How to Start Your Personal Growth

0:49 Why It’s Okay to Be Bad at Something

10:37 The Best Thing to Invest In

18:37 Are You Growing?

Resources

What Your Feelings Are Trying to Tell You

0:54 How to Understand Your Feelings

7:22 What Most People Don’t Realize About Their Feelings with Chip Dodd

35:42 What Emotions Are You Feeling Right Now?

Resources

The Right Way to Build Your Confidence

0:49 What Confidence Actually Looks Like

9:47 How to Be a More Confident Business Owner

26:43 What Does Confidence Mean to You?

Resources

The reality of running a business is that you’re going to run into things you just don’t know how to do. So, today, we’re talking about building confidence. No matter how much we talk about confidence, we always have more to learn. I also get to sit down with Academy member Sarah Lewis to talk about how she can build her confidence in business. Finally, we’ll take some time to journal and reflect.

What Confidence Actually Looks Like

The idea of confidence can be so hard to grasp. Why is that? I’ve been reflecting on this recently, and here’s what I’ve found: Confidence looks like courage, sounds like leadership, and feels like peace.

Confident people seem like they have it all together. But you know what? They don’t have it all figured out, but they do have courage. They’re willing to put themselves out there, willing to fail, and willing to do it scared.

Your confidence doesn't have to come from your situation or your circumstances. It doesn’t even have to come from you. The true source of confidence is in the God that created you to begin with, and that feels like peace.

How to Be a More Confident Business Owner

My good friend and Academy member Sarah Lewis is joining me in the studio today to talk about growing confidence as a business owner. So often, we buy into the lie that we need to be good at everything to be confident, especially in our businesses. But the truth is that you can’t be good at everything. You’re not going to be good at every single thing, and you’re not going to do it all perfectly. I hope you’re encouraged by our conversation and inspired to find confidence in the things you’re good at too.

What Does Confidence Mean to You?

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. — Hebrews 10:35–36 (NIV)

Confidence doesn't come from our circumstances. True confidence comes from who we are in God. And when we remember that, we have every reason in the world to be confident, to be at peace, to have courage, to be bold, to feel secure, and to be comfortable in our own skin. I hope you take some time today to journal and work through these questions:

1. In what areas of your life are you most confident now?
2. What habits help you build your confidence?
3. What Scriptures help you feel confident? What Bible verses do you cling to?
4. What is confidence to you? Define it.

Don’t Let THIS Steal Your Joy

0:53 You’re Unhappy, and THIS Might Be Why

7:19 Is This the Root of Your Anxiety? with Dr. John Delony

36:28 Why You Should Stop Hiding Your Feelings

Resources

Do you ever feel like you can’t celebrate or be sad because you might hurt someone else’s feelings? Maybe you’re sad but you know “someone has it worse,” or you got a promotion, but you don’t want to be too happy because someone out there lost their job. Of course you’ve felt that way. We all have. That’s why we’re talking about how you have permission to feel your feelings. Today, I’m chatting with my good friend and fellow Ramsey Personality Dr. John Delony to dig into this on a deeper level. Then, we’ll finish out with some journal questions.

You’re Unhappy, and THIS Might Be Why

I’ve seen this weird thing going on in our culture. We’ve become so codependent as a culture that we don’t allow anyone to feel anything because it's not something enough. You can't celebrate the blessings in your life for fear of hurting someone else. And by the way, you can’t feel pain either, because you know someone else has it worse.

The truth is, you can honor your feelings and, at the same time, honor the feelings of others. Our tendency to compare our pain is really doing a disservice to everyone. Two things can be true at the same time. You can be happy for someone else and sad for you. You can be happy for yourself and sad for someone else. It doesn't have to be mutually exclusive.

Is This the Root of Your Anxiety? with Dr. John Delony

I’m so excited because my good friend and fellow Ramsey Personality Dr. John Delony is joining us today to talk about:

• Our culture’s addiction to problems
• How comparative grief can destroy our relationships
• The importance of relationships and being present with others

Why You Should Stop Hiding Your Feelings

“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another.” — Romans 12:15­–16 (NIV)

We live in a world that’s so polarizing and where everything’s an extreme. And it becomes really difficult to not only honor where you are in your life and your feelings, but also honor others. You can rejoice with people that are rejoicing—even if you don't feel like rejoicing in your own life. You can mourn with people that are mourning—even if you don't have anything to be sad about yourself. You can honor others' feelings and honor your own at the same time.

So, I want to give you some questions to journal and pray about as you apply this to your life:

1. What’s something you're mourning right now that maybe you've been holding back on because you don't feel like those feelings are valid?
2. What’s something you're so excited about but scared to share?
3. How can you honor your feelings this week and, at the same time, honor others' feelings?

Seven Ways to Stop Feeling Stressed

1:16 Stressed Out All the Time? Do This.

13:16 Why Stress Doesn’t Have to Control Your Life with Rebekah Lyons

34:54 Here’s What the Bible Says About Stress

Resources

Fear, stress and overwhelm are a part of life—especially this year. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to deal with them. Today, we’re going to talk about practical ways you can calm your nerves and stop feeling so stressed. Then, bestselling author Rebekah Lyons joins us to chat about tangible things we can actually do to ease our anxiety. And finally, we’ll close with some journal questions on what the Bible says about stress.

Stressed Out All the Time? Do This.

This year, more than ever, we know that we can't control a lot of things that we want to control. But the good news is, even though you can't totally control all the external stressors in your life, you can still calm your nerves. That’s why I’m going to give you seven ideas to help you relieve your stress, remove your anxiety, and calm yourself down.

Why Stress Doesn’t Have to Control Your Life with Rebekah Lyons

Author Rebekah Lyons joins me to talk about her book Rhythms of Renewal and how to trade stress and anxiety for a life of peace and purpose. We talk about:

• Why you need rhythms in your life
• How to take inventory of your life
• Practical ways to combat stress when you feel trapped in a life that’s overwhelming

Here’s What the Bible Says About Stress

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” — Philippians 4:6–8 (NIV)

Here are some journal questions to think about and pray about as you process these verses and apply them in your life:

• What’s stressing you out?
• Write down a prayer presenting those requests to God.
• What’s true in your life? What’s pure, excellent, praiseworthy or admirable?

The Problem You Don’t Know You Have

0:45 What You Don’t Know Can’t Hurt You

11:17 Let’s Talk About the Enneagram with Ian Cron

36:10 Are You Ready to Be a Better Person?

Resources

So often in our lives, it can be tempting to use our personalities as an excuse for acting a certain way. Did I catch your attention? I hope so, because this is something we are all guilty of. Yep—today on the show, we’re talking about how to know where you need to grow. And then I get to sit down with my good friend and bestselling author Ian Cron to learn about the Enneagram and how you can understand your weaknesses and what you need to work on.

What You Don’t Know Can’t Hurt You

We all have blind spots, don’t we? When we start to look at the blind spots in our lives, we open up so many opportunities for growth. It’s not a fun process, but it’s an opportunity to grow in maturity, wisdom and faith. But we can’t grow and mature if we don’t know the areas where we need to grow and mature. So today, we’re going to talk about three tips that will help you identify your blind spots and areas you need to grow in so you can become the person you were created to be.

Let’s Talk About the Enneagram with Ian Cron

Have you ever thought about your motivations in life? Your motivations are rooted in your personality traits. Ian Cron, bestselling author of the popular Enneagram book The Road Back to You, joins me today to discuss how you can use the Enneagram to identify your blind spots. Ian and I also talk about how important self-awareness is for growth.

Are You Ready to Be a Better Person?

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. — James 1:2–4 (NIV)

When I’ve gone through “wilderness” seasons, I remember feeling like I was far from God and even forgotten by Him. I don't know if you're in a season of feeling like everything is wrong and you're just looking for the emergency exit. If you're feeling like that, I hear you. And I've been there. But I also want to encourage you: Something might be happening right now in the valley that is going to produce fruit in your life. And even though you can’t see it right now, you might be closer to God than you ever imagined—even if it doesn’t feel like it.

