This is the 4th Blog in the series, “Bringing Joy to the World,” highlighting how Life Model Works has positively impacted individuals, couples, families, churches, communities and the world in 2016!
In 21st century society, things move fast – I can message my friend in Uganda as quickly as if she were living next door, my microwave can cook a bowl of soup in two minutes, a plane can take me across the country in six hours.
But I’ve learned that even in our rapidly moving society, change takes time – there is no workout that can tone my abs in one day, no class that can turn me into a physicist in a week, no computer program that can process all the files on my desk in an afternoon.
You can imagine how intrigued I was when I heard Dr. Jim Wilder share at a Life Model Works event that we could RESET OUR “NORMAL” TO APPRECIATION in 30-45 days, spending only 15 minutes per day on the project.
What?! Reset my normal perspective on life in less than two months? Live in a state of appreciation all day long? I have struggled with a negative attitude for many years, so you can bet that I sat up and took notes!
I applied Dr. Wilder’s instructions to the letter over the next month, spending 15 minutes a day doing just as he’d directed us. The project took concentration, but the work was one of the most enjoyable parts of my day. After a month, I knew my outlook had changed, so I continued with the experiment, but I wondered if the changes would stand up under pressure.
Fast forward a few months to an 8-hour road trip, driving alone through unfamiliar territory to the Life Model Works RARE Leadership event in Raleigh, NC. As I was driving through Charlotte on I-85 in busy traffic, I noticed that my car was slowing down, even as I pressed on the gas pedal. I steered off the interstate onto a grassy area and saw my dashboard light up like a Christmas tree. It was obvious I had a serious problem!
As I navigated through that day, there were a number of obstacles – roadside assistance couldn’t send a tow truck for 2 hours, my car couldn’t be repaired that day, I had the wrong credit card to rent a car, I couldn’t reach my husband on the phone, and I arrived at my destination at 9:30 p.m. rather than mid-afternoon as planned.
However, after I arrived back home from my trip, I realized that my first response to the car trouble was to appreciate that my car broke down close to the grassy area – up ahead was nothing but concrete walls right up to the edge of the road. I had thanked God for my husband who had purchased roadside assistance coverage, for the beautiful weather as I waited 2 hours for the tow truck, for the nice, young tow truck driver, for the delightful conversation with the Uber driver as I went to the airport, and even though there was great frustration over the trouble with car rental, overall, I felt appreciation throughout my day. I stayed relational and acted like the person God created me to be!
WOW! Change has happened!
Special thanks to Amy Brown for sharing her journey with us. Now, Amy is actively helping others on their journey to reset their brain to a new normal as Life Model Works’ Connexus Liaison and City Development Liaison.
Life Model Works brings joy to the world through a model for life that works! This is made possible only possible by generous people support this work financially.
Please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry with a year-end gift so more people can experience joy in the year ahead.
Learn more and DONATE HERE.
