful and we believe we can cover the pain with a bandage. This is only a temporary relief. When you remove the bandage, the scar remains. In Judy's case, she had one short-term disaster public relations job and a unfulfilling part-time position before she pulled the bandages off and founded Over 40 Females (over40females.com).

We have all gone through painful situations whether financial, loss of a loved one, relationships, careers, business or health. I remember a few years ago walking in downtown Chicago with my cell phone glued to my ear, trying unsuccessfully to get the cell phone provider to restore service when I could not pay the bill on time. The tears that had rolled down my cheeks froze and I felt as if I was the only person walking down the street. I had lost a two-year contract that was my bread and butter after the new president of the organization became increasingly insecure with my presence. With no significant clients to replace the income loss, I had to humble myself (or get over myself)and take a few temporary jobs. One day while on an assignment, a co-worker questioned why I was there. She said, "You remind me of someone that should own the company." Honestly, that was the last day I took an assignment. Someone else saw more in me than I was seeing in myself.

Through faith and prayers, I was able to get over the pain of losing this important contract. I returned to school and obtained my MBA degree, received a more fruitful and rewarding contract, got married to a really great man, and recently released my second book, Dear_____Are You Missing Your Calling?

From this experience, I learned in spite of popular belief, you can go without your cell phone for two weeks, removing the bandages helps the scar to heal faster and we should celebrate our "Coming out of the Closet" experiences. 

Freedom is Good!

Sheila is Chapter Director for Over 40 Females Atlanta, Author, Peer Coach and Entrepreneur http://www.sheilaagnew.com
 

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On Purpose

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On a Southwest airline flight from San Diego last weekend, my husband and I missed the call for the group A seating, which I admit was my fault. He was a bit upset because in order to sit together for this four hour flight, we had seats in the rear of the plane as opposed to our exit row preference for leg comfort.

Before we could settle in our seats comfortably, the man in the window seat immediately started talking to my husband. They had a general conversation as I sat between them.  At first I was annoyed because I had bought a cheap gossip magazine to read, something I have not done in a years.  I did not want to be rude and pop it out while they were conversing. Possibly sensing my feelings, the man started including me in the conversation, asking my thoughts and opinions on their life topics which ranged from our trips out west to work, family and children. When the topic turned to his children, the man suddenly announced with conviction, “You can’t do it without Christ.” His entire facial expression and vocal tone changed. Sensing he was dealing with something very heavy, my husband began to minister to him.

The man kept repeating he could not say what his pain was, but he was experiencing something quite embarrassing. I took my focus off the magazine and candy bar I had in a bag on my lap (I also had not eaten a candy bar in months) as this conversation turned from general to very intense. Both my husband and I have a spirit of discernment and knew we needed to keep talking to the man because his heart was heavy. He began speaking of his divorce and how he felt he was a failure to his family and children even though he had a successful career as an engineer with a major corporation. As my husband continued to engage him in conversation, the flight attendant took our drink orders and his was a beer. Nothing usual about that, many people order alcohol beverages on flights, but this man would not let us go. He needed us on this flight. God needed us to sit next to him.

The man eventually revealed he had been an alcoholic for twenty-five years and decided to make a change in his life. He had researched and enrolled in a rehabilitation program and was going to tell his employer Monday morning that he was taking a month off work and why. He kept repeating he was scared, embarrassed and fearful and we continued to speak words of faith to him. Even more shocking, he disclosed while in San Diego, he had decided to commit suicide and even devised a plan how he was going to go atop one of the tall ships on the harbor, tie his legs at the ankle and jump off, hoping no one would ever find him. Fortunately, he thought about what that would do to his family and abandoned that plan. This man was crying for help!

My husband responded to his cry, as the spirit led him to pull the bible from his briefcase and turn to John chapter 5, also known as The Healing at the Pool.  He read the chapter out loud as the man listened intently. My husband focused on two points, Jesus asked the man who had an infirmity for thirty-eight years, “Do You Want to be Whole (Well)?” and the man at the pool made excuses why he sat by the healing water for years and never got in.

This total stranger, a man we did not know and may never see again became a believer. He thanked us over and over and said it was purposed that we sat next to him. We talked the entire four-hour flight and he and my husband talked an additional twenty minutes in the airport. We pray like the man with the infirmity in the Bible parable that he “picks up his bed and walk.” Indeed, it was “On Purpose” we missed the A group seating. Although I ate the candy bar, I never read the gossip magazine. God had another plan.

Do You Believe?

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Regardless of your age, keep believing there is something more.  Society may tell you different, but you have to drown out the voices of the world if you want to manifest the life you believe you should have.

Once you decide there is something beyond what you can see, create a vision of what you can be, hold on to your vision and believe in yourself. This is your heart calling telling you to pay attention to the life you are living now. As a believer, you will be directed to determine exactly what it is that is prompting you to do and be more.

Don’t allow limitations to stifle you. Your potential is greater than your limitations and your potential has to be revealed in order for you to move forward. You are the fullest expression of who you are meant to be. With God, you are limitless.

Our Season: The Wilderness Experience

Our Season: The Wilderness Experience: Follow @SheilaAgnew If we envision the concept of being trapped in the wilderness, we may see images that are extremely barren, hot and ...

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The Wilderness Experience

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If we envision the concept of being trapped in the wilderness, we may see images that are extremely barren, hot and dry. We become weary and delirious with unfavorable surroundings. There are a variety of circumstances preventing one from escaping, which include lack of communication, resources and no roadmap to lead us to what is promised, A Way Out!

In the movies, there always seem to be a rescue operation leading the person(s) to freedom from the wilderness. In our life situations, we have hope, desire, belief, prayer and our trust in God. These rescue resources are available to us twenty-four hours a day. This vision of hope and faith will lead us from the wilderness to the promise.

We all have wilderness experiences at some point in our lives. These detours can be self, friends, family, health, finances, careers and businesses or just “life” in general.  Depending on the individual, our wilderness experiences can be short term or sometimes even years before we move from situations that cause a crisis in our lives. The most important thing is the action we take that enables us to move through the maze successfully.

Moving to the promise requires that you first recognize that you are in the wilderness. Second, devise a plan of action (how you will get out). Third, begin to move in the direction that will lead you to the promise of freedom from your situation.  The reality is, you cannot move anywhere if you keep taking a standstill position.  Remember when you are in the maze of life; don’t keep the head (God) at the tail of the experience.

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