Purpose. Something we all seek, and something we all wrestle with at one time or another (or many times) in our lives. Something God-given and worth protecting. Position. Something we all HAVE, whoever you are or whatever your status. You might be a boss, a parent, a child, a customer, an owner, or something completely different. But the fact remains that we each have a current position in this world. That means, whatever our position, we do our best to guard it, protect it, even inflate it. And this comes at a cost because we are protecting something we simply cannot control. That’s where anxiety lives…but not where we are meant to live.
Today, I have the privilege of talking with Janet Mylin. Artist, boss lady, and one very wise woman. Her story centers around purpose, and she is sharing it with us today!
CLINGING TO PURPOSE OVER POSITION
Janet recalls for us times where she felt that her position was threatened. No matter who the offender was or whether or not it was intentional (children, spouse, friends, etc), she recalls feeling frantic. And as she says, “Anytime you feel frantic, there’s a good chance it’s because you’re feeling insecure.” Uh huh. I feel that. I have a tendency to frantically lash out when I feel insecure and my position is threatened. Especially when it comes to adequacy!
FINDING A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO VALUE TRANSPARENCY
When others can say, “me too,” it creates community. And when others value transparency, it creates community too. We talk about the human need to be seen and heard. That’s something we all want, right? So when you connect with others who see you and hear you, that is a need fulfilled.
FEELING FOOLISH, BUT CHOOSING TO BE BRAVE
“To do brave things, you’re going to look foolish to somebody.” And disappointing others might just be a necessary part of fulfilling your purpose. Whoa. Here, we talk about Jesus, the expectations of others, and what he calls us to instead.
There is soooo much more to this episode, so while I’m glad you’re on this page, you’d be better off just listening to Janet’s wise words yourself! I hope this is inspiring for you–to get off your position and on to your purpose. Because you are enough, I see you, and I hear you.
Thank you so much for taking on this Contentment Series endeavor! Janet, this was very helpful to me. You spoke to several things that I struggle with. I plan to listen to it over and over again. God bless you both! <3 Kara Werner (aka Cairo!)
Yay Kara! I’m so glad to hear that you took something away from this episode. Comments like yours keep me going with this! Blessings to you as well! xoxo, Meagan 🙂