So, I want to give you some journal questions to think about and reflect on regardless of what season of life you might be in:

1. What areas of your life do you need to grow in?
2. How does it feel to think about your weaknesses?
3. Now that you’ve identified where you need to grow, what are you going to do about it?

You Need to Change THIS About Yourself

1:03 How to Stop Thinking in Extremes

9:56 Black Lives Matter, Racism, and Our Culture—Let’s Talk About It with Anthony ONeal

37:02 Do You Know Your Blind Spots?

Resources

We live in a society where everyone thinks their opinion and perspective on an issue is the right one. In this episode, we’re going to talk about Black Lives Matter, racism and our culture. My good friend and fellow Ramsey Personality Anthony ONeal joins me to dig into these hard conversations. Then, I’ll give you some questions as you process how to cultivate humility and learn from others who see things differently than you.

How to Stop Thinking in Extremes

We live in a culture of extremes where everything is polarizing. You’re either for something or against it. You’re either pro-this or anti-that. And in these extremes, everyone is shouting how their information, opinion and perspective is right—whether it’s about race, politics, social issues or economic issues.

At the root of this thinking is pride—regardless of where you stand, what you believe, which political party you're affiliated with, what your race is or where you live. That’s why I want to leave you with a challenge that will help you consider the possibility that you might not have all the answers and learn to value people who see things differently than you.

Black Lives Matter, Racism, and Our Culture—Let’s Talk About It with Anthony ONeal

I sit down with my good friend, fellow Ramsey Personality and bestselling author Anthony ONeal to talk about racism and our culture, along with how to:

• Cultivate humility
• Lean into hard conversations
• Become more aware of your blind spots
• Appreciate perspectives different from your own
• Be a voice of unity

Do You Know Your Blind Spots?

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.” —Matthew 7:3–5 (NIV)

Here are some questions to ask yourself as you process these verses:

• What comes to mind when you think about the plank in your own eye?
• What are some questions you can ask to lean into the conversation and learn?
• What’s one practical way you’re going to demonstrate humility this week?

Stop Believing These Lies

0:51 Has Fear and Misinformation Taken Over? Let’s Change That!

12:22 Why It’s Important to Remember What’s True with Ellie Holcomb

29:48 This word is in the Bible over 150 times. (Do you know what it is?)

Resources

In today’s world, it can be so difficult to make decisions because we don’t know what’s true. In this episode, we’ll talk about what keeps us from remembering the truth and how to cut through misinformation and the lies we tell ourselves. I also sit down with Nashville-based singer-songwriter Ellie Holcomb to talk about her new children’s book, Don’t Forget to Remember. Then, I’ll give you some questions as you process this idea of remembering what’s true.

Has Fear and Misinformation Taken Over? Let’s Change That!

When we don’t know what’s true, it can be hard to make the best decisions for ourselves and our families. On top of that, there are many things that can make it difficult to even discern what’s true, like our own fear or the unlimited misinformation we have at our fingertips. Often, we even make up our own false narratives and tell ourselves things like, I’m always going to be a failure. I’m not smart. I’m not going to amount to anything.

Y’all, it’s so important to identify the things that can cloud our judgement and keep us from the truth. Because when we can identify them, we can cut through them and get back to the one source of truth, which is the truth that’s found in God’s Word.

Why It’s Important to Remember What’s True with Ellie Holcomb

I sit down with my friend and Nashville-based singer-songwriter Ellie Holcomb to talk about her new children’s book, Don’t Forget to Remember. As a mom, there are many things that you have to remind your kids to do, like wash your hands and be kind. But it’s also important to remind our kids (and ourselves!) the truth that we’re loved by a God who made us on purpose for a purpose.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why it’s important to remember what’s true
• How to cut through misinformation and the lies we tell ourselves
• How to anchor ourselves to one source of truth

This word is in the Bible over 150 times. (Do you know what it is?)

“Remember the Lord your God . . .” This is in Deuteronomy again and again. If God says something over and over again, it’s probably because He knows we’re going to forget. The truth is, the real root of what’s going on when I’m scared and worried is that I’ve forgotten that God is good and faithful and loves me.

Here are some questions to ask yourself as you process the importance of remembering the Lord your God:

• What are times when God has been faithful in the past?
• What are truths you can build your life on?
• Where do you need God to be faithful?

How to Live the Life You Want

0:42 Are You Chasing the Wrong Goals in Your Life?

9:34 Stop Focusing on Things That Don’t Matter

36:22 Can You Answer This Difficult Question? 

Resources

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Is the life you’re living the life you actually want? Have you ever taken the time to stop and just reflect on your life? If not, it’s time to figure out what you want and set goals to get there. I had the opportunity to sit down with longtime Academy member Pam Hook to talk about the goals she has for her life and business. Here’s a hint: One always affects the other. Then, we’ll grab a pen and some paper to journal through what this looks like in our own lives and businesses.

Are You Chasing the Wrong Goals in Your Life?

One of the most common questions I get is about goal setting: How do I know what goals to set?

We get ideas in our head about how we want to grow or what we want to learn, so we set a goal. But here's the problem: It might be a goal that’s great for someone else, but it doesn't mean it's the right goal for you.

If you want to know where to get direction for your goals, you need to start by answering one simple question: What do you want?

Your answer to this question will determine your goals. When you start to visualize where you want to be and what you want your life to look like, that informs the goals you set to get there.

Here’s the truth: If you don’t define your finish line, you’ll never cross it. If you don’t take the time to set goals for your life, you’ll end up living your entire life pursuing someone else’s version of success.

Stop Focusing on Things That Don’t Matter

I’m so excited because Pam Hook, one of our longtime Business Boutique Academy members, is joining me on the show today to talk about goal setting. Pam and I got to sit knee to knee and dig into her goals. At the end of the session, Pam was able to go home with more clarity on the next right steps for her life and her small business. Here are a few takeaways that might resonate with you too:

• Your business goals and spiritual goals aren’t separate goals. One always affects the other.
• You can do anything, but you can’t do everything.
• You have to say no to some things in order to say yes to the right things.

Can You Answer This Difficult Question?

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. —Psalm 37:4 (ESV)

What's so beautiful about this verse is that it reminds us that as we seek Him, get to know Him, and lean into Him, He will show us what the desires of our hearts are. He will open your eyes to things you didn't even know you wanted, to goals you didn't even consider, and to dreams that never crossed your mind before. He will do that because He loves you, and He has good plans for you.

As we look to God, seek Him, and stay connected to Him, He shows us more of who we are and who He called us to be. He shows us the life He created us to live and the plans that He has for us.

Remember: It's not on your shoulders to have it all figured out.

Take some time to write down your answers to these questions as you process and put this into practice:

1. How do you feel about what you want?
2. Is it hard or easy to answer the question: What do you want?
3. How does it feel to consider that God cares about what you want?

What do you want? Write down the things that come to mind, the dreams that swell up in your heart, and the ideas in your head.

The Secret to Success Isn’t What You Think

0:56 You Need This When Life Knocks You Down.

12:38 How to Become Unstoppable with Bethany Hamilton

33:55 Feel Like Giving Up? Start Here.

Resources

Christy's 5-Day Confidence Boost
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Today, we’re talking about the secret to success, and I guarantee you, it's not what you think. And then I get to sit down and have an awesome conversation with the amazing Bethany Hamilton. You've probably heard of her—she’s a professional surfer, inspirational speaker, author, mom and wife. Her incredible story will inspire you. Then, I’ll take you through some journal questions on the idea of perseverance when you feel like giving up.

You Need This When Life Knocks You Down.

When it comes to reaching goals, pushing past limits, and trying new things, we often look to successful people to give us a formula we can follow. But so often, we’re looking to the wrong things. We think it’s their financial status, the relationships they have, the connections they make, what family they were born into, or even how they’re uniquely wired.

