Be Encouraged

Renada reflects on the one-year anniversary of her podcast and shares her journey of self-discovery and self-worth. She encourages listeners to embrace their unique paths and pursue their dreams without seeking validation from others. Renada emphasizes the importance of self-love and self-work, reminding listeners that they have everything they need to be the best version of themselves. She urges them to celebrate their progress, honor their boundaries, and sow seeds of goodness for the future. Renada concludes by encouraging listeners to say yes to themselves and embrace the light within them.

Key Takeaways:
- Embrace your uniqueness and pursue your purpose, even if it doesn't make sense to others.
- Love and celebrate yourself, as this is the foundation for loving and celebrating others.
- You have everything you need to be the best version of yourself.
- Sow seeds of goodness now, knowing that you will reap the benefits in the future.

Quotes:
- "You are exactly where you are supposed to be."
- "You are worth it."
- "Say yes to yourself today."

Transcript

0:00:02

Renada

Hey. Hey. Good day. May this be your blessing and your mindset that today was made just for you. You are here right now. You've come across this podcast. You have been granted this moment so that you can pour into yourself, so that you can take a moment to yourself, to give yourself the good that you were looking for, the answers that you needed. You are exactly where you are supposed to be.

0:00:54

Renada

And today holds everything that you need for you to be the best version of yourself, for yourself, so that you succeed, so that you see your wins, so that you own your journey, so that you know the value of your presence and you're centered in your story. So let's start the day with some self love, self worth and self work. Because you're worth it. And let's begin and end this day with the goodness you deserve.

0:01:32

Renada

I'm Renata and I thank you for joining me. Today is September 19 and it is actually the one year anniversary of this podcast. And I have to tell you that there are some serious emotions that I have had to come to terms with just to be able to stand in this moment and say wow and to appreciate the opportunity to share and connect with people. I just want to share some quick things as a testament to the power of pursuing purpose.

0:02:13

Renada

Not to brag, not to highlight myself, but to show and prove that when you give yourself what you know you need, there is an impact that reaches far beyond you. As of today, this podcast has been downloaded almost 2000 times. I don't know how many listeners there are on different platforms, but I am grateful that there are 2000 people in the world that have chosen to share time and space in this way.

0:02:52

Renada

As of today, this podcast has been downloaded on every habitable continent. That is an amazing testament to people really out here doing the work to grow, to give themselves light and good. And for that I am grateful. And I used to be the kind of person that something had to look just right or be absolutely perfect in order to be worth celebrating. Like it had to come packaged up just so. It had to have all of the validation tucked away neatly.

0:03:30

Renada

It had to have all of the accomplishments wrapped up neatly. It had to have all of the shiny OOH, look at me, look at me attention in order for me to feel like it was worth celebrating. And in doing the self work and growing to this space where I recognized that the perfectionism that I lived with for a very long time was rooted in not having a true sense of self worth, as well as feeling like the only way for me to prove my existence was through perfection.

0:04:16

Renada

The only way that anything that I do is worth acknowledging or accepting or celebrating was if I made it absolutely perfect. It had to check all the boxes, it had to dot all the I's, it had to get all of the Oohs and Oz, otherwise it wasn't worth it. And I thank the living God for bringing me out of that space, to the space of now being able to stand in this moment and recognize this is not something small, this is not something that is just insignificant or inconsequential or requires perfectionism in order to celebrate.

0:05:03

Renada

This can be. All of the intersections of the things that I desire and have been intentional about giving my energy to have worked and gone through, have been challenged and triumphed, have had highs and lows and moments of revelation, moments of self awareness. Moments of clarity that have helped me to build the vision of myself that allows me to stand here and say, yes, I am grateful for this space.

0:05:33

Renada

And so that's what I want to share with you today. I want to share with you that if you are struggling in this season, if you're in a season of change or if you're in a season of celebration, if you're in a season of working the vision, if you're in the season of actually putting your feet to the ground and walking your path, and you're finding it challenging, or you're not sure how the vision becomes the bigger picture, or you don't have all of the details, so there's still some areas where there's not enough clarity or you're not sure if it's going to make an impact or you're not sure about how important it's going to be for somebody else.

