Copy of 115 | Feeling discouraged? Lean into the Light
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[00:00:00] Hey friends. Welcome back to the call to lead podcast. So today's episode is going to be speaking directly to those of you who might be feeling a bit down or discouraged in your business whenever you happen to be listening to this podcast. So I'm kind of placing this right in the midst of sharing my renewal journey with my Seint.
Business. But today's message specifically was pit on my heart. ~Um, ~through my time in the word, like a lot of times it is. And I really feel like it's something that needs to be shared. And it's actually something that I learned early on in my business from someone really special to me. So I can't wait to dive into today's episode and hopefully give you three ways that you can intentionally lean into the light.
If you will, to just put a bomb on any darkness or discouragement that you might be feeling in your business or in your life or the season right now. So let's dive into this episode.
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So, how are you doing over there, friend? 'cause I know if you clicked on this episode and you are feeling [00:02:00] discouraged or just going through a darkness it season, whether that's in your life or in your business. And you're hoping to get a little bit of wisdom on how you can kind of work through that today.
It is my hope and prayer that this episode can be for you. So I'm going to be sharing specifically three ways, three things that you can do to overcome those feelings. And it all kind of starts and goes back to when I attended my very first leadership retreat with Seint. Back in 20, I think it's 2017. It's crazy. And I remember it was like so exciting and surprising to be able to be invited to that very, very simple leadership retreat where not only was, ~uh,~ you know, our, our leadership team there, but I got to meet with some amazing leaders who are still some of my close friends to this day. But one of the most special,~ um, ~memorable moments for me and it was actually on my birthday.
So yeah, all my birthday in 11/11/2017. We had a speaker to [00:03:00] wrap up the weekend and I was really impressed. First of all, that most of the speakers that weekend, weren't like how to sell big and your business or here's how to do. You know, X, Y, Z, which I'm totally like a business gal strategist. But I appreciated that they, instead of doing that, they really focused on ways to bring us together, to learn more about each other and to, to really hear from people who had some really powerful stories that were meant to encourage us to do the hard things that are always going to come in our business. And so we wrapped up with the final speaker. For the weekend and it still to this day is probably one of the most impactful speeches I've ever experienced.
And it was actually our ~amazing~ CEO, Kara. It was her mom, Nancy. That she invited to share. And she's a mama. I think of seven kids. I could get that wrong. Nancy and Cara and whoever else on don't kill me for not knowing exactly, but I think she's got seven kids. So first of all, she's a saint in that regard.
But when I tell you this woman just exudes light and compassion and empathy, and she'd spent the whole weekend serving [00:04:00] us, she'd made us soup and just talk to us and just made us feel so loved. And. And served and even coffee. She helped me make coffee and she doesn't even drink coffee. And just that small act of survival, there were big acts of service. Really, let us all to connect deeper with her.
So by the time she spoke. On what I'm going to talk to you guys about today, which is the power of light specifically. As an alternative to the power of darkness. And the visuals that she shared with us that day were just amazing. And so what she did is she, she basically just to summarize it. She of course did it beautifully, but to summarize it.
She says that the darkness that's out there, whether that's things like, you know, lies from the enemy, whether that's gossip from. You know, a friend that's maybe struggling with discouragement in her own business or a sideline leader, whether that's, ~um,~ you know, negativity about yourself or someone else, or having a victim mentality of feeling like everything's happening to you versus [00:05:00] happening for you.
Because we are promised, you know, in the word that all things happen at happened together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. Romans 8 28 is my life first. And so. When you are stuck in that mindset in France, we all get there. We, I even had, honestly, this morning, I had a little bit of a day or yesterday.
If you're, if you're watching this wondering what this huge blacks. A spot on my noses. I found out that not only was the spot that I was concerned about. Likely, ~um, ~skin cancer just to basal cell, but they also did two other biopsies, ~um,~ on two, ~um,~ different areas of my body for other types of cancer.
And so. You know, when you have those things that happen to you, it can pull you down into a dark place. Right? And so what Nancy shared with us that day is that darkness it's sucks. You in, it pulls to you, it, it calls to you. It's like reaching out for you and it's, and it's, it sucks you in, and even things like gossip, like, you know, that's in the word.
I don't have the exact verse memorized, but it's like, [00:06:00] gossip is like chores choice, morsels. Like, it feels good when you're doing it or when you're bashing yourself or bashing someone else or pointing fingers are pointing blame. And it just, it sucks you in. But really darkness isn't even a thing. It's just the absence of light. And so Nancy's advice to us that day was we have to intentionally seek the light.