And while some of that may be true, those are not the true indicators of success. It comes down to one word. Are you ready for it? Perseverance. It’s about pushing through and being willing to try again. And again. And again. It's persistence and never giving up.

When we fail or fall down, it hurts. It bruises our ego and wounds our hope for the future. And that voice in our head starts to get really loud: Never again. I'm not going to do that again. I'm not going to risk that again. I'm not going to put myself out there like that again. See, that's proof. I never should’ve done that. See, that was dangerous. See, I wasn't cut out for that. See, I told you.

We look at our failures and mistakes, and we use them as proof of why we never should’ve done the thing to begin with.

I had a speaking event where I absolutely bombed—like, I wanted to disappear behind the podium. I cried the entire drive back to Nashville and told myself, Never again. I'll never speak again. I'll never walk on a stage. I'll never put myself out there like that to be embarrassed or humiliated again. Never again. But I did. And I'm so glad I did, because the number one reason I've been able to do anything I do is because I was willing to try again.

It’s all about perseverance. Just simply getting back up, dusting yourself off, and being willing to show up again and hold your head high—even when you're embarrassed.

How to Become Unstoppable with Bethany Hamilton

Y’all, Bethany Hamilton joined me today to talk about becoming unstoppable. Bethany is a professional surfer, wife, mom, author and inspirational speaker. You may remember her story from the movie Unstoppable. Bethany had to learn how to persevere through the unimaginable. I know her story will inspire you to keep going and approach life with gratitude. Here are some highlights from our conversation:

• Developing confidence through challenges
• Getting back on the surfboard after her shark attack
• Thinking outside the box of what we think is possible
• Approaching life with gratitude and maximizing the life you have
• Setting boundaries that will help you love the life you live

Feel Like Giving Up? Start Here.

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. — Romans 5:3–4 (NIV)

Perseverance is not just a leadership quality. It’s a biblical truth. And perseverance isn't just a quality that some people are born with. It's not just a leadership trait. It's a choice when you face obstacles. When you go through hard times, or when you experience heartbreak or tragedy, you have a choice of how you respond.

You could have a million excuses (many of which would be valid), or you could be grateful—you could persevere. You could find a way to get up and try again. You have no idea how that one action, decision or choice in how you respond to your suffering can change the trajectory of your life and the lives around you. Imagine the people you could influence and inspire because you chose to persevere through your suffering.

Perseverance produces character. I want character, don't you? Character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint. We’re called to be hopeful. This is what God created us to do, and who He created us to be.

I would love for you to pause, pray and reflect as you journal through these questions:

1. When you face a really hard time, setback, failure or mistake, how do you normally respond?
2. What are you afraid off when it comes to trying again?
3. What small action can you take to do it scared?

What to Do When Your Heart Is Broken

0:51 Do This When You Feel Hopeless

12:59 How to Overcome Loss with Jonathan Pitts

35:17 Remember This When Life Is Hard . . .

Resources

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On today’s show, we’re talking about trusting God . . . even when your heart has been broken. Then, my friend Jonathan Pitts is joining us to talk about his story of faith. He’s the executive pastor of Church of the City here in Nashville, and I know you’re going to be unbelievably encouraged by his story. Finally, we’ll spend some time journaling through what it looks like to have peace that passes all understanding. Let’s go!

Do This When You Feel Hopeless 

We’ve all had disappointments in our lives. I’ve had my heart broken in many different ways. I’ve been in the hospital with my 3-year-old as he was hooked up to all these monitors to see if he was going to be okay. And he was. But at that moment I was terrified. I've lost family members. I've had family members and close friends go through tragedies in their life. I’ve also gone through seasons of darkness and wilderness where I felt like God didn't see me and didn't remember me and wondered if He was mad at me.

Have you felt like that? Have you gone through disappointments or heartbreaks or tragedies? The kind where all you can think in those moments (even if you’ve had a lifetime of faith) is, God, where are you? Do you even see me? Do you even hear me? Do you know what I'm going through?

We look to our heartbreak and draw conclusions about the character of God. But when you look at Scripture, God never said it would be easy. There’s example after example of disappointment, trials, valleys, temptations and seasons of darkness. It’s full of people feeling lost and scared and forgotten. It's full of those moments when we feel like He doesn't see us, or that He's left us or abandoned us. Or maybe it’s that He's just not good.

But you know what? Scripture also reminds us that even though we’ll go through those seasons, God is with us. Even though we’ll go through darkness, God is good. And even though we’ll go through seasons where we’re full of fear and anxiety of the unknown and experience heartbreak, disappointment and tragedy, He sees us, He's with us, and He’s still good.

How to Overcome Loss with Jonathan Pitts

I’m so excited to be sitting down with Jonathan Pitts today. He’s the executive pastor of Church of the City in Nashville, co-author of Emptied: Experiencing the Fullness of a Poured-Out Marriage, and President of For Girls Like You. Jonathan had to learn how to trust God after losing his wife Wynter Pitts. His story of faith despite the hardest circumstances really moved me, and I know it will move you too. Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

• Centering yourself on the present—especially when your heart is broken
• Choosing a posture of gratitude, even in hard times
• Knowing who you are and whose you are
• Having hope despite life’s disappointments
• Believing that God works all things out for good

Remember This When Life Is Hard . . . 

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” — John 16:33 (NIV)

There are so many things in life that we want but can’t necessarily have. We can’t have control or every desire fulfilled. We can’t always have our plans work out exactly as we want them to. Things aren’t always going to be easy. But what Jesus reminds us again and again is that we can have peace that passes all understanding despite our circumstances, our heartbreak and our tragedy. Remember: This world is not our home. We will have trouble, but God is still good—He is with us and He is for us.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself as you process what it means to have faith—even in your heartbreak.

1. Think back on some past times when you’ve been disappointed and remember where God showed up. Write down specific examples of how God carried you during those difficult times.
2. How did you change as a result of that suffering, tragedy, disappointment or heartbreak? What changed in you?
3. How did going through that actually strengthen your faith?
4. Where do you need God to show up right now?

Is Life Balance Impossible? Here’s the Truth.

0:48 Why Your Life Never Feels Balanced

10:10 What’s Important in Your Life? with Elisabeth Hasselbeck

35:35 What Does Life Balance Mean to You?

Resources

Christy's 25 Ways to Protect Your Time Tool
One of the ways you can achieve life balance is by learning to say no. The truth is, your time is limited, and by the way, it’s yours. You don’t just have the right to say no—you have the responsibility to say no. If you don’t protect your time, no one else will. Download my free tool, 25 Ways to Protect Your Time, to learn how to say no with confidence. https://bit.ly/2Cdb9Ld

Is life balance possible? What does life balance even mean? Here’s a hint: It’s not about doing everything for an equal amount of time. In this episode, we’ll cover what life balance really is and how to achieve it. Plus, I sit down with Elisabeth Hasselbeck to talk about what life balance looks like in different seasons. Then we’ll spend some time journaling about how to balance your life in your current season.

Why Your Life Never Feels Balanced

I think we have a lot of really mixed up ideas about what life balance is. A lot of people think that life balance is doing everything for an equal amount of time—where work takes 50% of your time and home life is the other 50%. But that’s not balance. Life balance is about doing the right thing at the right time and being 100% present where you are.

And it’s also something you have to define for yourself. Your version of life balance is the only version that matters because it’s your life. It doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. At the end of the day, what’s most important is that you are spending your one life on what's most important to you. When you do that, you are creating and achieving your own version of life balance.

What’s Important in Your Life? with Elisabeth Hasselbeck

Elisabeth Hasselbeck has such a cool story. She’s been a cast member on Survivor. She’s been a host on The View and Fox & Friends. She’s a New York Times bestselling author. She’s CBO (Chief Breakfast Officer) for her kids. And she has a lot of amazing wisdom on how to achieve life balance.

