Hayes was not a typical glamorous Hollywood actress. As a matter of fact, she was once described as “diminutive and homespun” for her modesty and practicality. Her lasting career was anchored in a persevering spirit, who rose above the status quo to build a thriving image for decades while other actresses’ time in the limelight did not otherwise last.

When talking about her mother’s legacy one day, the actress told of a time when her mom spoke of the difference between achievement and success: “Achievement is the knowledge that you have studied and worked hard and done the best that is in you. Success is being praised by others, and that’s nice too, but not as important or satisfying. Always aim for achievement and forget about success.”

Always aim for achievement and forget about success.
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When I came across Hayes’ mother’s quote and her life story, I thought about a similar message I heard as a child. My mom was a woman ahead of her time, who was raised in a community where women were not allowed to pursue their dreams. For that reason, she became determined to bring up children with the very opposite mindset: “You can do anything you set your mind to do.” “Reach for the stars.” Indeed, Sir Edward Young’s quote was implied in every subliminal message I heard as a child:

“Too low they build who build beneath the stars.”

Too low they build who build beneath the stars. ~ Edward Young
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One of the first times I had to exercise determination and perseverance to achieve my goals was while playing volleyball in high school. I was one of those girls who reach their maximum height early in puberty, making me a tall 13-year-old at 5’5”. I had started playing the sport in sixth grade, and by the time my high school freshman year started, I loved playing as an outside hitter. As time went by, however, my small stature did not quite fit the profile of a volleyball hitter. I had to make a choice: either I would change positions on the team, or I would have to overcome my height by improving my vertical jump. That’s when my mother’s words echoed in my heart: “Reach for the stars.”

And reach for the stars I did. Literally. I was the first one on the court each day, doing extra drills to improve my jump and speed. By the end of my sophomore year, I had the highest vertical on the team. I ended my high school career as the starter outside hitter and went on to play in college for a while, until an injury prevented me from remaining on the team.

After listing the amazing accomplishments of great men and women of faith in the Old Testament, the author of Hebrews starts the last chapter of his epistle with the following words:

“And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” In other words, if we are to fulfill our God-given destiny, we must focus on our own race, run it with steadfastness and keep our eyes on God, who helps us overcome our limitations.

I know Helen Hayes’ story did not just ‘happen’ to come across my screen on the first week of 2019. While evaluating the year that ended, I had to confess to God that one of the things that I lacked last year was steadfast focus – that same focus that my 14-year-old self displayed many years ago. I did not focus on how successful or tall some of my teammates were, or the smirks I saw from across the net on the faces of my 6-foot tall opponents. Instead, I focused on my own race, choosing to press on against limitations to achieve my dream.

Helen Hayes heeded her mother’s advice and aimed for achievement rather than success. May her legacy be a reminder to stay focused on our God-given goals this New Year and nothing else. The outcome may not result in being praised by others, but it will certainly please God.

This article was originally published on Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal Constitution on Saturday, January 5, 2019.

Stay focused on our God-given goals this New Year and nothing else. The outcome may not result in being praised by others, but it will certainly please God. #MondayMotivation #Newyear2019
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The post Chasing Success… or Achievement? {The Atlanta Journal Constitution} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

While mentioning the critics of his 10-year program, he challenged them as people “who look with fear and distrust upon planning for the future,” and then proceeded to make an interesting analogy:

“These men who live in the past remind me of a toy I’m sure all of you have seen. The toy is a small wooden bird called the “Floogie Bird.” Around the Floogie Bird’s neck is a label reading: “I fly backwards. I don’t care where I’m going. I just want to see where I’ve been.”

Inevitably, curious that I am, I immediately searched for pictures of this unique toy. Strangely enough, I could not find it anywhere on the web. I wanted to see it because I found the saying odd for a child’s toy. But the illustration certainly gave me pause, particularly that day.

The first two months of 2018 have quickly gone by. Earlier this week, before coming across Truman’s speech, I felt a bit discouraged while realizing that one of the most important tasks that God put in my heart to accomplish this year is already falling behind.

At the end of 2017, I wrote my goals for the New Year, and decided to add a new strategy to keep focused on my objectives and not waste time. I wrote down my main goals, and broke them down in smaller tasks, to be accomplished within a set timeframe.

Now – I know that life happens. When you are a mom of two girls in school age and with no extended family in town to count on for help, their schedule takes precedent over yours. It just happens. Since I work from home, I have been blessed to have flexibility, and because I have committed to keep my priorities in order, failure to manage my time in the past caused ministry work objectives to fall behind. No issue there. However, because of these past failures, I found myself looking back at what has not been accomplished last year and thinking: “There we go again – Nothing will change.”

I believe everyone has some sort of paradigm that they do not wish to repeat, and yet, find themselves naturally drawn to. Nevertheless, whether it is a habit that we need to quit, or a past failure that keeps us bound, at some point in time we must realize that we are the only ones preventing our dreams from coming true by failing to commit to the needed changes.

Floggie bird flew backwards, and as a result, he did not know where he was going. President Truman called 1948 Americans to believe that the future could not be better unless certain changes were implemented.

Throughout Scriptures, God also calls us to learn from our past, turn around, and focus our eyes on him for strength to change those things that keep us anchored to past failures.
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As for me, today I choose to review my objectives, rewrite timelines and move forward, with a heart anchored not in the past, but in the blessed assurance that the one who started a good work in me is faithful to complete it.

