” . . . a big part of discerning your next right step is knowing and understanding what you really want to do. Knowing what you want isn’t selfish, it’s actually crucial to making decisions because it builds confidence, hastens healing, and is a gift to the people you love. . . . It helps you choose your absence by saying yes and no to things without all the angst.”- Emily P. Freeman
If the person you are trying so hard not to disappoint will be displeased by a not, they’ll eventually be disappointed even if you say yes.”- Lysa TerKeurst, The Best Yes
Emily P. Freeman concludes Chapter 17 of The Next Right Thing with the fourth thing to look for in a No Mentor.
4. You need someone who respects you but isn’t impressed with you. This one, Emily notes, is a bit tricky. Because you want someone who respects and loves you, but also has your best interests in mind. However, you don’t want a No Mentor who believes you can do no wrong or thinks you’re really cool.
Most noteworthy, Emily explains, we tend to look around and overcommit ourselves. She writes:
“We are kingdom people, and, in a very real way, our time doesn’t belong to us; it belongs to God. The problem is we’ve misunderstood what that means. Instead of being people who look within and discern where he is leading us, we look around and overcommit ourselves. When the whispers of our calling try to speak to us, we don’t have the time or the space to listen. . . . We all need a friend we can trust who is willing to go deep with us, to listen, to offer feedback, and to help us either solve a problem or feel better about the fact that the problem is unsolvable.”
Finally, Emily exhorts that only you carry the vision. You’ll be more content and effective.
Today’s question: What do you find most helpful in discerning your next right step? Please share.
Special note: Since I cover Chapter 18 in the July Short Meditation, I move on to Chapter 19 in the next blog.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Believe the truth about myself”
