Authenticity

MORE About: An Amazing Thing Happens When You Fake Working Out! You Get Remarkably Buff!

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Be a fake with me, friend! Why not? (It’s long-term results we care about!)

man in black tank top wearing white hard hat

Last time, I clearly explained WHY you need to fake working out at the gym.

To summarize THAT excellent article, remember, the main goal is NOT to do a hard workout, but to COME BACK to the gym tomorrow!

And if it takes faking a workout to do this, well, that’s just the way life rolls!

People in 60 countries have read my writing, so be authentic by joining in with what everyone else is doing!

In a future article, I’ll outline 4 “Helpful” tips for HOW exactly to fake your workout!

Wait – I see you asking, “Who would read that stuff?” Well, a lot of others at the gym and who stay home from the gym seem to need this kind of help, I’m guessing, given how many others:

  1. Stay home from the gym when they could be getting stronger! Or,
  2. Lift WAY too much at the gym.

Hey, we’re all (a bit!) messed up! We might as well admit it! Or at least use our neuroses to our advantage, and at least get stronger at the gym!

“But why would we do all the work of pretending to fake a workout?” you ask. Great question! Well, our other options are to:

  1. Not to feel like you have to prove yourself to others,
  2. Not to compare yourself to others, or
  3. Not to care quite so much what others think of you.

But WOW! No Thanks! In my humble experience, those approaches are WAY too expensive in therapy costs and WAY too time-consuming in terms of hours spent in a counselling office!

For those of you annoyingly “healed” ones, here’s a few other quotes to keep you going.

The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that.

The Message

and

Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God . . .

The Message

Sometimes, though, you have to ask, “Why be fixed later, when you can cobble together an approach that works for you to scrape through life now?” At least, that is what I always say! And, “We all simply are who we are!” as all of us know, already!

And so, as we conclude today’s article, Julie Meyer sings, “You made it so simple, God, anyone can do this,” which I am listening to as I write, and I include here below – Oh! And this reminds me!

I almost forgot to mention that healing always comes that way, too, friend, as we make time for the Holy Spirit to do His beautiful work of feeding our souls, which are incessantly hungry for affirmation. We could receive our affirmation from God instead of from people (I.e., He already loves you!).

If remembering God loves us anyway helps us care less about looking like a COMPLETE LOSER (no offence), when we are learning to show up at the gym, well, that’s another approach, too!

I hope this helps you!

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

Thanks for liking me! I like you too! Let’s journey together!

Photo Credit: Is He Faking It Or Not? Who Knows! (My Point!) by Gordon Cowie on Unsplash

Know When To Focus on Flaunting Your Ego!

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Not long ago, I wrote a note about a person who (obviously!) has a LOT of wisdom to teach us!

Then, only TWO (2!) pages later, she wrote this:

I absolutely decline to write my own pitiful life. I have the very appearance of egotism, and I feel almost a disgust of speaking of myself.

Josephine Butler in When Courage Calls by Sarah C. Williams

Wait. Isn’t that what we’re SUPPOSED to do? Write about ourselves / flaunt our egos? Reading stuff from people in other cultures or time periods (Josephine lived from 1828-1906) is confusing!

Anyway, I hope this provides clarity for you!

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

Thanks for liking me! I like you too! Let’s journey together!

Photo Credit: Huh? by Dex Ezekiel on Unsplash

How To Be Exceptional at Mediocrity (Shh . . . It’s A Secret)

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It’s easier than you think to be exceptional, friend!

a man holding a trophy in front of a building

It’s EASY to be exceptional!

Proof:

  • I got a spelling award every week in Grade 3, just by losing a bit of my mental health by staying inside every night studying spelling words, while other kids had fun playing neighborhood games!

Click HERE to continue reading.

People in 58 countries read my writing, so join in with what everyone else is doing! (Wait! I meant “Be Uniquely You!”)

How To Begin The Process Of Finding Joy In Your Heart And Your Best Life In Your Next Season

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Got time to become a little less frantic, spinning, busy (frankly: nuts), friend?

So, I’ve been feeling like I am spinning in ever smaller circles, about to be sucked down the drain of life, lately.

