How to Press On and Keep the Faith
Have you ever been tested? You might call it bad luck or Murphy’s Law but when it hits, it can really derail you and your business or career.
Having your laptop crash or your car die can set you back, both in time and money. And yes, can you believe that both happened to me within a week of each other?! My car actually was in the shop twice. Bad gas. Good thing I didn’t have any drums in the car and wasn’t on the way to a class or event. And let’s not forget my husband’s impending layoff in April. No severance package.
Now, many feel that if you become a Christian, that means that bad things will no longer happen to you. Well, actually they do. This is going to get a little spiritual here but stick with me. I firmly believe that if you have something really amazing to offer the world (You may not know it yet but yes, you do!), you will have stumbling blocks thrown in your way. I personally don’t think it’s God. I think it’s a bit of spiritual warfare. It’s almost like a test: “Oh yeah? Let’s see how serious she is about this mission of hers and if she’ll still keep her faith!” If you know the story of Job in the Bible, he had it much worse.
Could you still press on if bad stuff happened?
If you’ve been following me long enough or read my book, you know that some major things have happened that would derail most anyone. I found ways to adapt and keep going.
What prevents me from having a complete meltdown? My faith. I know I’ve been through some major stuff before and I always bounce back. In fact, something really good generally happens after all is said and done. You can’t say you trust God and then panic every time something bad happens.
What also helps:
1) Have a backup device, in the event your computer or your cell phone dies. I have a tablet, which came in handy. If your phone goes, well at least you can contact people via email or Facebook messenger.
2) Car insurance and AAA. I can’t stress this enough.
3) Documentation and an organizational system. You can’t regroup if you don’t know where anything is. If a deal or gig falls through or if something breaks or gets lost or stolen, it pays to know where that receipt, contract, or warranty is.
4) Counting your blessings. Yes, I know I say this a lot and it probably sounds trite but I just found out that yet another friend has cancer. What happened to my car and laptop pale in comparison.
5) Know that God has plans for you. This is not the time to abandon your dream or your mission! You may need to make some adjustments but don’t give up just because of a setback. Your breakthrough might be right around the corner. Get back up and Keep. On. Rockin’!
Ever been through a rough patch? Are you there now? If you need help or would like me to pray for you, just reach out!
Dori Staehle, MBA lives in the Raleigh, NC area and owns Next Stage Drumming. Dori is a motivational and inspirational speaker, author, drum therapist, and percussionist. Her mission is help kids and adults focus, feel better, and find their joy – with drumming! Her energetic and interactive talks and workshops help people reset their personal rhythm and their mindset so they can rock the next stage of their lives.