How to Break Free of the Monotony of Everyday Life and Live with Purpose! 

I was recently asked by one of my Go Girl readers to write this topic, and as I studied to prepare, I realized this topic would probably resonate with many of us.  

The Topic?  Being stuck in the depressing monotony of everyday LIFE.  

I have been there.  I have felt so hopeless, bored, and down in the dumps thinking of the routine that is my life… I have lived with dread for the next day being the same ole’ thing until I get called home to Heaven.  L-A-M-E.  Is this all there is to live for?  

I don’t think this is how Jesus wants us to live.  I quote this verse enough for you all to know it by heart, Jeremiah 29:11-13, CEB: “I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the LORD; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope. When you call me and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. When you search for me, yes, search for me with all your heart, you will find me.”

But even knowing this, we sabotage ourselves daily into dreading life, being frustrated with the routines, requirements, and responsibilities we have taken on and carry.

While studying for this post, I came across a super helpful article.  This is not from a Christian site, and I have no idea whether or not the author is a godly man, but his advice is sound and comes from a professional with a background in counseling.  I found it to be solid enough to share with you!

So this post’s remaining portion and ideas are primarily straight from an article by Stuart Rogan: Managing Director of Future Positive Counseling. In addition, I have added some scriptures and Jesus thoughts.  

Life becomes routine, habits overtake our life, and the same behaviors, results, and excuses repeat themselves, and before we know it: life is on autopilot.  Forget living with vision and purpose; we are just drowning in today, right now, this very moment.  

It is such a shame! Jesus has created us for so much more! Rogan lists three things that can easily undermine us:

• Drift: Lack of a clear appealing positive direction to inspire us (Proverbs 29:18 – Where there is no vision, people perish) 
• Habit: Stuck in a rut of old unsatisfying ways of seeing things and doing things (Romans 12:2 
  “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”)
• Busy-ness: Swept along on a tide of ‘priorities’ (often short-term, and focused on reacting, rather than proactively building the future.) (Matthew 6:33 “Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you.”)

All of this can lead us more toward life-living-us than us-living-life. And when that comes to our purpose and calling in God, that’s list DEFINITELY gets in the way!

That place is really easy to get into and pretty hard to get out of, but we CAN do it.  (Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”) 

Here are some powerful insights to help you understand your situation and to build an outstanding and engaging life: 

We have a choice in how we look at life’s obligations, opportunities, challenges, and, indeed its trials and tribulations. How we go in to something has a strong effect on how it goes and where it ends up. 

We can:

1. Fight it: Duck, dive, resist, postpone, procrastinate and make excuses 
2. Do it wearily: Half-heartedly drag ourselves from task to task with much harrumphing 
3. Sleepwalk: Go through the motions 
4. Be a good soldier: Grin, bear it, get it over and done with
5. Engage positively: Bring our ‘A game’, embrace it, bring energy, enthusiasm, focus and commitment, even, where possible, a sense of fun and enjoyment

(I feel like I have done ALL OF THE ABOVE.  I am most known for being a good soldier. 😅😂)

Rogan continues to explain: 

“Connecting and engaging creates an upward spiral: The better the attitude, energy and focus we bring to something, the more enjoyable it will be, the better the outcome, the more recognition we’ll get, and the more of a buzz we’ll get from it to carry into the next thing. 

All the others are stuck-loops or downward spirals. Disengaged and disconnected from our own intrinsic pride and motivation and our abilities to think, act and influence positively, we’ll take longer than we should, get poorer results than we could, attract less praise, more criticism, be involved in more unnecessary conflict and drift toward becoming downbeat, reluctant, cynical and pessimistic.

Succumbing to pressures and frustrations and focusing on problems and negatives also diverts attention away from the positives, causing us to overlook good and valuable stuff under our nose and lead us to take things for granted,including (incredibly) our health, fitness, job, colleagues, friends and even occasionally our loved ones. 

Sometimes we even let ourselves perceive these things as a source of frustration or inconvenience. (And sometimes the more fortunate and secure we are in these things the more complacent and dissatisfied we become with them)! Crazy but true. But we also remember times when some of these things were threatened or lost and how quickly and dramatically our perspective shifted then. Why wait for a crisis to value the good stuff?”  (Hebrews 13:16  MSG“Make sure you don’t take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good” and Colossians 3:23“Whatever work you do, put yourself into it, as those who are serving not merely other people, but the Lord.”)

Suffering is optional… (hear him out, all my dutiful disciples of Jesus who know we are called to suffer…)

Haruki Murakami in his book “What I talk about when I talk about running” quotes a great phrase: “pain is inevitable, suffering is optional”.  

He offers the reminder that in life, as in running, injuries, illness, setbacks, bad weather, poor form, equipment failure, and various assorted other difficulties, losses, blows, inconveniences, and annoyances are all an unavoidable part of the mix. Pain is inevitable. (I might add that suffering for the cause of Christ also counts here.  That is something we must learn to embrace.) 

Our attitude toward it, however, is our choice.

We can do the whole anger and self-pity, look-for-something-to-blame, why-is-it-always-happening-to-me, I’ll-never-be-any-good-at-this, what’s-the-point’ type emotional drama. Or we can skip the tantrum and just get on with doing what we need to do to make it better. Suffering is optional. (See my note below)”.

NOTE: Although we know suffering is part of our lives as Christians, and it is absolutely NOT optional when you put it in this context that the author is trying to explain, it makes total sense.  

How we THINK about life does matter.  How we THINK every single day about all things affects us to the core.  It is ultimately OUR CHOICE to have a better life, outlook, and life of joy.  It is our choice to renew our minds as the Word of God commands, and not without reason. 

I challenge you to study this topic and examine your mindsets and words.  What comes out of your mouth exposes what is in your heart.  I don’t want you to live with heaviness or without joy.  Joy is one of the fruits of the spirit, and to live life without it, well, frankly, totally sucks.  I don’t want that for you. But we have a choice to be that way or to change.  We will have good days and not so good, but any day we can experience the joy of the Lord.  

“I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.” – Psalm 16:8-9

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OTHER RESOURCES & LINKS:  

Destiny Church: Ps Rich Witmer 

Walking In My Destiny 

WATCH HERE: https://subspla.sh/9df7525

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/break-free-from-mundane-build-exceptional-life-stuart-rogan