I woke to this startling reality recently in my otherwise perfect life (Of course, my life is perfect! Hello! I write and provide “advice1” online, after all!).

Click HERE to continue reading.

People in over 50 countries read my online writing, so be uniquely you, and why not join in with what everyone else is doing?

4 Unexpected Pieces Of Advice That Will Make You Actually GET To The Gym

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What you do there is overrated, friend!

My gym installed this mat recently.

Yes, this new mat WAS installed soon after I purchased a membership there, but that is OBVIOUSLY a coincidence, okay! I can’t believe you think there’s any relationship between these two dissociated events! Yes, this article is partially about having a big ego, AND about having a big ego at the gym.

Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)

BUT I’m talking about a GOOD, HELPFUL type of huge ego!

YES! It IS the kind of ego that looks down on others, but NOT RIGHT AWAY. So, give me the benefit of the doubt, people!

For those of you who haven’t slammed your laptop closed yet, let’s dive into four helpful tips from today’s article.

But first, here is an astonishing fact:

People, it’s not that hard to go to the gym.

Really. I just went there. It was, like, 20 minutes of work in a half-hour class, and the rest was stretching and stuff.

20 minutes in a day with 1,440 minutes. That’s 0.01% of your day1. Come on, people!

The only reason why going to the gym is so hard is that you do too much!

And why do you do too much? Well, it’s probably because, like me, you’re a smidgen self-conscious2 when you lift tiny weights, and everyone else has medium (or even large) weights. But don’t get rid of that ego, friend! No! Just be like me and use your unhealthy pride to your own advantage!

What do I mean?

The thing with me is that I know that I’m prideful3. And so, then if I can talk about having an exceptional ego, then it doesn’t control me. And I can realize that my big ego is trying to stop me from going to the gym.

And then I can step on that ego and say, “No! You’re not stopping me from going to the gym! I’m going to go even if I look like a complete loser!” And then I can end up going to the gym.

And then I can be more prideful than others because I’m stronger than others after several months, so I’m actually more prideful in the end.

So this is what you should do:

(1) Actually get to the gym. Even if you are still in your pajamas. Good job!

(2) Remember that THE POINT of being at the gym is to look down on others, but LATER! Keep this in the back of your mind! Let your unhealthy ego fuel you into healthy habits!

Stop being prideful NOW so you can be more prideful later when it really matters!

(3) Don’t worry about lifting heavy weights or doing so much when you’re there! That part is overrated anyway, in my experience!

What you DO at the gym doesn’t actually matter!

(4) And don’t worry about looking like an idiot when you’re there! Yes, you’re not going to be very strong. Get over it! Of course, you’re not very strong! People there have done a lot more work than you. It’s like you’re sitting next to a concert pianist, and you’re sitting there next to them, learning the scales on the piano and wondering why you’re not that good.

Well, yes, you’re not that good, but you’ll get better every time you go, right?

And then you may even find a new vision for yourself!

This encouraging quote below is a partial4 fit with the main point of this article today, but that’s all I got.

When pride comes, then comes disgrace

Ancient Text

Remember: Have fun at the gym!5

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!

Photo Credit – You! You MADE IT there! by Eddie Jones on Unsplash

1 I’m even telling the truth here! 20/1,440

2 Also called “prideful”

3 (Yes, okay! In unhealthy ways, too! Fine! I admit it!)

4 You can’t expect EVERYONE to agree with my extraordinarily helpful advice, anyway -And so there may not be quite as many free quotes that AI can find that line up EXACTLY with my main point.

5 (And then keep going back.)

The Best, Free* Way To Be Less of A Jerk? Pretend You’re Someone Else!

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With an uncharacteristic lack of self-knowledge, I suddenly realized I was still in pajamas, curlers in my straight hair, that day as I yelled at my homeschooled kids to get up, get dressed, and get to their work!

The only problem was that I hadn’t done any of those things yet, either.

Click HERE to continue reading.

Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)

4 Fears To Dump In The Trash So You Can Actually Soar (Into Who You Were Made To Be)

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Come over here and be amazing, like me!

person jumping on big rock under gray and white sky during daytime

So it happened again.

I had a moment where I thought, “Wow! EVEN I didn’t know that! I’d better write that down!”