In this episode, we’ll talk about:

• Navigating life balance in different seasons
• Finding purpose and passion in everyday tasks
• Slowing down and focusing on the present
• Choosing peace over balance

What Does Life Balance Mean to You?

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.  — Colossians 3:23 (NIV)

I’ve been through so many seasons in life that didn’t feel balanced or purposeful. I’m willing to bet you’ve been there too. In hindsight, I can see a lot of things that God was doing. But in other seasons, I’m still not sure what the why was. All I know is this: It’s up to you to treat your season as if it has purpose. Work at it with all your heart as if you are working for the Lord and not for men.

Use these journal questions to think about how this applies to your life:

1. What season are you in right now?
2. What are some ways you can work through this season as if you're working for the Lord and not for others?
3. What are some ways you can create a sense of balance, even if your world feels out of balance right now?

How to Get More Energy (Hint: It’s Not More Coffee!)

0:54 Five Ways to Boost Your Energy Right Now

12:48 Managing Energy vs. Time: Which Is better?

22:44 This Is Too Much to Handle Alone

Resources

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We’ve been talking about the outer layer of the Core of Confidence and how to value your resources—your time, money and energy. In this episode, we’re focusing on how to manage your energy. To start, I’ll give you five specific things you can do right now to boost your energy. Spoiler: Drinking more coffee isn’t one of them. I’ll also unpack an article that talks about how managing your energy might be even more important than managing your time. Then we’ll spend some time journaling about how to keep going when you feel exhausted.

5 Ways to Boost Your Energy Right Now

A lot of people waste their energy by focusing on the things that don't matter, and then they don't have energy left over for the things that do. I'm not just talking about time or money or your attention. I'm also talking about effort and enthusiasm. Let’s be honest: Coffee can only do so much.

The reality is that our energy is finite—at some point, it’s going to run out. That's why I want to give you five specific things you can do this week to not only manage your energy, but also boost it.

Managing Energy vs. Time: Which Is better?

I want to highlight an article I read the other day by the Harvard Business Review called “Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time.” Specifically, I want to talk about where it says that energy can be “systematically expanded and regularly renewed by establishing specific rituals—behaviors that are intentionally practiced and precisely scheduled, with the goal of making them unconscious and automatic as quickly as possible.”

This is fascinating to me, and what's so amazing is that I found this article after I started my own rituals. See, you already have enough to worry about in a given day, am I right? Your brain is already working hard to keep up with your work, your business, your goals, your relationships and your to-do list. That takes energy!

That’s why it’s so important to do things that create structure. Go to bed early. Wake up early. And stop giving your brain more than it needs to work on. You’ll have more peace and freedom by creating rituals that give you real results in your life and with your energy.

This Is Too Much to Handle Alone

I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. — Philippians 4:13 (NLT)

The truth is, we can do things to boost our energy. We can do things that give us real results in our life. But we're still going to go through times that are hard. I’ve been through them, and I’m sure you have too. When we're in those seasons—or even when we're in really good times—it’s important to remember that the number one source of strength and renewal of our energy is God.

Here are a few journal questions to help you process this:

1. What feels too big for you to handle right now?
2. How have you been trying to get through that?
3. How have you experienced God’s strength in you in the past?
4. How do you need God to show up and strengthen you right now?

What You Know About Money Is Wrong

0:57 Not Living the Life You Want? Change This Habit.

12:18 Most Americans Are Now Doing This. Are You?

21:51 Are You Stressed About Money? Let’s Change That.

Resources

Ramsey+ Free Trial
Never worry about money again! When you have the right plan, tools and teaching, you can be confident you’re always doing the right thing with your money. Ramsey+ gives you all that—the plan, the tools and teaching—in one all-access membership. Sign up for a free trial of Ramsey+ today!

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We’re continuing to talk through the outer layer of the Core of Confidence: Valuing Your Resources. And as you know, our resources include time, money and even energy. We’re going to do a deep dive into the topic of managing our money in ways that bring glory to God. We’re also going to dig into current events and highlight some good news that came out of this pandemic. Finally, we’ll spend some time journaling on what this looks like for you. Let’s go!

Not Living the Life You Want? Change This Habit.

Y’all, I’ve made some massive mistakes with money.

Growing up, I never really heard the word no very often. But that led to some problems when I got older. I didn’t understand that you had to make choices with your money, live within your means, use a budget, and save for things you really want.

For years, I chose to live a life of barely getting by and putting most of my paychecks toward debt and payments. I called my mom often, asking her to put money in my bank account because I couldn’t make it to my next payday. But one day when I was around 24 years old, I had to call my mom again to ask her to put money in my bank account.

I was so fed up. I knew I couldn't live like this. I knew that I wanted nothing more in my life than the dignity of paying for my own lifestyle, my own expenses and my own bills.

That day, something in me changed. I decided I was going to work really, really hard to get out of debt. So, I tackled it like you tackle anything—one tiny step at a time. And exactly one week before I got engaged to my husband, Matt, I became debt-free. I made that final payment.

I won’t ever forget how it felt to feel that freedom. I won’t ever forget how it felt to know that when I got paid on Friday, I was going to actually get to keep my money. I won’t forget how it felt to go into my engagement completely debt-free. But I also will never forget the shame and the fear that haunted me every single payday.

We’ve all bought into this lie that this is just how it is. But I want to tell you that there’s a different way to live life. You don't have to struggle with your money forever. You don't have to barely get by. You don't have to feel fear when you check the mailbox.

But in order for that to happen, you have to decide that you're going to do something different. You have to have that moment that I had and say, Never again. I'm not going to live like this anymore. I'm not going to depend on credit cards. I'm not going to be sinking in debt up to my eyeballs. Never again.

Today, you have to think long term, not short term. Make the decision to change your life. When you do, you won’t just change your life—you’ll change your entire family tree.

I know you can do it, and I can't wait to watch you win.

Most Americans Are Now Doing This. Are You?

In America, people are stockpiling their cash and savings rates are going up.

I think we can all come to the conclusion that this is happening because of the pandemic and the current state of the economy. This is a really important topic in light of what we're talking about when it comes to managing your money.

See, we've had this wake-up call during the pandemic like nothing we've ever experienced in our generation. These wake-up calls give us an opportunity to do something different. And until you have a reason to do something different, you’re not going to change. You're just going to keep getting by.

And one of the things that the pandemic created in our world is a new perspective. It created an opportunity for you to think about how you manage your money. Let it be a wake-up call to actually save some money in an emergency fund. That way, the next time something like this happens, there will be a cushion between you and rock bottom.

Are You Stressed About Money? Let’s Change That.

“In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.” Proverbs 21:20 (NIV)

“The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets.” Proverbs 21:20 (TLB)

It’s really tempting to just spend whatever you make or whatever’s in your bank account. If you've got it, you can spend it. I love how these verses shine a light on this. The wise man or woman has stores of food and oil. The wise man or woman saves and has a cushion—some extra stored away for a rainy day. There’s wisdom in saving and being prepared.

I want to be wise. I know you do too. So, I want to give you some questions to put this into practice. Process these questions and let them sink into your spirit. You can have actual change in your life, in your habits, and in your bank accounts.

1. What were you taught about money growing up?
2. How do you feel about it? Write down your feelings around money.
3. What stresses you out about money? Let's get really specific here.
4. What would it take for you to make a change?

You Need to Avoid These Time Traps

0:47 Most People Do This 100 Times a Day. Do You? 

13:30 Overwhelmed by Your To-Do List? Watch This. 

31:41 Do You Feel Guilty About How You Spend Your Time? 

Resources

25 Ways to Protect Your Time

If you don’t protect what matters to you, no one else will. That’s why I created a list of 25 ways to protect your time—so you can say no without causing any hurt feelings. The next time a friend or family member asks you to add something to your already full plate, you can politely pass with confidence. Download the guide now for free!

