Ep. 284 Weeding Out Negativity - A 3 Day Thought Detox: How can I remove the weeds in my garden?

[00:00:14] From the Hustle in Faith, this podcast is dedicated to helping women who want to analyze, apply, and amplify their God-given gifts.

[00:00:21] We accomplish this by discussing topics such as business, self-improvement, health and beauty, and my random thoughts about life from a Christian perspective.

[00:00:30] I'm your host, LaTosha Johnson.

[00:00:37] Are you tired of feeling less than enough just because you're single?

[00:00:41] Then you'll love my new book, How to Live an Extraordinary Life with or Without Mr. Right.

[00:00:47] A Christian Woman's Guide on How to Survive and Thrive on Single Avenue.

[00:00:52] It's time to acknowledge, address, and dismantle the harmful limited mindset many single Christian women have internalized.

[00:01:00] Take the first step to discover and embrace the plans God has in store for you.

[00:01:05] If you want to be notified when the book is released, please check out the Hustle in Faith website.

[00:01:10] I cannot wait to share this with all my single ladies.

[00:01:13] You have everything you need to live an extraordinary life with or without Mr. Right.

[00:01:28] In the event that you are listening to today's episode, today is day three in the Weeding Out Negativity, a three-day thought detox.

[00:01:37] So in the event that you haven't checked out the prior episodes, why don't you pause this episode and go check out day one and day two, and then come on back to this episode, all right?

[00:01:47] Day three, how can I remove the weeds in my garden?

[00:01:52] Identifying possible triggers contributing to our negative, unhealthy mindset is essential.

[00:01:57] Many of us, myself included, think all our thoughts originate from us without any outside influences.

[00:02:05] This couldn't be further from the truth.

[00:02:08] Satan's mission is to steal, kill and destroy.

[00:02:12] What better way to accomplish this feat than by infiltrating our thought life.

[00:02:17] The words we hear and speak all shape how we view ourselves in our perception of life.

[00:02:23] The words we embrace create our thoughts, which will form our mindset.

[00:02:28] This is why God tells us that life and death are in the power of the tongue.

[00:02:33] You are designing the life you wish to live by the words you speak.

[00:02:40] It's up to us to exercise discernment to see if our speech is helping us formulate thoughts that will elevate us.

[00:02:47] I chose to no longer automatically accept every thought that entered my mind as my own.

[00:02:54] I imagine placing all my thoughts into a filter.

[00:02:58] I was proactively sifting through the thoughts that did not align with God's word.

[00:03:05] When I identified negative thoughts, like weeds in a garden, I gathered them and threw them away.

[00:03:12] If you fail to remove the weeds, you will not be able to gain Christ attributes because your soul is consumed with negativity.

[00:03:22] He created us all with a specific purpose.

[00:03:27] You must actively work to dismantle the thoughts that don't reinforce your value to God.

[00:03:34] Now, I know this is easier said than done, but the good news is that it can be done.

[00:03:42] I want to share some weeds, also known as negative thoughts, that were attempting to slip through my mental filter.

[00:03:49] So here's a technique that I use to remove the weeds so I could continue my quest to keep a pristine garden.

[00:03:59] Number one, capture.

[00:04:02] Once a thought enters my mind, I immediately freeze that thought at the top of the filter.

[00:04:08] Number two, examine.

[00:04:11] After identifying the thought, I determine if that thought has a negative or positive overtone.

[00:04:17] Number three, embrace or destroy.

[00:04:22] If the thought is causing me harm and does not add value to my life, I will destroy the thought using God's word.

[00:04:31] If the thought adds value, I embrace it.

[00:04:34] I want you to see this process in action.

[00:04:37] So here are some examples of weeds that attempted to infiltrate my garden.

[00:04:43] Capture.

[00:04:44] If you're still single, something must be wrong with you.

[00:04:49] Examine.

[00:04:50] This thought has a negative overtone.

[00:04:53] Destroy.

