𝐃𝐨 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐛!

Recently, a few of us were teasing our pastor about how efficiently he uses the “do not disturb” feature on his cell phone. He has it set to turn on at a certain time in the evening and turn off a certain time in the morning. Unless it is an emergency, do not expect to reach him during the hours of “do not disturb”. LOL! I must admit, I admire the discipline and focus he exhibits in guarding the time he has carved out for his family and himself. I find, that it is only when I am mentally and emotionally exhausted that I will turn on “do not disturb” because I know I have nothing left to give at that moment and I just need to rest. Why do we keep going and going without consistently taking the necessary breaks to allow ourselves to recharge our bodies, restore our minds, and replenish our spirits? What mindset do we need to develop to become intentional about being undisturbed?

Being vs. Doing

One of my sister-friends so eloquently shared with me, “We are human beings, not human doers!” This statement may be simple, but it is profound in that it usually does not register with most. Doing is often equated to being productive and constant doing is seen as winning. What I have learned for myself and what I witness in others is that if not careful, in the midst of our doing we minimize the necessity to just “be”. This past week, I had a few days where there was a major disruption to my sleeping pattern. I was like a newborn baby who had their days and nights all mixed up. I am sure during this time I am not the only one who suffers from this. I have a to-do list and schedule that allows me to continuously share daily content. Post-pandemic, my schedule created a specific window of time to ensure that I would post early and consistently. Now that my mornings are thrown off by these new sleep patterns, I may post later than I intend to. Just a reminder, I am a recovering Type-A over-achiever who needed to check off all the boxes by a certain time to feel accomplished.

What this season is teaching me, is the importance of grace. I make every effort to extend to myself daily a heaping portion of grace for when the boxes don’t get checked and when I am untimely with my assignments. It is in these moments that God reminds me to be still and know that He has me. (Psalm 46:10) It is the conversations that I have with my family and friends that remind me to be loved. And with all that is going on in the world, I am reminded to be grateful. Yes, we must get things done, but our doing is most effective and fulfilling when we are being present, prayerful, and purpose-led.

Undisturbed

“If small things have the power to disturb you, then who you think you are is exactly that: small.” (Eckhart Tolle) I endeavor daily to be undisturbed. It is a tremendously tall task not to be bothered, but I believe it’s worth the effort to not allow what is going on around us to be disruptive to our calling. This is not to say that we are unaffected by life because we are. So then, how do we navigate the hurdles of our humanity, in a way that empowers us to get back up and continue our race even when we fall down? What do we do to investigate the internal triggers that cause cruel and combative responses to emanate from our being when confronted by a person or situation? How do we change the narrative that we have created to protect ourselves from what we disagree with and from the conversations and behaviors we find disarming? If we are going to be undisturbed then we will need to challenge what seemingly disturbs us. Anything that interferes with the normal we have created for ourselves can cause disorder and confusion if we allow it. We must develop the willingness to be exposed to and engaged in unfamiliar and unchartered territory that produces the vulnerability necessary for our transformation. Is your need to be right about the way you have been, more important than you being who and what God intended?

I usually will describe myself as an introvert with extravert tendencies. LOL! I prefer being in more than out. I prefer intimate gatherings more than the crowd. I prefer conversations over speeches. I prefer quiet and still over busy and noisy. At the end of the day, for me, do not disturb is an appealing place to exist. Certainly, all that I just listed is not the right way to be, it is just my preference. As I continue to evolve, I realize that being is about preference. And when I refrain from trying to get others to be like me, allowing them to be themselves with love and grace, getting to undisturbed is not only doable but also beneficial. Here’s to being undisturbed!

Until next time… Be empowered!

𝓓𝓜𝓛