Begin Again

Finding the Strength to Practice Resilience Everyday

When you wake up in the morning - what is your first thought?

Is it positive or negative?

I wish that I could say that every morning when my feet hit the floor that my first thought is always positive. I would be lying if I said that.

Often it is a worrisome thought or an anxious thought about something that is coming up or something that has already happened. It is 98% about either the PAST or the FUTURE.

But do you know what? I don’t live in the past or in the future. I only live in the present.

So do you.

The challenge is that we are usually consumed with either the past or the future, and that is thanks to an unwanted guest.

Let me introduce you to the unwanted guest that often enters my brain and yours - Negativity Bias.

This guest makes us give more energy and attention to negative thoughts or experiences that have a deeper psychological impact on us than positive thoughts or experiences. As Dr. Rick Hansen says, “Our brain has a negativity bias, which makes it like velcro for the bad and teflon for the good.”

I am a child of the 70’s and 80’s and so yes, I love velcro, I grew up with it. I don’t love it though when it comes to the negative narrative that wants to live rent free in my mind, heart and body.

Yes, our body keeps the score.

(Highly recommend the book, The Body Keeps The Score by Bessell Van Der Kolk)

We need a daily RESILIENCE RESET !

Most of us have a hard time allowing ourselves to reset because we are surrounded by things that keep us stuck, isolated and overwhelmed.

Let me ask you some questions for your Soul?

What is keeping you stuck right now in life?

Where do you feel isolated?

What is overwhelming right now in your daily life?

“We were never designed for the SEDENTARY, indoor, socially ISOLATED, fast-food laden, sleep-deprived, FRENZIED pace of modern life.” Steven Ilardi

And now….time for a Visio Divina (a spiritual practice called Divine Image)

(Artwork and Words by Seth Coulter )

Seth Coulter, also known as Saint Brigand (his Artist Name) and his work can be experienced here…. SAINT BRIGAND

Take a moment and just sit with this image - The Lily of the Bird

What do you notice?

What thoughts or words bubble to the surface of your mind and heart?

Being present is one of the best ways to have a RESILIENCE RESET

“Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” - Søren Kierkegaard

We have a natural propensity to worry, it is part of brokenness that is all around us and inside us. The world was made whole and brokenness entered it when people decided they were the ultimate answer to their own problems. We need healing and a restoration. This is what Jesus offers us everyday if we choose it. I need this restoration every day and I bet you do also.

Here are some of Jesus’ words about worry…

“If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.” (Matthew 6.25-26, The Message)

One of my favorite books is Lord of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. In the first volume of this three volume work, The Fellowship of The Ring, a group of 9 make a journey from Rivendell to Mordor to throw the ring in the fires of Mt. Doom.

The other day I saw this funny post on Instagram and it made me think about resilience.

If they would have taken a boat, it would have been a much quicker and easier journey.

They also would not have learned as much about their own courage, strength, bravery and resilience if they had. It was the hard that made it good. It was the challenges and the difficulties that made them appreciate all of sacrifices that got them to where they wanted most, to remake the world again and have restoration.

“Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.” Victor Frankl

The fellowship had meaning and purpose to their journey. We can as well.

What is bringing you meaning and purpose today?

Maybe take some paper out or a journal and make a list of all the things in your life that bring meaning and purpose. Do this daily or weekly for a while and see how many things are bringing you joy and helping you Begin Again with Resilience.

Here are two practices that are helping be have more resilience these days.

• Live at the Pace of Grace

  I am choosing to go slower each day and remove the rush from my day so I can simply be WITH Jesus instead of thinking I need to do things FOR Jesus.

• Cultivate Being Present to the Presence of God I am choosing to live in the present and not live in the past or the future as much as possible. As an Enneagram 7 I am always having FOMO and wanting the next exciting adventure so this practice helps keep me grounded and

  I tell myself “Be Where Your Feet Are”

“Resilience is really a secular word for what religion was trying to say with the word faith. Even Jesus emphasized faith more than love. Without a certain ability to let go, to trust, to allow, we won’t get to any new place. If we stay with order too long and we’re not resilient enough to allow a certain degree of disorder, we don’t get smarter, we just get rigid.” (Richard Rohr)

There is a pattern that we often see in creation, in ourselves, and in the Bible.

ORDER

DISORDER

REORDER

Theologian Walter Brueggemann teaches about this pattern that he sees in Scripture, and especially the Psalms. These are 150 songs/poems that were written by a variety of people experiencing all of the joy, pain, betrayal, delight, anxiety, love, depression, faith and thanksgiving of life. Most all of these psalms have this pattern. Some begin with Disorder and then finish with Reorder. Some have all three elements. The point is that just as there are seasons in nature (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall) we have seasons of our journey towards RESILIENCE.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

2 Corinthians 4:7-9,16-18

In 2020 I ended a career that I had spent almost 30 years in as a Pastor. Those first couple years away from working and serving in a local church were really difficult. I had some trauma and PTSD from what had taken place and I really missed preaching every week and walking with people through difficult circumstances. It took time to heal and I am so thankful for my therapist and my spiritual director.

In 2022 I began a new organization called Kardia Community. “Kardia” is the Greek word for “heart” and our vision is to provide healing and strength for the hearts and minds of people everywhere. I wanted to care for people again and especially care for those that were caring for others - pastors, priests, non-profit leaders, missionaries.

I am a trained Spiritual Director and we offer individual and group Spiritual Direction. These are 1 hour sessions where we do some “holy listening.” Spiritual direction is a conversational and prayerful relationship of seeking God together through the journey of life.

We also offer retreats for churches and groups that intersect Soul Care and Spiritual Formation. We create an open, safe space for people to be authentically themselves and share with others what is going on in their lives. We also learn together different practices that you can take into your everyday lives to thrive and flourish.

In Spiritual Direction we try and defeat the false stories we tell ourselves and others.

What false narratives are you believing about yourself or your circumstances?

If you would like to see more of who we are at Kardia Community, click our site below

Kardia Community

My hope and prayer for you is that you will choose today to Begin Again if you feel like this year hasn’t gotten off to the start that you wanted. I believe you are stronger than you think you are and you can choose to have a RESILIENCE RESET!

Grace and Peace to you

Matt Nash