One of the most effective habits for personal growth I have acquired over the last few years is in every situation, I reflect and think ‘What did I learn from this.’
There is always a lesson in every situation. Not just what was good or not so good, but what did I learn and what was God showing me in this situation?
Now as New Zealand is starting to open up again, we are getting more and more freedoms and opportunities to return to ‘normal’ life. I am reflecting and asking myself some tough questions;
What did I learn over the lockdown?
What will I do differently going forward?
What do I want ‘normal’ life to be?
Here are 3 things I have learnt this lockdown…
Kindness is sometimes keeping your mouth shut. There have been a number of times I have been in discussions with people who have very different view points than me and it can be frustrating. But I have learnt that it is more important to be kind than right. No one has ever changed their mind through an argument but with kindness and gentleness if you are willing to listen, the other person will also be more willing to listen too.
Rest is a necessity not an optional add-on. I started lockdown with a few health issues, due to working too much and not taking care of myself. Lockdown gave me the opportunity to rest and recover and I found time to go for walks as enjoyment, not just trying squeeze exercise into my schedule. Lockdown forced me to slow down and gave me space to think about how I spend my time outside of lockdown. What is important to me? What is God calling me to do? What do I want to do more of and what can I let go off? What activities am I going to continue to do going forward?
Opportunities are everywhere. I have seen God work in lockdown. He is not limited to our physical world and he can still achieve his purposes. I have had great conversations with people all over the world, hearing the amazing things God is doing around the globe. I have personally seen God move in my work and offer me new exciting opportunities. Once I stopped letting myself be frustrated and disappointed about all the things I could not do or afraid of what the future may hold, God presented me with new opportunities. The future might look slightly different, but God will not stopped. It just might not look like it did before or how we expect it to but we do not need to be afraid of the change because God is still in control.
As New Zealand starts to open up, now is the time to reflect back over the last few months and consider these questions..
What did I learn?
What do I want to continue to do going forward?
What am I going to do differently?