Today on the show, we’re working through the outer layer of the Core of Confidence, talking about what it looks like to value our resources by focusing on time management—the thing we all struggle with every single day of our lives. Then one of our longtime Academy members, Misty McCraw, joins me for a live coaching session on what it looks like to manage our time by deciding what’s most important. Finally, we’ll dive in and spend some time journaling on what this looks like for you. Let’s go!

Most People Do This 100 Times a Day. Do You?

We constantly think that we just need more time. But you know what? That's actually not the problem. The problem is not the amount of time that we have. The problem is how we use it. We all have the exact same number of hours in a day, so we can't get more time. But what we can do is change how we use the time that we have. So where are you spending your time?

Here are my top three time wasters:

• People pleasing
• Being the hero
• Checking out

Spending our one life on what we care about sounds so simple doesn’t it? But it’s so hard to do because of these time traps. We end up spending all of our time over here when what we actually care about is over there. There’s a gap between what we care about and what we actually spend our life on.

My challenge for you is to look at your life through the lens of priorities. It's not about doing everything for an equal amount of time. Life balance is about doing the right things at the right time. What matters is that you spend your one life on what's most important to you.

Overwhelmed by Your To-Do List? Live Coaching with Misty McCraw

We’re doing something brand new: Misty McCraw (a longtime Academy member) joins me in the studio today for live coaching! Misty shares some of her biggest struggles when it comes to time management. I coach her as we sort through her priorities together and find out what it looks like to be successful when it comes to managing the endless to-do list.

Do You Feel Guilty About How You Spend Your Time?

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” — 2 Corinthians 9:7–8 (NIV)

This verse usually refers to giving with tithes and offerings. But I think it’s also a great reminder when it comes to how we use our time. We should spend our time on things that are important to us—on things that God has placed in front of us—and not out of guilt or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Your life is made up of how you spend your time. I think it's important to God that we are good stewards with the time He has given us. Write down your answers to these questions:

1. What steals your time the most?
2. Where do you feel guilt or resentment around how you spend your time?
3. What are your top priorities? What's most important to you? You only get to pick a couple.
4. Does your calendar reflect what you just wrote down as your most important priorities?
5. What changes do you sense that God might be asking you to make when it comes to how you spend your time?

Need More Time, Money and Energy? Here’s the Solution.

0:44 Three Things You Need to Value More

12:00 The Secret to Protecting Your Time with Michael Hyatt

28:29 Are You Wasting Your Resources?

Resources

25 Ways to Protect Your Time

If you don’t protect what matters to you, no one else will. That’s why I created a list of 25 ways to protect your time—so you can say no without causing any hurt feelings. The next time a friend or family member asks you to add something to your already full plate, you can politely pass with confidence. Download the guide now for free!

As we continue to work through the outer layer of the Core of Confidence, we’re diving into what it looks like to value our resources—our time, money and energy. Bestselling author and productivity expert Michael Hyatt joins me to discuss what it actually looks like to manage your resources, like your calendar and productivity. Then, we’re going to process it all through a few journal questions about becoming better stewards of our time, money and energy. Let’s dive in!

Three Things You Need to Value More

Here’s what I’ve noticed: There’s a major difference in my life when I value something and when I don’t. One of the most limited resources we have is our time, but it’s often the thing we value the least, treating it like it’s limitless.

God calls us to be good stewards of our time, money and energy. But when it comes to actually doing that, we feel anxious, stressed and frustrated. There’s a disconnect between what you care about and what your life actually reflects.

Life balance isn't about doing everything for an equal amount of time. It's about doing the right things at the right time and living from your values. It's about spending your one life on what you actually care about.

When you’re living from your values, you’ll be less stressed and more confident. Why? Because you’re choosing to be intentional with what God has given you. And as you learn to value your resources and strengthen that muscle overtime, you’ll look up and realize you not only like yourself, but you also actually like the life that you’re living.

The Secret to Protecting Your Time with Michael Hyatt

Today, I’m chatting with bestselling author Michael Hyatt. Michael is brilliant when it comes to time management and productivity, so we’re unpacking what it looks like to value your resources—especially your time. Here are some key points from our conversation:

• Debunking the “hustle fallacy”
• The possibility of winning at home and work
• Finding success in time management
• Giving yourself permission to be present
• Being generous with your resources without burning out

Are You Wasting Your Resources?

Our Scripture of the week comes from Matthew 25:14–30 called The Parable of the Talents.

We have an opportunity and a responsibility to be faithful with what we've been given and to be wise stewards of our money, time and what we put our energy, efforts and talents into. Think about what this means in your life, both spiritually and practically, and write down your answers to these questions:

1. Which do you tend to do more? Do you tend to be overly generous, or maybe even wasteful with your resources, where you just kind of spend it without thinking? Or do you tend to hold your resources with closed fists?
2. Where do you sense God is trying to help you grow when it comes to your resources?
3. Write down a prayer asking God to show you how he wants you to spend your resources: your time, money, energy, focus and effort.

The Number One Rule of Relationships

0:48 The Quality of Your Life Depends on This One Thing

13:33 Here’s the Real Problem With Your Relationships with Les Parrott

37:44 Are You Getting This Right?

Resources

Business Boutique Conference
The Business Boutique Conference is ON! Join Christy in Nashville on October 22-24 to learn how to launch and grow your own business. You'll be joined by rockstar speakers and other women just like you who are ready to use their God-given gifts to make money doing what they love. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT.

Christy's 5-Day Confidence Boost
Sign up for Christy's free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you!

Today, we're continuing our journey through the Core of Confidence and talking about honoring our relationships as we work on ourselves from the inside out. Then, my good friend and bestselling author Les Parrott sits down with me to talk about healthy relationships and principles from his new book (that I’m absolutely loving!). Later on, we’ll unpack the Golden Rule and how we can incorporate that into our relationships. Let’s jump in!

The Quality of Your Life Depends on This One Thing

Relationships make up every aspect of our lives. But the reality is, life is messy and people are imperfect. So, when it comes to honoring the relationships in your life, how do you speak the truth and be loving instead of harsh?

Here’s a rule of thumb I like to use in my relationships: the Golden Rule. Treat others as you would want to be treated. It's so simple, right? But it's so hard to do because you can't control how someone treats you. What you can control is how you treat them. You can do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

To break it down even further, here are three really simple and tactical things you can do to put the Golden Rule into practice when it comes to your relationships:

1. Appreciate everything.
2. Believe the best.
3. Communicate everything.

Here’s the Real Problem With Your Relationships with Les Parrott

Today on the show, I’m chatting with my good friend and bestselling author Les Parrott. Les just published a new book called Healthy Me, Healthy Us. I’m loving it, and I know you will too. Les and I talked about his new book and what it looks like to honor your relationships. Here are a few highlights:

• Our relationships can only be as healthy as we are.
• Every one of us has a choice to change.
• Instead of finding the right person, we need to focus on becoming the right person.
• We have to overcome the “disease to please.”
• It’s essential that we learn to live with empathy.

Are You Getting This Right?

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” — Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

We've been talking a lot about honoring your relationships. We know we can't control other people, but we can control ourselves. So, I want to ask you a few questions to help you put this into practice:

1. When is it really hard for you to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you?”
2. What type of person do you want to be? What are the characteristics that you want to display? Write down five.
3. How can you practice those qualities (even when it's hard)? Write down some different things that are going to help you actually live that out.
4. What are some ways you see God shaping you?

Most Women Hate This…

0:46 Stop Being Mean to This Friend

13:03 One Thing You Need to Stop Obsessing About with Lisa Bevere

37:02 The Gift You’re Missing Out On...

Resources

Business Boutique Conference
The Business Boutique Conference is ON! Join Christy in Nashville on October 22-24 to learn how to launch and grow your own business. You'll be joined by rockstar speakers and other women just like you who are ready to use their God-given gifts to make money doing what they love. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT.