This article was originally published on Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal Constitution on Saturday, March 2, 2018.

Look to the past to learn. But #focus on Jesus to #succeed!
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The post Recipe for Failure: Anchoring Your Heart in the Past {The Atlanta Journal Constitution} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Isaiah 26:3

The ballerina’s elegant figure twirled around the stage with incredible ease. The Rio de Janeiro Ballet Company had come to town, and my parents bought tickets to take their aspiring ballerina to watch their performance. As a young girl, I remember watching her in awe, while dreaming of the day when I would be able to have the same technique and grace to become a Prima ballerina.

Oh, the spinning! That was my favorite. To be able to twirl around on my tiptoes for minutes, without losing my balance. That, to my young mind, was the pinnacle of ballet perfection.

And I failed. Every time I tried. I’d spin once around, maybe twice, and then, boom! I’d lose balance and trip or fall.

My French ballet instructor never took the time to teach me the secret of the perfect pirouette. She was too busy helping the girls who ‘had what it takes.’ And I certainly wasn’t on that list.

If I couldn’t master a pirouette, I could not become a ballerina. Thus my dream was shattered.

The Secret

It took me several decades to learn the secret of the technique. It was my older daughter who taught me. She had been taking dance for a while and came home very excited one day, eager to show me how she had mastered the perfect pirouette.

She straightened her posture, started a plié and whoosh! Beaming with pride, she smiled while turning 360 degrees several times before finally losing balance.

“Ooops. I lost my spot, mommy. Let me find a better one.”

Voila! Just like that, a mystery of decades was solved.

I found out that day that the secret of a perfectly balanced ballerina is finding ‘the SPOT’ – a place on stage (or on my living room wall,) at eye level, where the ballerina’s eyes will focus on, every time she makes a full circle. Her body goes around 360 degrees, and as her head turns, her eyes are always looking for the Spot at the end of that quick journey.

When she finds the Spot, she is able to stay balanced.

When she misses it, she loses the trajectory and, at least in the beginning of her journey as a dancer, will invariably fail at delivering perfect pirouettes.

When she misses the spot, her pirouette is less than perfect… which affects her next move, and the next.

The Spot centers her.

The Spot assures her.

The Spot refocuses her.

Wow.

I don’t know about you, but I need that spiritual spot every day.

I wake up in the morning and, after having a cup of (very strong) coffee to ensure my brain awakes (and I feel like a human again,) I usually open my Bible to spend time with the Lord.

Those precious moments are crucial for my day. They often give me direction… center my thoughts on Him… work on my weaknesses and convict me of my sins. I feel encouraged. Loved. And, on certain days, simply overwhelmed by His goodness and grace.

Then I close my Bible and start my activities.

I have a heart full of good intentions and a daily planner filled with appointments and to-do items.

And as the day starts, so does the spinning. And before I know it, while going from activity to activity, I lose my Spot.

And I fall. Or get discouraged… or lose my peace… or, worse yet, forget to feed the Fruit of the Spirit, if you know what I mean (and I know you do.)

I thought this exercise would get easier as time went by and the longer I lived with Jesus.

I thought once my kids were bigger and more independent, I would intuitively be more focused, as well as easily get better organized. But what I am finding out is that, the older they get and the more involved I become in ministry or other activities, the more I need that Spot.

Not just in the morning, no sire!

The morning time with the Lord is great. I wouldn’t change it for anything.

But unless I find the Spot throughout my day… I cannot stay focused, win my battles and overcome my weaknesses.

I need my ‘Jesus Spot’ to avoid losing balance.

Because it’s humanly impossible to stay focused at all times when life happens.

Of course I tremble. Of course I have moments of fear and doubt.  But what I can do is to make Him that Spot on the wall that I purposefully go back to, every time life spins me around.

It’s that Scripture that I placed on my kitchen window… a reminder of a promise that has still not come to pass…

It’s another Scripture on the same window, that reminds me that “the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen me and protect me from the evil one.” (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

It’s that exercise of looking back, realizing that God has never failed me in the many desserts I crossed… As I walked through cancer… financial troubles… loneliness… difficult relationships…

It’s that song that reminds me of who I am in Christ…

It’s that Scripture that just ‘happened’ to be on my reading that day, and knowing that nothing just ‘happens’ in the life of a child of God…

It’s that simple prayer in the midst of my crazy, which refocuses my heart and calms my anxiety…

It’s looking at my to-do list with grace, and forgiving myself for messy countertops and sticky floors…

It’s saying yes to changing my trajectory in order to help someone… or love my children, just because…

Those are some of my ‘Jesus Spots.’ And unless I focus on them in the midst of my busy days and life turmoils, I will certainly fall.

But realize this, my friend: Just as it goes for the ballerina, the Spot is a deliberate pursuit.

You must find yours.

And then embrace the spins of this world, eyes fixed on Jesus at every turn. When you do so, and even though the trickiest twirls of life will certainly scare you, they won’t stop you.

Although you may lose balance for a minute, the Spot will keep you standing… and going.

Mastering life’s dance without falling has one secret: remembering that Jesus is in the room
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Indeed, mastering life’s dance and twirling without falling has one simple secret – and that’s remembering that Jesus is in the room.

The Jesus Spot.

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