21 Day Thriver Series
Thriver Series Week 2 Day 2
Welcome to Week 2, Day 2 of the Thriver Series
Just as a quick reminder before we begin, the Thriver Series is a three week or 21 day workshop that will consist of three interactive workshop articles each week, for a total of nine workshops for the series.
Start date for week three is below:
- Updated: To allow additional time for Thriver Workbook questions/feedback, we moved the start for Thriver Week 3 to 8/27.
See the link below for Thriver Series Overview.
Release to Thrive
Today, I want to talk about Releasing to thrive. Have you been in a holding pattern, an emotional predicament that keeps you stuck or holding on to someone or something that you know you need to release in order to thrive and move forward in your life?
Whether a history relationship, a history hurt, a history decision that turned out to be a mistake, or a major decision or a difficult next step, we’ve all been there. I’ve had the occasion of working with some wonderful people to help them get unstuck by releasing thoughts, opinions and even people that held their future hostage.
Release isn’t always easy. Sometimes, we have to hurt ourselves temporarily to prevent someone from hurting us for a lifetime. There are times when we’ve done all we can do to help, fix or reason with someone, and the only way forward is by releasing them — entrusting them to God, so that we can reclaim our peace and move forward.
When release poses a challenge, a struggle, we can become paralyzed — whether by guilt, fear, or the realization that who we wanted someone to be is not who they can be or who they desire to be. Abuse victims and individuals in an unhealthy relationship can experience Cognitive Dissonance. In an article by Psychology Today, Cognitive Dissonance is described as, “…the state of discomfort felt when two or more modes of thought contradict each other. The clashing thoughts may include ideas, beliefs, or the knowledge that one has behaved in a certain way — [contrary to who we thought they were].” For example, the struggle to make sense out of an intimate partner or family member’s abusive behavior, when the abusive behavior contradicts the behavior of the person you first met or the bond you thought you had, can cause us to be debilitated by Cognitive Dissonance — or emotionally stuck between an uncomfortable truth and a previously held belief that is difficult to imagine being untrue.
As long as you are human, you will have experiences that you will have to activate the thriver in you to release and move forward — sometimes without an apology, sometimes without closure, sometimes without knowing what God is going to do next, and all of the time by faith in the truth. Release always involves trusting the truth, your identity, and your knowledge of the fact that it is not always up to you or within your control. The bible puts it this way, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18). In other words, you can only control what depends on you — your love, your behavior, your actions, your willingness, your effort. You cannot control other people or make people change who they are or change circumstances that are beyond your control. The ability to release, with time and work, acknowledges the truth and protects you from holding on to what’s stopping you or killing you.
Do you remember the story in the Bible (Matthew 26:36-46) about Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane? What’s interesting about this story is that it is analogous to our period of grief that overwhelms and causes us to become stuck, how we thrive in that place and how we release what’s beyond our control to walk in our purpose. There are three principles from this story that will give you profound insight into your garden experience and the release that comes from embracing truth:
- The bible tells us that after Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed for His cup to pass. Jesus’ cup, like our cups, are sometimes beyond our control, and our hope or desire for another way can be contrary to what God planned. When the way that seems impossible, difficult or undesirable is the only way, we can be overwhelmed by grief as Jesus was — to the point that He sweat blood.
- Even in His grief Jesus reminds us that the thriver’s hope, even in prayer, is not our will but God’s will be done: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). Jesus prayed this prayer three times, and each time God was silent. Why would God be silent at a time when Jesus was in agony over His cup, His decision, His next step? Have you ever been stuck or overwhelmed by grief because of a major decision you were confronted with or struggled with, and God was silent? God’s silence in the Garden wasn’t because God was ignoring Jesus but because God knew Jesus had the truth in Him…like we do.
- Jesus was stuck between a rock and hard place. Have you ever thought to yourself what it would be like to be Jesus in that garden? Here is the Word in the flesh, Jesus, praying to God to remove a cup that was preordained, prophesied in the Word for Him to carry (Zechariah 13:7, Isaiah 53:7, Psalm 22:16) — His cup was necessary to fulfill his purpose. Oftentimes when we’re stuck, it’s about purpose or making a decision that fulfills our purpose. God was silent because Jesus didn’t need an answer, Jesus needed to, as we do, remember the truth which contained His purpose. A decision to release is always a purpose driven decision. Our purpose is always found in our truth, our identity, and God’s plans for our life. Some of our greatest struggles, delays, breakdowns and difficulties come from not releasing for our purpose.