Christy's 5-Day Confidence Boost
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Welcome to The Christy Wright Show! Today, we’re going to jump into talking about how you can appreciate your body—this one body you’ve been given. I know this is a topic that starts to make all of us feel pretty uncomfortable, but y’all, it’s that important. Lisa Bevere is joining me today to unpack what it looks like to really like and appreciate the body you’ve been given.

Stop Being Mean to This Friend

We all have this negative voice in our heads that tell us we’re not enough . . . not pretty enough, not skinny enough, not young enough, and the list goes on. And we always think, “If I looked like that, I wouldn’t have these thoughts.” But it doesn’t matter what you look like, because no one is exempt from it.

The way you talk to yourself affects your sense of confidence and joy. It affects who you are and what you do in this life more than you can possibly imagine. It affects the example you set for your children, friends and even your coworkers. So, it’s time to change the narrative. It’s time to start appreciating this one body God gave you to live in.

Scripture says your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). Your body was created by God, and I guarantee you that He doesn’t make mistakes. I believe that He loves your body. He even likes it. And He probably wants you to love it and like it as well. Think about it: Would you ever treat your friend how you’re treating yourself? It's time you actually become friends with your body, appreciate it, and celebrate it.  

So, if you're going to build confidence in yourself and the God who created you—if you're going to get back to yourself and live this amazing life that God has for you—you have to start appreciating this one body you've been given.

One Thing You Need to Stop Obsessing About with Lisa Bevere

I’m so excited to hang out with Lisa Bevere today as we talk about what it looks like to appreciate your body. Lisa is the bestselling author of several books, and she just recently published a new women’s devotional called Strong. Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

• The myth women believe about their bodies
• How easily the number on the scale can become an idol
• Why you should appreciate your body right now
• How to steward your body and your health . . . without obsessing over them

The Gift You’re Missing Out On…

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” —1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (NIV)

You are not your own. You were bought at a price. I love this idea of a different layer of responsibility, not only because it obviously affects how we think about ourselves and our sense of confidence, but it's also a command from God who loves us very much. He knows what's best for us. He knows what we need. He knows what we were created for. So He gives us commands and instructions in His words. And one of the commands is to honor God with your body. Today, I want you to be really honest with yourself as you write down the answers to these questions:

• How do you normally think about your body? How do you normally talk to it?
• Would you ever talk to someone you love like that?
• What do you appreciate about your body? (Make a list and write down every single thing.)
• What are some practical ways you can honor God with your body?

The Lies You’re Believing (And Don’t Even Realize)

0:56 Are Your Thoughts Beating You Up? Let’s Change That.

16:35 The Shocking Truth About 80% of Your Thoughts with Jennie Allen

37:05 How You Can Stop Your Toxic Thoughts

Resources

Business Boutique Conference
The Business Boutique Conference is ON! Join Christy in Nashville on October 22-24 to learn how to launch and grow your own business. You'll be joined by rockstar speakers and other women just like you who are ready to use their God-given gifts to make money doing what they love. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT.

Christy's 5-Day Confidence Boost
Sign up for Christy's free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you!

Welcome to The Christy Wright Show!

We're continuing to work through The Core of Confidence as we learn what it looks like to work on ourselves from the inside out. And today, we’re taking a deep dive into what it looks like to protect your mind by learning how to control your thoughts. Jennie Allen, my good friend and bestselling author, joins us to chat about her new book and the topic of taking every thought captive. Then, we’ll journal together, digging a little deeper into what protecting your mind actually looks like for you. Let’s go!

Are Your Thoughts Beating You Up? Let’s Change That.

We all have stories and narratives that play in the background of our minds all day, every day. Some of them are true, but many of them are not. And you know, it doesn’t really matter what is true if you don’t believe it, because what you believe is what you experience—whether it’s true or not. The stories you believe and the thoughts that you accept and hold matter. The stories you believe in and the thoughts you have . . . they shape your behavior. They shape your reality. And they make up your life.

God has a lot to say about our thoughts—what we think about and what we set our minds on.

Romans 12:2 (NIV) says: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Isn't that what we all want—God's will? What is God’s plans for us? What is God's direction?

The Bible says you’ll find it when you renew your mind. That means it's possible to renew your mind. It's possible to have new thoughts. It's possible to retrain your brain to find the truth in the lies and to break through the stories and limitations that have been holding you back. It's possible. It wouldn't say it if it wasn't possible. And that, my friend, is good news for me and you.

The Shocking Truth About 80% of Your Thoughts with Jennie Allen

I’m so excited to chat with Jennie Allen, my good friend and bestselling author. Jennie just launched her new book called Get Out of Your Head. Join us as we work through what it looks like to protect our thoughts by taking every thought captive. We cover:

• Having control over your thoughts
• Who is most susceptible to toxic thoughts
• The three main lies we believe
• What it looks like to take every thought captive

How You Can Stop Your Toxic Thoughts

Our Scripture of the week is 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV): “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

I don’t know about you, but that can sound overwhelming. But I love what Jennie Allen taught us—take just one thought captive. The idea that you have a choice, and that you don’t have to be a victim of that thought or live in that lie. You get to choose what you think. You get to actually control and protect your mind. So, today, I want you to take this opportunity to ask God to reveal to you what you’ve been believing that isn’t true.

So, press pause and write down your answers to these questions as you ask God to show you the lies you might have been believing:

• What type of thoughts tend to dominate your mind? What are the things you think about again and again?
• Create a persona for the voice in your head and describe it. What type of personality does that voice have? What type of tone does it have? How does it treat you?
• How do you feel when you start thinking about taking every thought captive?
• What are some practical ways you can control your thoughts instead of letting them control you?

Feeling Overwhelmed? Start Here.

1:14 Do You Feel Like You’ve Lost Control of Your Life? Here’s What Needs to Change.

9:32 Why You Should Make Faith a Priority in Your Life with Annie F. Downs

33:00 Are You Tired of Trying to Fix Everything in Your Life? Do This.

Resources

Business Boutique Conference
The Business Boutique Conference is ON! Join Christy in Nashville on October 22-24 to learn how to launch and grow your own business. You'll be joined by rockstar speakers and other women just like you who are ready to use their God-given gifts to make money doing what they love. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT.

Christy's 5-Day Confidence Boost
Sign up for Christy's free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you!

Welcome to The Christy Wright Show! In each episode, I’m going to give you everything you need to help you break through limitations that are holding you back and keeping you stuck. You never know, you might just surprise yourself as you see what new possibilities open for you.

In episode one, we talked about The Core of Confidence framework and what it looks like to work on yourself from the inside out. This week, we’re talking about starting where it all begins: your spirit.

Everything starts and ends with God. To work on yourself from the inside out, you have to start with the deepest, most important part of you: your spirit. Today, we’re talking about what it looks like to make faith your foundation. Join me and Annie F. Downs as we talk about what it looks like to live that out. Then, I’ll give you some questions so you can process how you can live out your faith in your own life.

Do You Feel Like You’ve Lost Control of Your Life? Here’s What Needs to Change.

Everything starts and ends with God. He’s who we live for. And our faith is what we live from.

In Matthew 22:37–40 (NIV), Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

To work from the inside out, you have to start with the deepest, most important part of you, which is your foundation of faith. It's not just a piece of the pie. It's not a label we give ourselves like wife, mother, leader, author . . . and it’s certainly not created equal with everything else.

Instead, your faith should be the filter that you put everything else through. It should be the source of your energy, your direction and your decisions. You were created and designed for your relationship with God to be the very foundation you build your life on. Everything starts there.

Why You Should Make Faith a Priority in Your Life with Annie F. Downs

Today, I’m sitting down with my good friend, bestselling author, and brilliant Bible teacher Annie F. Downs. Annie and I are talking about what it looks like to build a foundation of faith in our lives, including:

• Making faith the source of your life, not just a piece
• Learning the difference between running ahead of God and going with God
• Seeking God first above all else
• Building spiritual disciplines

Are You Tired of Trying to Fix Everything in Your Life? Do This.

