How do you react to stress or tense situations? After reacting poorly in a situation do you find yourself saying, ‘That’s not really me’? I have been wanting to write this post for a while but didn’t know quite how to say it. I have always used the analogy that we don’t know what we’re made of until we get squeezed. Much like a tube of toothpaste. The outside of the tube can look very nice with a pretty picture and nice colors. You can almost taste it just by looking at it and using your imagination. But it’s not until you squeeze that little tube and put the paste on the brush and stick it in your mouth that you really know. Well, I think that is us. For the most part (because there are always exceptions) we have a nice looking tube. We take great care in making sure the outside has a nice picture and we would like people to think that we are minty fresh on the inside. However, as often happens, the moment we get squeezed, we, and everyone around us, finds out that we have baking powder toothpaste in us and no one likes it at all, especially us. But time and time again we’ll think and say, I’m sorry that’s not really me. Well I would like you, and I, to know that IT IS! How we react when we are squeezed IS how we really are. It’s the time we’re not being squeezed that isn’t us. This is the epiphany.
What do we do about it? Great question. First of all we must become aware that it’s an INSIDE (core) problem and not an OUTSIDE (aesthetic) issue. So we don’t need to buy nicer clothes or change our hair and makeup. We need to work on the inside with what we put in our mind and how we maintain our internal health. Yes, it’s who we spend time with, what we read, listen to, watch, spend our time consuming with our senses, even thought, and what we eat and how well we exercise. I am right now working on all of this. I believe if I can be more obedient in all of these areas and do it on a regular, ongoing, consistent basis that it will change what I am made of on the inside. Then when, not if, I get squeezed, what comes out will be minty fresh.