Your Life is Your Testimony
Your life is your testimony – it tells people what you believe because you are walking out that belief. If you want to live your best life, then live in a way that testifies to that truth. Each time you take a step into your extraordinary – even the little bits that may not look like all that much – you live your testimony. People are watching. People are talking. Let’s give them something to talk about.
When your life is your testimony the people you encounter will develop a hunger for the hope you live.
Walking Out a Testimony
“You are handling things so well.” Chaos had engulfed nearly every aspect of my life. Nothing had gone the way I had expected. My ten-year plan lay tauntingly at my feet – just another pile of debris to remind me that it was not meant to be.
And yet, my friend who had walked with me the whole time noticed something. “You still have your smile and your humor.”
“I can’t complain. I mean, I can complain but what does that change?” I offered as my only explanation. Long ago, I learned that some things (most things when I’m honest) don’t make sense when I try to figure them out logically. This is not a good Vulcan state (I know it’s a day late and this ISN’T the right one anyway, but it’s my nod 😀 accept it and move on).
Instead of trying to rehash something that has long passed, I let it go. I was an expert at letting it go even before Elsa told me to do it (and the fact that I knew that reference without looking it up should definitely win me some brownie points today).
People are going to do what people are going to do. I can ask. I can beg. Pleading may even be an option, but people are still going to do what people want to do. I don’t have the power to fix them – I’ve tried.
Complaining won’t change it. Rehashing won’t give me a do-over. Worrying about what they will or won’t do won’t make them do right (according to my plan). Instead of wallowing around in what is beyond me, I lean into now.
I become a living testimony for hope because that is my guiding force. Walking out hope, seeking the silver lining, and believing that the best really is yet to come keeps me finding smiles and sharing the humor that everyday life sprinkles around us.
Give Them Something to Talk About
- Smile
- Laugh
- Dance
- Sing
- Praise
- Go
The more I lean into the joy of life, the bolder and stronger I grow. With each step, I become a living testimony for creating a life that you want to live – a life of peace, joy, contentment, comfort, and beyond fear.
Doing the Worry Polka
Nothing stops a joy-filled life quicker than the worry polka. Fueled by what if and should have/could have/would have, the worry polka screams out regrets even before there is something to regret. It draws all the attention to the negatives and leaves no room for hope at the table.
My son went to the National Jamboree – all on his own with nobody from his local troop and with nobody he had known before the trip. The trip would take him farther from home than he had ever been and it would last for almost two weeks.
This happened before cell phones became attached to every ear of every teenager and most adults. He would be without us.
Seven days passed, and my husband started to do his worry dance. I assured him that no news was good news. It did not slow down the What If Polka that he had going through his head.
On day eight, the call came. As soon as I heard my son’s voice, I asked if everything was okay.
“My buddy wanted to come to the phone bank so I thought I’d call while I was here.”
Nothing to worry about – either with the call or without. Worry doesn’t change anything, so why invest in it?
Choosing to Become a Living Testimony of Hope
Being fearless comes from shifting focus. Instead of looking for the problems, look for the joy. When troubles stand at the door knocking, let hope in through the window. Choose to find the silver lining no matter how much the storms batter your boat.
Smile
Smile and share a smile. Not only does smiling make you feel better, but it leaves people around you wondering. And when you leave people wondering, it often will make you smile.
Laugh
Tell a bad dad joke or a truly awful pun. Laughter literally heals the body and it’s also contagious.
Dance
Avoid the worry polka but do dance for joy. Dancing builds strength, coordination, and flexibility. It feeds motivation and drives action. Besides, it’s fun.
Sing
Make a joyful noise – or just sing the wrong words to a song to annoy your teenager.
Praise
Say good things. Speak positive things. Share encouragement.
Go
Do something. Find ways to be relentlessly helpful to all the people you encounter (and that includes the man in the mirror).
Make a joyful noise - or just sing the wrong words to a song to annoy your teenager. Share on XBecoming Your Testimony
You are showing people daily what you believe about your life and about your tomorrow. When you make the choice to be focused on hope, not only do you feed your heart, but walking out your testimony gives wings to the possibilities of all those around you.
Dare to believe and then go and do it.
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