Hey, Gardeners, and hello February! Wow, this year is truly taking off. As I was planning for this month’s post, I had to ask myself: What can you discuss that would encompass what you’re experiencing yet provide some encouragement to the Gardeners? Needless to say, I had nothing. 😂

However, I did notice a pattern that started to emerge for me. I was experiencing a lot of “I’m not interested in that right now” moments, and I decided that might be just what we all need—the reminder that it’s okay to take a beat, not participate when you don’t feel up to it, and most importantly, check your mental bandwidth.

Let’s dive in…

How many of you watch The Office? Those who know me can tell you that it is my favorite comfort show, and I watch it daily. Dwight Schrute is hands down my favorite character, but Andrew “Andy” Bernard, the Nard Dog, always stood out to me. Andy had significant anger issues, and when pushed, that anger broke walls. (Like, he literally punched the wall twice.)

Andy had too many uncontrollables. His life peaked in college; his parents loved his baby brother more than him, and he was not a good salesman. All of these things drove his existence. The need for approval became greater than being present in his current reality. He was in an endless cycle of not being good enough, and there were moments when it boiled over negatively.

I believe we do that from time to time. Sometimes, we fixate on something and make it our primary focus. Having dreams and aspirations is a good thing, but this is not to say ignore your surroundings and sit idly by. Please think of this as a gentle reminder to check your controllables. It is essential to have goals, but you also need God to help you with those goals.

Who or what can I control?

If I do not accomplish this goal by thirty-five does this make my life less important?

Question one: The only person you can control is you. There are minimal amounts of what you can control, but the who is definitely you. I can recommend someone to help you with the other people, though.

God. Yep, He is the only one who can assist you with those you love and those you don’t. He’s a universal hero, just out here saving us all.

I can tell you for sure that the answer to the second question is NO. Society has placed time limits on all of us regardless of location, age, background, and all the societal markers we fill out on paperwork. Time limits are thieves of joy and will run you into the ground if you are not careful.

Check Your Opps!

Yes, you do, in fact, need to check on the opposition because sometimes—you are the opposition.

You read that correctly—sometimes, we work for the enemy. When we feed into the fake deadlines, unrealistic expectations, and abnormalities of today’s world, we can pick up the enemy’s mission of attack and overwhelm.

When we pick up on the feedback loop of “you’re not good enough,” we enhance the loudness of the uncontrollable. We allow those expectations to govern our lives, and that’s not what God wants for us. He wants to govern our lives and our hearts so that we can stay grounded. He wants us to have the bandwidth to not only live life but to live it purposefully through Him.

This is why what we consume is so important. Too much of anything, whether good or bad, can cause problems. During this season, be kind to your whole self—heart, body, and soul. Watch your consumption levels and remember what you can control.

Submit your thoughts to God. He wants you to keep going, and He wants to go with you! That’s the beauty of life with Jesus that keeps me wanting to learn more. The fact that my past is just that—the past—and my future is contending on me following God and allowing Him to do the heavy lifting has genuinely helped me feel lighter. I still have moments where I get weary and a little sad, but even in those moments, just calling on the name of Jesus provides a relief that surpasses all understanding.

Be sure to check your bandwidth, heart, soul, mind, and consumption levels. Most importantly, check IN with God. I hope this helps you win this month and the rest of the year!

Take care,

Tori B. 💕🌻