You see, I’ve been attending church for a LONG time, so there isn’t much I don’t already know!

Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)

Actually, the full truth is that there are many things I ONCE knew but then forgot, and had to be taught again, which is slightly different (technically speaking). And in fact, this is where most of my “new” information seems to come from as I’ve gotten a bit older.

For example, when I was a teenager, I proudly announced, “God, I surrender all that I have to You!”

A couple of decades later, I confessed to a mentor that I was having trouble surrendering everything to God. “It’s a lot easier to give God everything when you don’t have anything to give,” was her unperturbed quip. (Her comment was slightly insensitive, don’t you think?)

But she was older than me, so she had a lot more experience with knowing stuff, not applying it, forgetting it, and then trying to relearn it again.

And the same thing happened in church recently. Of course, I know ALL that stuff! But then the speaker that day asked us what it seemed God was nudging us to do, before our immediate response to God of: “Nah!”

That speaker then insulted me by insinuating that fear holds us back from stepping into the adventure Jesus leads us on.

Please! But after I got mad at that speaker, I later realized he was right. (Don’t tell my husband. That’s our most consistent “Marriage Pattern” too, but I prefer not to admit the latter half of that first sentence, so our stable “Power Balance” doesn’t get disrupted.)

The speaker then described the following fears that often hold us back from spiritual authenticity:

1. Fear of Rejection – People may laugh at or ignore me!

Author’s Spiritual Reflection And Wisdom: Ha! I would never be afraid of that! I was voted the best dressed in my red-neck high school, after all! I obviously have style and a certain “coolness” which I take GREAT PAINS and often feel compelled (for some reason?) to humbly hint at when I am with others!

2. Fear of Inadequacy – I might not know enough or be anointed enough!

Author’s Spiritual Reflection And Wisdom: I feel very spiritual and EVEN connected to God in the morning after I pray! However, if my kids or anyone else shows up in my life, then I always seem to be yelling at them against my (spiritual) will! That proves that it’s OTHERS, not ME, that make me behave badly.

I would be a great Christian if it wasn’t for all the people.

Adrian Plass in The Sacred Diary Of Adrian Plass Aged 37 3/4

(Author’s Comment: Exactly!)

3. Fear of Hostility – People could oppose me or harm me!

Author’s Spiritual Reflection And Wisdom: Yes! For example, I didn’t tell you my exact address. (Besides the fact that you don’t care) I heard there was a mean person on the internet once! And also, why DO more Christians feel “called” to Hawaii more often than to the Democratic Republic of Congo? Well, we won’t know the answers to ALL of life’s riddles!

4. Fear of Failure – What if no one responds?

Author’s Spiritual Reflection And Wisdom: Yes! The dreaded fate of not many “Likes” as we project our egos on the internet! Terrifying! Good thing that I know that “I am deeply loved exactly as I am, eternally, by God’s grace.” Actually, I’m trying to relearn (or perhaps to learn?) this truth, which has been helping me recently to drastically cut back on self-medication through excess chocolate consumption at one sitting, but that is another story for another time.

Hey! I can’t share ALL my wisdom at once! As mentioned at the beginning of this article, I’ve been going to church a LONG TIME, so OBVIOUSLY I know a lot of stuff!

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

As the song below asks, “Why are you so afraid to fail?” can you (Just for a moment, and not aloud if that’s impossible) admit to God that fear MAY just be holding you back a teensy bit, too, friend? And then, as she sings, “Why are you so afraid to lose if all the love you ever dreamed of already belongs to you?” what do you sense God whispering to your heart?

Christ has set us free to live a free life

The Message

Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!

Toss Fear In The Garbage! Try Something Scary For 4 Cool, Remarkable* (*Like Me!) Reasons!

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Why not be cool, like me, friend?

man in black and white striped shirt wearing black framed eyeglasses

He’s super annoying because he went wherever God seemed to nudge him, even to the Democratic Republic of Congo (Who goes THERE for a holiday?)! “You did WHAT?” I asked. They spent 20 years helping people through war, genocide and guerrilla takeovers.

Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)

She is like that, too. “You did WHAT?”, I asked. I mean, just because I don’t hug every homeless guy I pass on the street and cry over them, doesn’t mean I’m not a caring person, too!