You, you can't the light isn't I mean, yes, it's there, but like you have to intentionally go towards it, that little crack, ~um,~ you know, in the doorway that's, that's filled with light. That's actually need to breathe. ~Uh,~ bursts and I didn't even mean for that to be. You don't know me. I love some need to breathe, but that, that if you feel like you're in a wasteland, like he talks about in that song. ~Um, ~it's called rivers in the wasteland. You know, you can see that little crack in the dark filled with light.
Well, my friend, you have to go to that. You have to be intentional about going to the light, to the things that bring you joy to the things that light you up, the things that make you happy, which can feel so, so far away when you're feeling discouraged. [00:07:00] And so one of the things that she did for us that was just incredibly, incredibly special.
And again, if you're listening, you won't be able to see it, but she gave each of us that day, a little satchel. ~Um, ~that she, of course handmade. It's so beautiful if you're, if you're watching this and,~ um, ~she gave one to each one of us and it's honestly still, probably one of my favorite birthday presents I've ever received.
And I've kept it at treasured. It ever since. But inside she had three things. She also shared something you might've even heard before. I think one of the ladies at our conference that honestly I had to turn off cause she was just too much, but anyway, I digress. I think she even talked about this. So it was probably good if you listened to that, but she shared how their family. Did the experiment, the rice experiment, where they, they focused on saying kind words to one jar of rice and saying mean, or hurtful or hateful things to another jar, rice and watched what happened. And she gave us this little tiny picture of what, literally these are their jars.
One molded turned dark and blue. The other one stayed light and [00:08:00] fresh. And she actually said, and I can't remember which of Cara sisters it was, or I don't think it was Cara herself. It was one of her sisters. She said that, ~um, ~the one that was staying white with all the positive things, one day, it kind of started to turn a little dark. And they realized it was because one of the sisters was going over and saying mean things to it.
So, you know, again, this is a science experiment. This is something that, you know, has kind of been proven. And it's something that they, as a family did together. And here's like the visual proof of it. So I love this like tangible, physical example of lightness versus darkness. But one of the other things she gave us in here. Is she had each of us at one point on the weekend, take our fingerprints or a thumb print and put it in some ink. And blot it about, I guess I think there were like 16 of us there.
So like 16 times over and over again on the same piece of paper on top of each other. And we were like, what in the world? And this little, this little piece of paper was meant to reflect this as about 16. Amazing leaders and sellers in the company, which, oh, this is crazy. You guys. I think I actually qualified, not as a leader at that point, but actually qualified as a seller, [00:09:00] which is like, Kind of mind blowing, but anyways, I digress. I'm grateful to be there and have learned the leadership skills that have brought me to, again, the most fulfilling aspect of my business, which is helping other people win.
Instead of just me being the one to benefit from high sales myself. So anyways, I digress this. This little, little thumbprint, you know, wreck. ~Uh, ~represents all of us bringing our unique gifts and skill sets and strengths, the light that isn't us, the things that have been given to us. I believe from the Lord. All together in one little thumbprint and how together we are so much stronger, we're so much saturated and we can essentially be the light together.
So I love this little piece. And then finally she shared this little folded up poem that Cara herself wrote. ~Um, ~when she was a little girl, I don't know how old she was. And, and hopefully, well, I texted Cara to ask permission, but I might ask for forgiveness if she does anything back to me before this, but hopefully she won't mind me reading it. Cause it's amazing.
It's a Cara wrote this beautiful poem when she was a little girl and [00:10:00] I think it will show your heart whether or not, you know, our CEO or you've ever met her. And. You know, sometimes I think it's hard as it is for us in this business. I can't imagine what, how hard it would be for the CEO, for the founder of the owner who handed over her baby to all of us, to be able to benefit from this.
I can't imagine how hard, the hard things we go through, how much they weigh on her. And so I even hope that she can be reminded. I have her own words, her own beautiful words. I'm getting teary. Okay. So it's called the yellow skirt. There once was a town, a cold, dark, miserable town. Where everyone's scowled and everyone frowned and everyone hated the sun was black in the sorry, town. The fences were broken and falling down.
The wind was cold. As the branches brews the bushes, nobody hoped, nobody dreamed, nobody laughed. And nobody loved all in the town. Walked the crooked streaks streets in long dark cloaks heads bowed. And it [00:11:00] was because of their circumstances. They, they could not be happy. But. There was one who wore a yellow skirt. And dance beneath the black sun to her.
The sun was as golden as her long blonde hair. For her, the cold wind was warmed by the sun, as it danced with her down, the winding roads of her town. Her heart was filled with love and laughter and she wanted to be happy. And so she was. And so that's by Carolyn, Brooke, AK Kara, our CEO. And if that isn't just the most beautiful thing that will lighten your day.
I don't, I don't know what it is. And it's such a great reminder. Again, from Nancy at the very beginnings of my career here was saying. Of just the intentionality of being the girl on the yellow skirt. My friends that's that's my first, well, I guess my, my first thing that you can do the first most important step is to seek the light.