After Jesus prayed three times, without a word from God, He came to a place of knowing, believing and accepting what was necessary to fulfill His purpose. Once we surrender our will to our purpose, our destiny, God’s best for us, the thriver in us is activated. Listen to what Jesus said to the disciples after embracing His purpose in the garden: “Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” (Matthew 26:45). Jesus’ grief turned to authority. When we are thriving for our purpose, our divine power replaces grief, indecision, fear and uncertainty. That’s what the bible means when it says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
Listen to Jesus’ response to Judas after Judas kissed Him to betray Him: “Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend” (Matthew 26:50). Jesus called Judas, His betrayer, friend. In other words, Jesus saw Judas for what He was, an usher for His purpose. What the enemy meant for evil, Jesus knew God was going to work it together for His good. Though He would be crucified, He also knew that He would be raised back up again with all power and authority! The bible tells that after Jesus was resurrected, He appeared to the disciples and said: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18).
If you’re in your garden, stuck between a rock and hard place, and the thriver in you is overwhelmed, remember these three things:
- Your garden experience will always be before you fulfill your purpose
- When you embrace the truth, entrust the outcome to God’s will, you will experience a renewing of your strength, conviction and power.
- When the thriver in you is activated, you can release what you cannot control, conquer fears, and accept what you have to do to fulfill your purpose with confidence and authority!
For today’s Thriver Challenge, I want us to rethink what we’re stuck in and evaluate what has to be embraced, entrusted to God and accepted to release it with confidence — to fulfill our God given purpose in life.
Blessings,
Patrick
Missed a Workshop?
To view previous and future Thriver Series Workshops visit the Thriver Series Archives. Click Here to visit Thriver Archives.
Download Thriver Workbooks
For a high impact and hands-on experience to compliment your 21 Day Thriver journey download the 6 Thriver Series workbooks.
week 2 day 2 thriver challenge
Based on Jesus’ experience in the Garden, let’s apply the principles learned to release for our purpose:
Take a sheet of paper, and write down the difficult decision(s) that is causing you grief, causing you to be stuck and that needs to be released to fulfill your purpose. Then, beneath each decision:
- Write down at least one truth that changes the narrative. For example, if you’re struggling with Cognitive Dissonance, a decision to release someone from your life who is no good for your mental/emotional health, or a necessary next step that is undesirable, what is a truth that represents God’s promise and plan for you life in that changes the narrative, i.e.:
- “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28)
- “God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day” (Psalm 46:5)
- “But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).
- Truth changes narratives, renews our mind and empowers us to walk with confidence. For each issue in your garden, write down those things that you will have to entrust to God, leave at the alter, or bring back to the alter, to release it, to move forward, to do what you have to do next.
- Write down at least one action step for each issue in your garden that represents your changed narrative, confidence and trust in God. For example, what will you do with confidence and assurance that God is with you and you will not fail, all things work together for your good, you are more than a conqueror, you are fulfilling your purpose?
Thriver Workbook Participants
Thriver workbook participants, today we’re going to use our Manifestation Journal. For today’s Journal Focus, write down your garden struggle(s), what needs to be released for your purpose. You can also use one journal page for each struggle if more space is needed.
Under your affirmations, write down 2-3 scriptures that change the narrative and gives you a thriver focus, inspiration and encouragement.
For your “Today’s Goals” I want you to cross out “Today’s Goals” and write “Garden Goals.” These goals represent what you will achieve short-/long-term to release it and walk into your purpose. Put dates by each goal. Remember to acknowledge your truth under what you’re Grateful For — i.e. power, protection, covering, God’s will, God’s plan, God’s grace, etc.
You will refer back to and update your garden manifestation worksheet as you achieve each goal. Remember, if you need help to achieve a goal to release, write it down — define the resource/goal dependency and the timeline for connecting with your help.
Work your garden goals, keep your narrative focused on your position and not your condition, and repeat what you are grateful for that empowers you to accomplish your goals to release and walk in your purpose.
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