To understand where you stand today and how you got there, you’ve got to know where you’ve been. In this episode, I catch you up on the last three months; I have been on hiatus for that long. It has been a trying season, and while I am still physically in that space of lesson learning, challenges, mentally, I have departed, which is good.
Our difficulties come to teach and stretch us. I believe they come to push us to increase our capacity for learning more, living more and being more of who God created us to be. This season has delivered well.
Do you work hard to plant and nurture- and forget to pick your fruit?
I have been reciting the scripture “I will bear fruit in each season”, but what’s interesting is how often I have planted, nurtured, and borne fruit but not actually picked it. There is something oddly satisfying about knowing you have potential or opportunity but not utilising it. Sometimes it’s because you feel once it’s used up, you’ll have nothing to look forward to. Does that make sense? I know I have lived that lie. At other times we hold back from picking fruit because the possibility of ownership brings us more satisfaction than the striving to own. So after you have worked hard, you don’t cash that cheque and instead hold on to it- which doesn’t make sense, but we do it. I am reminded of the former baseball player Ricky Henderson who received a signing bonus of $1 million. The accounting office for Oakland Athletics called him as they noticed an inconsistency in their books. The cheque hadn’t been cashed, and when Henderson was asked why, he said he had framed it. He didn’t know he had to actually cash it.
But you see, cheques often have an expiry date. In the UK, it says valid within three months. And if you choose to remain in the place of possibilities, your fruit will die while still hanging on the tree.
New friends, New traits
One of the lessons I have learned this season, while still blowing my mind, is how being in a different circle can expose you to your own character traits. That’s been the case with me. As my network expands, I have seen tendencies about myself that I have been shocked by, and I have had to address them. And this again buttresses my point about how challenges come to teach us- I am learning more about myself and my detrimental tendencies.
Mindset Mentoring update
In other news, my mentoring program is going amazingly well! The programme comprises a mix of live zoom calls, daily thoughts to ponder, activities and in-person meetings with good food (of course!). Here are some of the comments I’ve received so far:
“Thank you, Toks, for sharing real wisdom, and being able to see your vision was such a blessing.”
“I really enjoyed yesterday’s session. I’ve been thinking about it thought out the day learning how to listen to myself and my own voice and trying to realise it’s also part of self-care as well taking time to listen to myself is self-care.”
“I am so hopeful that before the end of this master program we will have more clarity, our mindset would have shifted more (I’m already in a reset mode after yesterday’s session ) and ready to do exploits 🙏🏿💖. I can’t wait for our next session”
If you wanted to join in but missed the opportunity, you can do so next year. Send me a message to let me know. When the books are open again for registration, I’ll alert you. Till next time, remember to live from the inside out!
Resources:
From the Basement Up Podcast: Toks Aruoture- The Baby Cot Shop
Affirmation: Like a tree that bears fruit Jeremiah 17:7-8
Get Unstuck: Mindset Mentoring Programme
Let’s Connect:
Have you subscribed to this podcast? Why don’t you do so on your favourite podcast app? Then head to Youtube.com/toksaruoture to watch and subscribe to my show, Living Inside Out. I would LOVE to connect with you on social; let’s stay in touch at toksauoture.com and hang out on Instagram- @toksaruoture and on Facebook, Living Inside Out.
