I thought it worthwhile to share a part of my journey of becoming, silently praying that it will be the “push” that someone needs to begin to walk on the tracks of fulfilling destiny. This piece is a preamble, setting the pace for the series of pieces that I will write in this space. Let’s start off with the voices that we hear.
I want to talk about the three voices that we may hear at some point in our lives. Sometimes we hear the voices all in the same season, sometimes we don’t but one thing is certain; we will encounter these voices as we journey through life.
The “Nay voice” is the voice that always says no. This voice never sees any good in any situation. He is always finding reasons why proposed ideas or plans will not work. The Nay voice makes waiting difficult. Have you believed and waited so long for something and suddenly; you realise that …it seems I have stopped believing. Looks like am ready to “drop the ball’. At this point, some questions start to creep into your mind; should I even be doing this? Was I meant to even have such dreams in the first place? What exactly was I thinking, did I really think that I could fulfill this dream?
And then the “justifier” voice comes up and starts a new chain of thoughts. It’s ok, after all you have exceeded every expectation in this area. Oh yes! It’s not a path that is still “virgin” and so…there are not many experiences or resources to tap from when I finally run out of ideas. Let’s call this man Tom.
Tom is the man with the “justifier” voice. He gives reasons for why excuses should exist. He refuses to take responsibility for failure or for actions that will lead to failure. Listening to Tom keeps one “comfortable” yet guilty. He will encourage you to relax and thrive in mediocrity and while you are at it, you find yourself wishing you can do more and be more but of course, the consistent and persistence Tom will kill every move towards progression from this stage.
The next voice one will hear will depend on the individual’s response to Tom. An individual that listens to Tom and keeps listening to him will end up living a life without satisfaction. That is not what you want for yourself. The person that finally “breaks out” of the “Tom circle” and puts in the work needed will eventually fulfill their goals and excel. The golden question is, “How do I break out from the shackles of Tom?”
This piece is my evidence of “breaking out” from the deadly claws of Tom. It’s about me searching, questioning, seeking and digging for answers. It’s about me refusing to give up and live a life of mediocrity. It’s about me taking small steps, big steps, and giant steps towards living the life I was created to live.
And so, with this piece, I make you my accountability partner. I give you the permission to hold me accountable. Ask me those hard questions; Have you shown up today? Whose life have touched today? Have you put in the work today? I have decided to “walk the walk” and live for purpose. I know I was made with a purpose because my Redeemer says so in Jeremiah 1:5a:
“Before I shaped you in the womb,
I knew all about you.
Before you saw the light of day,
I had holy plans for you…”.
Which voice are you deciding to listen to today?
Of course, I will not leave you without spilling the beans on how to break out from the claws of Tom. Look out for the series on this titled; “Breaking out”.