I mean, I know this stuff! – That we’re supposed to think of others, etc., etc.

Of course, I know that! I’ve sat in the same pew every week for 30 years! I mean, of course, I know what it means to be a real Christian! So when he (the guy in the first paragraph) said the following, of course, I already knew that stuff, too!

He asked us if we sensed that God was perhaps nudging us to do or say something, or to take action (i.e., kindness?) in some way.

“Nah,” I immediately thought.

Then I remembered. In the summer, I sent out this article as I thought perhaps, there was a nudge from Holy Spirit to open a forum so that we (You and I – the reader! Yes! I AM pointing my finger RIGHT through this article at you!) could get to know each other better and maybe share a coffee and some wisdom.1

“And so, if God is nudging you to begin something, why haven’t you done it yet?” was his (annoying) next question.

He said it’s because of fear. The NERVE! Well, we’ll talk about fear next time, because I once struggled with a twinge of fear and learned something to help me overcome it (a bit!), but that’s not for today.2

For today, THE POINT of this article is to announce that we will be hosting prayer times approximately twice monthly to connect and get to know each other.

And then, recently, instead of simply loudly blaring my thoughts to the world like I usually do as I write online, I decided to learn a bit more about YOU, the reader. I wanted to read (some) of your writing, from those of you who write, and (who knew?) you are actually very cool! All of you! It would be great to have tea and to share a prayer.

I hope you can join us.

For more information and to sign up, go HERE.

And who knows, MAYBE I could (?) EVEN learn a thing or two from you, too?

(“Nah,” is my next thought.)

Anyway, why do we toss fear and follow God on our unique adventures, you ask? Oh! That’s easy! Because:

  1. It’s more fun than staying stuck at home, with pillows covering every wall and being afraid to go outside!3
  2. We MAY even get to hang out with some SUPER COOL people!4
  3. It’s what all the cool kids are doing!5
  4. On the other end of the fear, God is there, ready to catch us when we fall.6

God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry . . . There is no room in love for fear.

The Message

As the song below sings, “I’ve been afraid” or “You’re bigger than all my problems,” consider asking God if He may be nudging you to step outside your fear and to take action, too. What do you sense in your heart (JUST before you immediately say, “NAH!”)? Jesus, help us tangibly experience more of Your love, so we can finally step out of fear, we pray.

Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!

Photo Credit – Looks (A Bit) Like Me! (In Coolness, I Mean) by JUSTIN BUISSON on Unsplash

1 NO! I don’t need any wisdom! I’M the one sharing wisdom here, remember? This is a one-way street! And what did you say? Humility is overrated, especially when we’re at church, in my experience!

2 Did you notice that I am doing something SCARY by conquering my fear of rejection and inadequacy (We’ll talk about that another time) by hosting an online group where I MAY (gulp!) even get IGNORED -worst of all fates? Which is basically the same as conquering fear to help people through civil war in the Congo (see first paragraph), but who’s comparing? I hope my life inspires you, too! You’re welcome! Good luck!

3 I would NEVER do that!

4 ME!

5 ME!

6 He’s pretty cool, too!

The Truth About Holy Spirit Attempting To Awaken You To Something More

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Rubbing Your Eyes, Friend?

We are serving up some previously published articles for you to feast on this week, while our family is on spring break.1

Goodbye, winter!

Hello, flowers in Victoria, Canada! Enjoy some of this site’s top articles from around this time last year.2 And may these articles help you stride confidently through life!

(As usual.)

Yeah, so I might have had a slight touch of fear now and then over my lifetime.

Click HERE to continue reading.

Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)

Fix Your Broken Shopping Cart (And Life)! 3 Helpful Reasons Why

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

How much do you also simply tolerate, friend?

a black and white photo of a shopping cart

I was pushing my shopping cart in the grocery store. I was in a hurry (Of course!) and pushing more on one side because the thing kept veering off to one side as I walked, trying to smash into every aisle. “I. Only. Have. To. Get. A. Few. More. Items,” I grunted begrudgingly, pushing hard with both hands on one side of the cart.

I don’t want you to go through life like this. I thought I sensed God whispering in my heart.

Click HERE to continue reading.

Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)