Running makes me sweat!

Today, I was challenged to confess that which impedes my relationships with God as well as my interaction with others.  Then, I am to think about ways I can change or transform this. 

It wasn't difficult to be honest about my impediments, because I have been examining this for some time. My relationship with God is impeded for most of the same reasons as it is with others.  I don't listen.  I am argumentative. I form prejudgements. I fear rejection. I worship being right.

I don't hear what others (including God) are saying to me.  I interrupt like a bad knock-knock joke, "Mooooo".  I form retorts and responses before you've even finished talking.  I assume you are better than me, and therefore I should not give you time to give me a chance.  I like to be right so much, that I look for reasons to prove to you that I'm right, rather than looking for ways to negotiate our relationship in a healthy way.

How is that for some cold hard honesty?  Now what?

The second part of today's challenge:  find ways to change or transform this behavior.

I love lists so...
1.  Actively listen to what other people are saying.  When I catch myself thinking of retorts or responses before you are speaking...stop myself! Ask for you to repeat anything I didn't catch.  Then process the information.
2.  Don't assume other people are better than me.  Give them a chance to get to know me, so I can get to know them.
3.  For practice, find an activity with other women that requires my attendance and contribution at least once a week.

What I learned today is that I try to find reasons not to fit in.  But I know in my heart of hearts that every woman I encounter has something important to share with me, regardless of age, color, socio-economic status, number of children, political status, marital status; physical ability or physical disability or any other personal difference.

Today, I started phase two of my RACE training.  I ran in two minutes bursts with 5 minutes of walking before and after each.  I thought I was going to die.  Then later, while telling my very fit 15 year old daughter about it, I said, "it felt like I ran twice as far". DUH!  I did.  Two weeks of this, and it's on to phase three.

I think I picked my first 5K RACE as the "Future, Former Fat Girl".  I'm going to run at the Turkey Trot in BG over Thanksgiving weekend.

I hope you feel challenged to examine your relationships today.

God Bless!!