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” — John 15:4 (NIV)

I love the idea of remaining. It’s so simple to understand but hard to do. We've been talking about what it looks like to build a foundation of faith, and one of the simplest (but most important) things that we can do is to simply remain in our relationship with the Lord.

Remaining can be so hard. But God is saying that a life of faith means a life of trust. It means letting go and holding every aspect of what you do and what you have with open hands so God can put what He wants in your life and take what He wants out of it. Our only job is to remain in Him.

So, I want to lead you through a few journal questions. I encourage you to pray about your answers to these questions as you process what it means for you to remain in Jesus:

1. What do you tend to do first? Do you seek God for what you need, or do you tend to try to fix things yourself?
2. If you tend to pray and look to God first—or if you’re like me, and you tend to try and fix things yourself—how does that usually turn out? What are the patterns you see in your life?
3. What gets in the way of you putting your faith first?
4. What are some simple things you could do to seek God first and build a foundation of faith?

My hope for you would be that as you answer these questions, you begin to cultivate this habit of remaining in the Lord. And that it not only becomes easier for you, but it also becomes something you actually experience every single day.

Ready to Boost Your Confidence? Here’s How.

3:00 The Real Way to Build Confidence

17:23 How Do You Work on Yourself with Rachel Cruze

30:42 What Part of Your Life Can You Control

Resources

Business Boutique Conference
The Business Boutique Conference is ON! Join Christy in Nashville on October 22-24 to learn how to launch and grow your own business. You'll be joined by rockstar speakers and other women just like you who are ready to use their God-given gifts to make money doing what they love. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT.

Christy's 5-Day Confidence Boost
Sign up for Christy's free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you!

Today’s the day: The Christy Wright Show is here! This is something God laid on my heart a while ago, and I truly believe it’s going to have a huge impact. Don’t worry, we’re still going to help you pursue your dreams, build your business, and reach your goals. But we’re also going to help you with your life. Because let’s face it: You don’t have a business life and a home life. You have ONE life. And that’s what this show’s all about.

In each episode, I’m going to give you everything you need to help you break through limitations that are holding you back and keeping you stuck. And once you step outside that box, you might just surprise yourself. I'm really excited to see what new possibilities this opens for you, what God might be doing in your life, and what He has to say.

I’ll be here to point you toward truth, perspective and the motivation you need to live the life God’s calling you to—whether that’s making money doing what you love or something completely different.

Y’all, I’m so excited to see what God’s going to do in and through you as you take this step of faith with us.

The Real Way to Build Confidence

Real life-change happens when you work on yourself from the inside out. That’s why I want to introduce you to the framework I use to help others do just that. It’s called the Core of Confidence. This framework is made up of five stages that help you build confidence in yourself and the God who created you. Let’s take a look:

1. Start with your spirit.
2. Protect your mind.
3. Take care of your body.
4. Work on your relationships.
5. Work on your resources—your time, money and energy.

How Do You Work on Yourself with Rachel Cruze

Y’all, I’m so excited because one of my best friends is here to talk about one of our favorite topics: working on yourself. Rachel Cruze is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and host of The Rachel Cruze Show. We covered a lot of ground in our conversation, but here are some of my favorite takeaways:

• What it looks like to invest in yourself and grow as a person
• How to be intentional with your time
• Why taking time to work on yourself isn’t selfish

“I know that I’m such a better mom, I’m such a better wife, I’m such a better friend when I’m functioning out of the whole person of who I am.” — Rachel Cruze

What Part of Your Life Can You Control

Many of you know that I’m really big on journaling. I think it’s so powerful when you take the ideas in your head and the dreams in your heart and get them down on paper. When I journal, I end up writing down thoughts and feelings I didn’t even know I had. And more than that, it’s an opportunity for God to show up and lead.

So, let’s jump in and spend some time journaling about today’s Scripture.

Galatians 6:4–5 (NIV) says, “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load.”

Work through these questions below, taking the time to pause, pray and journal:

• When you try to fix others, how do you feel?
• How do you feel when you think about controlling you?
• Which area of your life are you most excited to work on?
• Which area of your life are you nervous to work on?
• What does it mean to you to do the creative best with your own life?

Hey y'all! I know life can be overwhelming and the day-to-day grind can leave you feeling stuck, but it doesn't have to be that way. The Christy Wright Show will fire you up so you can break through limitations to create a life you love and are proud of. You will build confidence in yourself and the God who created you.

Having Faith in Different Seasons

2:12 Having Faith in Different Seasons

4:15 Three Ways to Live Out Your Faith for Yourself and Others

16:13 Having Faith When Life Gets Hard with Amanda Bible Williams

50:30 Encouragement: God Can Use Your Crumbs

Resources

Business Boutique Conference

The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 22–24. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don’t want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT.

If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com.

New podcast episodes are available every other week.

Having faith often looks different in different seasons of life.

And sometimes I have this pattern in my life where I might go a season—a few weeks, a month, maybe even a few months—without going to church. This is embarrassing to admit, but life gets hard. You have babies . . . You get sick . . . Sometimes it's just tough to get there.

But every single time I go back to church after one of these seasons, I notice something: I have this mindset that I'm doing it for God. I'm going to be a good Christian. I'm going to go to church. I'm going to get my brownie points. I'm going make God so happy with me because I'm showing up. And every single time I go back, I experience the same feeling: I was there for me.

God invites me to church. God invites me into His story and into His plans. Not because He needs me, but for me—because I benefit from it.

I don't know if you’ve ever experienced something similar, but I think it's really common to believe that about anything we do. Whether it’s going to church, reading our Bible, praying, or even giving our time, we start to believe the lie that we’re doing it for God.

But the truth is that it’s for us. God is all powerful. He doesn’t need you or me. He doesn’t need our money, time or talents. He doesn’t need anything. He’s God! He can move mountains, raise the dead, heal the blind, and part red seas. He can do anything. But He chooses to invite us into His story, and it’s for our benefit.

I want to give you three things that you can do to live out your faith in different seasons. And as you step into God's plan and God's calling and God's purpose for you, you’ll experience the ripple effect in the kingdom and in yourself.

You'll be amazed at how He peels away these layers of pride and wounds and selfishness and sin we didn't even know were there. But as long as we have faith and live it out, we're growing to become more like Him.

3 Ways to Live Out Your Faith for Yourself and Others:

So, let's talk about three really simple things that you can do to live out your faith for yourself and others.

1. Show up.

Matthew 18:20 (NIV) says “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Sometimes the best gift you can give someone is your presence.

When God is in you, you can show up and show Him to people just by being present. Your presence is a gift and a ministry to the people in your life.

So, just show up. Show up at church. Show up for your friends and family. Show up when someone needs help with their kids. Show up when someone needs a meal. Show up when someone just wants to sit and talk. Just be there for people.

2. Give

When you give, God is inviting you to open your hands and hold your life, your time, your talents, your money, your energy, your plans, and your agendas with open hands. I believe God calls us to live a life with this posture with open hands where we can freely give and also freely receive.

So, what does that look like for you? Here’s what I know: Every time I give, I think I'm doing it for God and others. And every time, it changes me more than it changes them.

3. Pray

Did you know that God actually moves on your behalf when you pray? I don't know about you, but sometimes when I pray, it can feel like I’m just going through the motions. But that’s not true! When you pray, it actually changes things!

If you're feeling stuck, helpless or stagnant in your faith, you might feel like prayer is the last thing you want to do. But I want to remind you that Scripture is full of examples of how God moves in response to His children. God changes things on behalf of his people when they pray. He can't wait to hear from you and hear your heart as you talk to Him with boldness with confidence.

These simple things are easy ways for you to live out your faith no matter the season: show up, give and pray. When you do these things, you live out your faith as a light to a dark world for other people to see with Jesus helping, leading and guiding you every step of the way.

