New Year, New You?
One step at a time. 👠

 

     I have lived long enough to know that new year resolutions usually fall short about three months after they are made. There needs to be bit of “stick to it ness” if we are to be successful with keeping them. Sometimes we require a coach or accountability partner to prod us on to success.

Many times, we set the bar too high, and we give up from frustration and disappointment.

And boy, do we have excuses for why we have failed! A lot of times we don’t even share our goals with others, so that we don’t have to be embarrassed when we don’t make them.

A long, long time ago, my life was one hot mess. I didn’t like who I had become, and I wanted the old Debra back. The one who was full of love, care, sober, and whole lot of other things that I had used to be in my earlier years. My life had run off the rails and I needed to get it back on track.

A tragedy that happened one New Year’s Eve finally got my attention, and I was through with all the madness. I was ready to change.

The changes didn’t happen overnight. There were too many things that needed to be changed! I took one step at a time and started with something that most would think kind of silly.

Cussing. Yep. I could cuss a trucker under the table, and I wanted it to stop! I wanted to talk like a lady again and be respected and known for words of knowledge and encouragement to others and have an appearance of some intelligence.

I prayed to God to help me with the ugliness that would come out of my mouth for any reason. I prayed that He would close my mouth, seal it, when those thoughts would come. Baby steps.

It worked! I remember one day I was driving, holding my beeper (before cell phones) in one hand trying to listen to a message from one of my employees, when a car pulled out in front of me!!! Normally, that would have incited a whole bunch of ugly sentences along with a horn honk and the showing of my number one finger!  BUT NOTHING HAPPENED! My mouth did not open at all! There was no physical reaction as well!  I just kept driving, totally amazed at ANSWERED PRAYERS!!!

God is a BIG God. He knew I had a BUNCH of issues to resolve, but one small thing at a time is how we worked on it.

Over the years that people have been reading my books, I am often asked how I was able to survive and overcome so much. My answer is usually the same, it took readiness and sheer determination to change, one step at a time, and a God who is loving, kind, patient, and who left the ninety-nine to find one.  (Matthew 18:10–14 and Luke 15:3–7)

You can do this! Whatever it is that you want to change. One Step at A Time!

Many New Year Blessings to you all!

Debra Lee, Author/Keynote Speaker

“It Is What It Is…But It Wasn’t A Tragedy” Autobiography | “Making Wise Choices…the most important life skill to master” Bible Study