So you have to intentionally. Climb out of the darkness [00:12:00] and I've used this analogy before, but it's kind of like crabs in a bucket when people are discouraged. One might try to climb out and intentionally seek the light and the other ones who. You know, are, are wallowing in their own. You know, victim hood, if you will, or trying to like call those down who are trying to seek the light. And it's so hard and we, you know, we have to be careful to give grace for what people are experiencing because you know, It can be scary, right?
Like business and life. It is scary. And things are going to circumstances are going to come your way and, and you have to intentionally look to the things that light you up for me. That's the Lord. Every time I go to his word. I feel encouraged. ~Uh,~ I actually, ~um, ~actually that's the second step is to trust in the Lord.
~Um, ~and I will. Oh, did I miss? Oh no, here it is. Hang on. Let me get to what I read the other day that inspired this, this entire, ~um, ~this entire podcast. But I'm reading in Jeremiah. And it says, but blessed is [00:13:00] the one who trusts in the Lord. Whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes, its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. And it, it keeps going and going. There's so much good stuff, but it actually, before that, it talks literally about the word wastelands, like going back to the need, the Bri song. So good, but that specifically Jeremiah 17, seven through seven and eight. So if you want to, if you want to look that up, but that was kind of one of the things that inspired me and two. For my number one or number two tip, which I honestly could probably be the number 2, 1, 1.
Oh my gosh. You guys are like Heather. Get with it. Trust in the Lord. That's my point is you. I can't do this on your own. That's the one thing that I know is when you look to the Lord to be your light, And you put your trust in your faith, in him that we are not in control [00:14:00] of these things. And again, they're not happening to you.
They're happening for you. And who knows if this hard thing, first of all, that you've been brought here for a reason. That's another scripture. And Esther. Right. But who knows that this couldn't be a turning point for you to intentionally. Face the light to seek the light. And then lastly, my third step is to be the light. So another one of my favorite scriptures, and this is my daughter Lawson.
My 14 year old's life verse is Matthew. ~Um, ~five 16. And I thought I had it marked, but I think that's the one that didn't get marked, but it's, I kind of know it it's you. Oh, it's right here. You are. The light of the world, a town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.
Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house in the same way. Let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven. So I [00:15:00] know that that can be easier said than done when you are in the darkness. Whatever discouragement you're going through in your business, but those three steps. If you focus on number one, seeking the light and finding ways, whether that's reading the word, whether that's reaching out to someone that you admire, or who inspires you, who is themselves being alight or number two, looking to the Lord to be your light. And looking to him for the source, even in the hard things to understand that they are happening for a bigger purpose, that you can understand.
They're not things that you can control and you can trust him to give you the wisdom and the guidance. Actually, this is kind of funny. I reached out to one of my mentors, you know, I just had a little bit of a challenging week if I've, if I'm being honest. And one of the things that she said when I asked her to pray for me, it was funny.
Cause that's well, actually is what I said. And then I responded back. But anyway, I said, please pray that the Lord will continue to give me [00:16:00] a, I think I said, strength, endurance and the wisdom or something like that. And then I realized a couple of days later in voice message her back. And I was like, that is probably the dumbest thing I could ask for you to pray for because that's a given the Lord promises us that he will be our strength that he will carry us through. This, that he will carry that way.
He will give us the courage. He will give us the wisdom. He'll give us the words he always does if we look to him. So instead I said, I think I got that wrong. I would like for you to pray for me to continue to seek him for those things. And so, you know, maybe that's what you need to hear too. And maybe you need someone like your mentor. To speak those words to you.
And, and I can tell you who the best mentor is, is our Lord Jesus, right. And all his words and all his ways, they're all in there. So that's why number two is seeking the. Lord as the source of your light. And then finally, when you have been poured into, in that way, and when you can, even in a hard season, like even in a hard day, like again, I said today, it was kind of our day. For me even, you know, you [00:17:00] can be alight, you ha you can be the girl in the yellow dress.
You can. I know that you can and think of the impact that you can have on others. If you choose. To be intentionally focused on the light and to be a light yourself. So I hope and pray that this helps you whatever season you're in know that I'm praying for you. And know that it is a season. This is something that whatever, you know, this darkness it's, or, you know, the rain or the storm, there's always a rainbow after the storm. And that is God's promise to us.
And so, you know, our, our, ~uh,~ conference in the fall is over the rainbow. And if you're insane, especially just know that there's a beautiful rainbow and. You know, over the rainbow dreams do come true, but you have to look to that. You have to look to the light, seek the light, be the light, my friends.
So thank you guys for watching. Until next week and I love y'all so much. Bye. [00:18:00]