Having Faith When Life Gets Hard with Amanda Bible Williams

Y’all, I cannot wait for you to listen to my conversation with Amanda Bible Williams today as we talk about faith. Amanda is the co-founder and Chief Content Officer of She Reads Truth. She Reads Truth is a worldwide community of women who are on mission to read God’s Word together every single day.

On this episode, Amanda and I talk about:

• How She Reads Truth began, and how it’s grown into what it is today
• The questions you should ask yourself when you’re faced with a big decision
• How to read the Bible—especially when you don’t know where to start
• How to understand Scripture without being a Bible teacher
• How to know that God is good, especially when life is hard

Encouragement: God Can Use Your Crumbs

I don't know about you all, but I’ve gone through seasons of my life where I’ve just felt like I don't have anything to give. I want to give. I want to help people. I want to make a difference. I want to show up. I want to do all these things that I feel God calling me to do. But sometimes, I’m just empty, exhausted, burnt out or going through a tough wilderness in my own faith walk. So, how in the world can God use me when I’m struggling to have faith on my own?

About six years ago, I was going through one of these wilderness seasons in my own life. I had been serving as a leader with Young Life on top of working all the time for a nonprofit. It was my last year serving, and I just felt like my heart wasn’t in it. I felt like a hypocrite. I was leading and teaching these high school students, and I didn’t even have it together myself.

All I had to offer were crumbs for these kids. And I remember God saying, I can use crumbs. I can use what you have.

Friend: God can use you—even when you feel like you don't have much to give. God can use what you have right now. You might be going through a tough season just like I was. You might feel like you have nothing to offer. He can use you with what you have right now. Today. Don't discount yourself. You don't have to have it all together.

My friend Christine Caine always says, “God does not call the qualified. He qualifies the called.” If God's calling you, it’s because He wants to use you—even if all you have to offer are crumbs.

Today, we're diving into Part 5 of our series, and it’s all about being willing to go. You have to be willing to go when God opens the door. After He's prepared you and humbled you, and after you've let go of things, you have to be willing to actually step through the open door in front of you. You've been prepared. You've been humbled. You've been faithful. But when God opens that door, you can't just stand there. You can't just stare at it. You can't be scared. You can't be stuck. You've got to be willing to actually step through the door that God has for you.

You know, whenever I first got started speaking, I had no experience, no training, no certification, and no plans to be a speaker. Rachel Cruze (Dave Ramsey’s daughter) had been booked to speak at a conference all over the country in different cities every single day. It was a crazy travel schedule. She was newly out of college, and it was basically two weeks before she was supposed to go on the road.

Dave looked at the schedule and said, “Hey, this is not what we agreed to. This is more than we agreed to. You (me, Christy) have to go back to the conference and tell them she can only do half of the events.” That was a problem. The events started in two weeks, and they thought they had Rachel for 20 dates. I had to be the bearer of bad news. I got on the phone and said, “Hey, I'm so sorry. She's all of the events, but she can do 10 of them, and you can pick whichever 10.”

I'll never forget what Chase (the man on the other end of the line) said to me. He said, “Christy, what am I going to do? I've got her booked for 20 different dates. What am I going to do with the other ones?” And I said, “I'll do them.” And he said, “Can you speak?” I said, “I think so.” You know, I’d never in my life. I just saw a problem and came up with a solution. There was a door that opened in front of me, and I walked through it. I can fix this. I can figure it out. I can make it up as I go. I'm just going say yes to this opportunity before I know how. Did I know how to speak to an audience? No. But I said yes before I knew how.

So, when God opens a door in front of you, you've got to be willing to walk through it. You've got to be willing to go before you know how to say yes. Even if you're not sure how it's going play out, assume that you can. In the absence of information, don't assume there's a rule that you're breaking. Don't assume there's a reason you can't. Assume that you can. And then if you can't, you'll figure it out. God will open doors in front of you, but you’ve got to be willing to go—even if you're scared. Even if you're unsure. Even if you're insecure. Even if you don't know how it's all going to play out. Even if you don't have a perfect plan and a perfect path and a guarantee that it's going to be successful. You've got to be willing to go.

This makes me think about the story of when the Israelites went to explore the Promised Land in the Old Testament. This is the land that God had promised to them, but they would not go and fight for it. They had their part to do. They had to walk through the door. Like the Israelites, we’re participants in this life with God, and even in the plans that he has for us. But an entire generation missed out on the Promised Land—missed out on the plan and the promise that God had for them—because they wouldn't walk through the door. God told the Israelites where He was taking them, that He had gone before them, and that the land was theirs, but they still wouldn’t walk through the door. They wouldn’t go.

Man, that's a powerful lesson. I don't know about you, but I want to be someone that walks through the door. I don't want to miss out on what God has for me over there because I'm scared. Yes, it's scary. You know why? Because the life God has for you is bigger and better than you can imagine. It's more exciting. It's new. It's different. Yes, it's a little bit scary. Yes, it's a little bit unknown. But you know what? If God said it, He will do it. If God opened that door, it’s because He wants you to walk through it.

[share]God’s not limited by your limitations. God’s not limited by your lack of confidence. God’s not limited by your lack of resources or talents. God’s not limited by you.[/share]

So, as we explore five ways to be true to you—five ways for you to step into this bigger, better, more awesome life that God has for you—you have to be willing to go. You have to be willing to say yes before you know how. You have to assume that you can. You have to be willing to step through—even if you don't know how it's going to play out, and even if you don't have a perfect plan. Even if you aren't qualified, certified or confident . . . it doesn't matter. God’s not limited by your limitations. God’s not limited by your lack of confidence. God’s not limited by your lack of resources or talents. God’s not limited by you.

God has something for you to do on the other side of that door. All you have to do is walk through it. That's it. He’ll provide what you need every step of the way. But you have to be the one to take the steps.

Journal Questions:

Write down where you might be sensing that God wants you to go.

• Where do you feel an urge? A nudge? A prompting or a stirring in your spirit?

• Is there a door that's been open in front of you, but you're just too nervous to walk through it?

• Is there an opportunity that you've had your eye on, but it just feels a little scary and new?

I want you to write that down. I want you to pray about it. I want you to think about it. I want you to ask God what He has in front of you, and then ask Him for the courage to walk through that door.

It's amazing that God not only has these amazing plans for us, but that He also invites us to be participants in those plans. I pray that this encourages you to not only be true to you, but I hope it also builds confidence in who you are and confidence in the God who created you.

Right now, I'm in this season of purging with three small kids. I'm constantly going through closets and toy bins. And when I sit down to do this, I get a little sad. I think about Conley’s sentimental things, or Carter’s shoes that he’s outgrown, or Mary Grace’s newborn onesies. I get a little sad that these seasons of our lives are ending. Even if some of those seasons were hard—like those sleepless nights of the newborn stage.

But you know what? We experience this often. I get really sentimental when something's over. Whether I loved a season or not, I find that there’s something about endings that makes it hard to let go.

I worked at the YMCA for three years. During that time, I worked so hard and so many hours to the point of burnout. So, when this season of my life was ending—when I was leaving a job that my heart had not been in for a while, where I was working every night, every weekend, every week on the holidays—I still felt sad. And I still felt sad even though I was going to a job where I was going to have some balance. I was so excited about where I was going, and yet still sad it was over—still sad to leave behind those relationships, and that season of life, and everything that it represented.

Life can be like that. Endings can be hard and sad. But you know what? Endings make new beginnings possible. Endings make that new thing that God is doing in your life possible.

So, if you're going to live a life true to you and step into this bigger, better, more awesome life that God has for you, you have to be willing to let go of what's behind and what’s no longer right for you.

Friend, you've got to be willing to let some things go. If all we focus on are the endings, we’re going to be sad and filled with regret. But I don't want you to miss the truth of endings: Endings make new beginnings possible. God has something for you, but He cannot put it in your hands until He takes something out.

Isaiah 43:19 (NIV) says:

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

Journal Question:

Write down an area of your life where God might be urging you to let go of something.