I was not a happy camper when I suspected the gadget on my wrist was deducting steps for every minute I scroll through social media. There were 4,532 steps showing when I opened a new tab on my phone and an hour later 900 steps were missing. Did I lose steps by doing nothing? I did a quick web search and learned the battery needed to be re-charged and re-synched with my phone app. The internet search also taught me that health professionals claim a sedentary lifestyle is killing us one, cute cat video at a time. It’s true, sometimes there are consequences of inaction.
Recently, I shared with a friend that I have a passion to help people in domestic violence situations survive and thrive. A few days later, he asked what progress had I made on this project? I was pleased to give him a list of things I had done that included building this website. He said, “Yes, those are all wins, but what are you doing now to move it forward? What is your next step?” He was holding me accountable to my passion, just as my fitness device prods me to meet health goals. God bless the encouragers and motivators in our lives who help us become better versions of ourselves. I know first-hand that they can be true lifesavers.
For instance, a few years ago, I was in a holding pattern with my estranged spouse; mentally exhausted and not living my life to its fullest for two years. Friends lovingly urged me to end the emotional and financial abuse that I had become so accustom to. I was further faced with reality when my investment broker advised, “You should not acquire wealth while married to him.” The time had come to file for divorce and move forward. A year later, my ex-husband began to stalk me and police urged me to file a protective order. Hesitantly, I allowed DVIS professionals to walk me through the process. In hindsight, my delay to take action could have cost me more than a bank account balance.
Are you in an unhealthy relationship and feel unsafe? If so, tell someone you trust such as your physician or a domestic violence counselor. If not, will you be the one who encourages someone to move forward and leave unhealthy behavior patterns behind? Psalms 27:17 tells us that iron sharpens iron, just as people can bring out the best in each other. Take a break from social media and cat videos to invest time in others. You might just be the person who helps someone synch back up with the life they were meant to live.