0:06:17

Renada

I just want to encourage you and tell you to stand in this moment and acknowledge that you are doing the things that you are putting in the effort and the energy and even if you don't know what it's going to become, you are sowing seed that you will harvest later. There is good, there is intention, there is fruit that is attached to every moment, where you intentionally give yourself time, where you intentionally get in tune with yourself so that you can come to the space where you meet your needs in a way that is so distinctive and unique to you. And it is worth celebrating, it is worth acknowledging, it is worth understanding that there are no small feats.

0:07:08

Renada

You're doing it for you. And that is what matters because we are charged with loving other people the way we love ourselves. So, if you're not loving yourself, if you're not showing up for yourself, if you're not taking the moments to marvel at the masterpiece you're becoming, if you're not seeing the good that you're sowing and planting, if you're not understanding how your presence is showing up in powerful ways that is impacting people in the environment around you. If you're not giving yourself the opportunity to see how essential you are to the season that you're in, I want to encourage you to say yes to you, say yes to loving you, showing up for you and seeing you.

0:07:58

Renada

Because when you show up for you and you see you, that's the place that you draw from in order to be able to love other people the same way. To show up for them and celebrate them and see them. Because then there's no jealousy, there's no envy, there's no shame, there's no regret, there's no remorse, because you can authentically and sincerely celebrate other people when you know how to authentically, sincerely, genuinely celebrate yourself.

0:08:30

Renada

So I am excited for you. I'm excited because if you're here with me in this moment, it means it's the start of something new for you. It's the start of a new way to see yourself. It's the start of a new way to give to yourself. It's the start of a new way to be in tune with exactly what you need. And the more you're in tune with yourself, the more aware of yourself you become, the more you understand that when the Lord charges you to go in the strength that you have, you don't have to know all of the details of the outcome.

0:09:04

Renada

You just know that you have enough strength for right now to do this thing that you've been charged to do. And it doesn't require other people's approval. It doesn't require other people's acceptance or acknowledgment. This is for you. The seeds that you sow, the time and the energy that you plant and give it's for you. And when you're sowing for you intentionally now, there is good for you to receive later, may be tomorrow, later, may be next month, later, may be a year from now, but there's good for you to receive from it.

0:09:40

Renada

And I just want you to know that you deserve that and encourage you to go after it, to pursue it with all of your might. And to know that as you stand in that thing, as you stand in the space of your path, your unique journey, your unique story, you have everything you need to be the best version of yourself. I was terrified and I didn't even understand a podcast. Like, okay, everybody has a podcast. There are so many podcasts.

0:10:20

Renada

Why is this what I need to do? And I am recognizing more and more every day that my story, my journey, which was made for me, is also an example to somebody else of how they get to overcome. It may be the basis from which somebody decides to give themselves permission to heal. It may be the tool or the vehicle that the Lord uses to help inspire somebody else to dream, somebody else to be encouraged for somebody else to see the value of the experiences and the perspective and the voice that they have.

0:11:10

Renada

And the more they exercise their voice, the more they give themselves permission, the greater the opportunity becomes for the world to be the place that they need it to be and then in turn, impacts a community, inspires a people, encourages hope, fuels someone else's dream. I used to think it was so weird the kids loved Veggietails when they were little, and there would be moments where, as a mom, I was really struggling, like, oh my gosh, what is this season? What is this space? Why does this feel this way?

0:11:48

Renada

And we would be watching veggie tales. And while it was super cute and so much fun to listen to when the songs were really engaging and inspiring, as I'm singing the song with the kids or watching the movie, all of a sudden it's like an AHA. Moment happens, and an animated vegetable is telling me a truth that I need to know and hear that settles in my heart and resonates in my spirit to encourage me to keep going.

0:12:20

Renada

That God is a god of second chances. So that encourages me and inspires me to keep moving forward, to lay aside the shame and regret from my past and to know that I'm empowered to live in my now. I get to live in my now. And that's the beautiful thing about just doing what you've been made to do. It doesn't have to look like somebody else's thing. It doesn't have to make sense to anybody else. I'm sure that when somebody broached the idea, when they brought to the table the topic of creating movies for kids based on Bible stories with talking vegetables, I'm sure there were a lot of people that didn't get it.

0:13:11

Renada

They said we'll pass. That doesn't make any sense. We can't see it. But I'm thankful that the creators of that show did not look for acceptance, acknowledgment, or approval to do the thing that they were made to do. Because as an adult human being, it made a difference for me, for my kids. Those songs still play in their minds. Those songs are a living part of their childhood. And I'm sure my kids aren't the only ones.