[00:04:54] It does not align with God's word.

[00:04:57] There's absolutely nothing wrong with being single.

[00:05:00] The Apostle Paul speaks about being single as a gift.

[00:05:04] God doesn't want you to waste precious time praying all day for Mr. Right.

[00:05:09] Just like Philip's four unmarried daughters, God wants us to use this time to focus on him, discovering the plans he has in store for us and doing our part to lead others to Christ.

[00:05:24] Capture.

[00:05:25] You're going to be lonely.

[00:05:27] So you need to capture that thought.

[00:05:30] Examine.

[00:05:31] This has a negative overtone.

[00:05:34] Loneliness is a state of mind.

[00:05:36] It is an emotion whereby you are left feeling disconnected or isolated.

[00:05:42] You can experience loneliness and be in a crowded room.

[00:05:46] Trust me, I've been there.

[00:05:48] Many people confuse being alone with loneliness because they don't know how to make the most of their time.

[00:05:55] If you're focused on transforming yourself to Christ, you will learn how to be content.

[00:06:02] You will be too busy learning and incorporating the knowledge God will give you so you can live the extraordinary life he desires for you.

[00:06:12] These negative thoughts are the type of weeds that would do their best to infiltrate my garden.

[00:06:19] When I was younger, my garden was a hot mess due to my lack of diligence in removing weeds whenever they appeared.

[00:06:28] My garden was restored once I became more diligent with capturing my thoughts and making them obedient to Christ.

[00:06:36] I'm finally at the point where a weed may appear now and then, but now I can quickly remove it so it doesn't destroy my garden.

[00:06:48] So here are a couple thought questions for today.

[00:06:51] How does Satan accomplish his mission to steal, kill and destroy us?

[00:06:59] What are the consequences of allowing weeds to linger in your garden?

[00:07:06] How will you remove the weeds in your garden?

[00:07:11] All right, so we just finished Weeding Out Negativity, a three-day thought detox.

[00:07:16] And I truly hope that you are feeling inspired that you can live your best life now.

[00:07:21] And just to continue with that momentum, I want to read to you a little bit more from my book,

[00:07:28] How to Live an Extraordinary Life with or without Mr. Right, A Christian Woman's Guide on How to Survive and Thrive on Single Avenue.

[00:07:38] I'm tired of the stereotypes about singlehood.

[00:07:41] My book is not your typical book about being a single Christian woman.

[00:07:45] This book is not written from an, I was single, now I'm married, and here's how you can get married too perspective.

[00:07:52] You won't see phrases like, enjoy your single season or be patient, your time will come.

[00:07:58] Why? Contrary to what many believe, your life doesn't start, nor have you arrived, just because you change your marital status.

[00:08:08] God has already given us everything we need to live an extraordinary life.

[00:08:13] Unfortunately, many of us aren't enjoying our single lives.

[00:08:18] We subconsciously accept society's negative, misguided views on single Christian women.

[00:08:24] I want to destroy these stereotypes.

[00:08:26] I want Christian women to realize they can live happily ever after with or without Mr. Right.

[00:08:35] Once you recognize and embrace this fact, you will see that singlehood isn't something you have to survive.

[00:08:42] Instead, it's a place where you can thrive.

[00:08:45] The only way single Christian women can enjoy life is to acknowledge, address, and dismantle the harmful limited mindset many have internalized.

[00:08:57] Doing this will help us to embrace God's plans for us.

[00:09:02] Throughout this book, we will leverage the lessons we learn from women in the Bible to encourage and inspire us to create our own narrative.

[00:09:10] It's time to start our journey in learning how to stop living in anticipation of when or if you will find Mr. Right.

[00:09:17] Regardless of your marital status, your extraordinary life awaits.

[00:09:22] Are you ready, sis? Let's go.

[00:09:32] Thanks so much for listening to this episode.

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[00:09:44] Remember, if you're everything to everyone, you never know who you will inspire.

[00:09:51] See you in the next episode.

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