One of my favorite scriptures states that there is nothing new under the sun. Meaning, life and its issues are revolving. The power of humanity and connection is that at some point and on some level, we can all relate to each other’s issues, problems and circumstances.
This Christmas season, my heart has been a little heavier than usual. As I look over the past twelve months, I have lost three influential mentors in my life. My business has boomed in some areas and floundered in others. I have lost relationships and some have been forever changed. So, at times it can be a little challenging to make merry!
But I realize that despite all I have been through, I must keep growing! The reality is that both giving birth and death are violent business. I speak of birth because for me Christmas is about Jesus. I believe in the miraculous birth of a Savior who came to bring hope, peace and power. But our access to those things came through His willingness to endure death.
As I think about the loved ones who have left my life, it hurts in ways I can barely explain. There is a loneliness that seems inconsolable and I miss them. But alongside the pain of losing, I feel hopeful about what, or who, I can become as I must call on hidden strength to keep living.
This Christmas Season many are celebrating their first holidays after losing a loved one, losing hope or losing a relationship. Today, I would like to encourage you to focus on what you have left. Right now, life may feel hopeless and as if we have lost more than we can bear, but we can thrive in life when we move from scarcity and pain to abundance in our thinking—and in our response to life’s challenges.
We must be intentional about loving what is left in our lives. People are irreplaceable, but we must find the way to keep living even after we’ve lost. We can do that by sharing the lessons they’ve taught us with others. By doing so, we can make a difference and build new connections that make life rich.
I have lost mentors who helped me become a better woman. I owe it to them to be that woman and invest their teaching and my lessons in the lives of others. I have the responsibility of paying it forward. So, that means, I must be that hope, that comfort and that friend.
I encourage those who are struggling to sow a seed of hope and find some small way to honor the loved one you are missing. It could be something as simple as making a dish that reminds you of them, or sharing one of their traditions with someone new. It’s not a cure-all for the pain, but it is a reminder that faith, hope and love endure forever!
Named the “North America’s Next Greatest Speaker” by eWomenNetwork, Coach Felicia is a Certified Empowerment Coach™ who empowers her clients to “Turn their Worth into Wealth” as she partners with them to DISCOVER their WORTH, DO the WORK and DEFINE their WEALTH. Get more insight, download the FREE “8 Choices Winners Must Make” seminar MP3 on her website.