0:13:54

Renada

So just take that in for a moment and realize that what you're doing, what you've been tasked with, the dream that you have, the thing that you were made for, it may not look like anybody else's anything. It may even confuse you right now. But just know there is an impact that is intended. There is a change that you have been gifted to make in the world. There is a space with your name on it. And that space can't be occupied by anybody else because nobody else can do what you do the way that you do it.

0:14:41

Renada

So if you're afraid, I hope that this encourages you. If you're uncertain, I hope that this inspires you, that you have the opportunity to move forward in doing what only you were made to do. You don't need anybody else's approval. You don't need anybody else's acceptance. You don't even need anybody else's acknowledgment. If you are on that path by yourself. If you're walking this season out by yourself, know that now you have a cheerleader. I will be your designated cheerleader.

0:15:19

Renada

I am telling you, go for it. Keep moving. Don't stop. Don't give up. Endure. You got this. And there is an intended space where what you're doing right now blooms and flourishes and becomes the fruit that somebody else gets to have good from. They get to partake in the goodness that you are sowing right now. I am so very grateful to be able to have this time and space with you. And because I am sure that there is a challenge in this season for each of us where we need to be reminded that we're capable, incompetent, that you have everything that you need, that there's nothing that you're lacking. So let nothing stop you.

0:16:24

Renada

You have it already. You've got it already. The thing that was planted inside of you came with everything necessary to grow into fruit. It already had it, and you possess it right now. So don't give up. Don't quit. Don't stop. Don't be afraid. Don't neglect the good that you deserve. You should have it. You should stand in it and walk in it and remember that this is your gift to give what is inside of you right now, the good that you possess, your unique talents, abilities, and perspective, this is your gift.

0:17:06

Renada

Your experiences, your encounters are your gift from which you draw. You get to use that as the platform to see yourself. And then as you see yourself, you understand how to use your gifts and talents. You understand how to bring to life how to bring to life the light that lives on the inside of you so that other people get to see it and be blessed by it. I hope that this has encouraged you. I hope that even if you're still struggling to really fully understand that, at least you give yourself time and space to take a breath, to celebrate your progress this far.

0:17:59

Renada

Celebrate what you've accomplished, celebrate what you've endured. Celebrate where you are right now, knowing that where you are right now is not the end of your journey. This is just a space where you get to sow into the good of later. And whether later is tomorrow, a week, or a year from today, take a moment, reflect over the good that you are hoping for, what you're believing for, and speak into that.

0:18:37

Renada

Say, I'm doing today for the good that I'm going to get tomorrow. I'm doing today for the intention that I want to receive tomorrow. I am starting today with recognizing myself, celebrating myself, honoring my boundaries, recognizing my worth, so that in a week from now, in a year from now, the person that I stand as, the person that I have become, is the best version of myself I am starting today.

0:19:18

Renada

So that when I look back over my life, I can celebrate how I endured, how I overcame, not just in survival mode, but I gave myself the space to meet my needs. I became very serious about being in tune with myself. I sowed using my talents, my gifts, my energy in the environment around me in the way that most reflected the truth of who I was and the truth of who I am right now in this moment, is because I said yes to myself.

0:20:07

Renada

So say yes to yourself today. Start today. Celebrate, recognize, honor how you have given to yourself to be in this moment. And may it be something that blesses you. May it be something that inspires and encourages you to keep moving forward. There is great, there is good ahead just for you. So get it. Let nothing stop you. Don't doubt yourself. Don't diminish yourself. Don't deny yourself the opportunity to meet your needs, to stand in the fullness of who you are and center yourself in your story.

0:21:07

Renada

You deserve that. You deserve every opportunity for that to be your truth, for it to be the motivation that you use to guide your choices and intentional decision making. Make your moments matter today. Give yourself the goodness that you deserve, because you deserve to live in the light of truth. Don't forget to take into tomorrow the lessons of today. Be gracious to yourself. Be patient with yourself, and be loving to yourself.

0:21:53

Renada

You got this. You're doing it. You are doing the things that you need to do to show up as the best version of yourself. May the peace of yah be yours. And remember, celebrate yourself. Be encouraged, cheer yourself on, and get the goodness that you deserve. And we'll talk soon, y'all. Bye.