X is for X-ray

by Pauline Reneaux

If we go to our doctor and he/she sees a need, they will often send us for an x-ray. Maybe they think we have pneumonia. Maybe they suspect we have broken a bone. Maybe they are following up on treatments from the past to make sure we are still on a healthy road. Sometimes, we need an external tool to help us look deeper at what is underneath the surface. Outside of the typical medical arena, sometimes we can trust friends to help us do this, to look below the surface. It is imperative for us to make sure we are ready to accept what they see, and to make sure that the person helping us with this exercise truly has our best interest at heart.

I have reached the age and stage in life where I know each and every second counts immensely so, for me, looking below the surface to make sure I don’t have an area that needs mending is of the utmost importance to me. Last month, I wrote about recognizing when God is winking at me and when wonderful things are taking place in my life. But, if we aren’t at a healthy place, we will never see these things. To miss out on these incredible moments in my life would be such a tragedy.

I think these past 6 months have left many of us leaning in to a lot of self-reflection. Consciously or unconsciously, many people have been taking an x-ray of their own lives to see what matters. How do our priorities need to change? How do our relationships need to change? Letting our friends act as an x-ray to help us look at our lives in a very transparent nature, so that we know we are on the right track, is a precious gift, indeed.

Using the remainder of this year to look more closely to all areas of my life will be the greatest gift I can give myself when Christmas comes around. What’s the old saying, “if momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy?” But how about, “when momma finds true happiness, ain’t nobody gonna take that away.” To do this, sometimes it means we must first have to be still. It can also involve the simple act of us reminding ourselves that we are loved. We must first learn to love ourselves before we can find true happiness. This works for all of us. So get the x-ray. Look below the surface at what needs to be fixed in your life and then use the rest of 2020 to get started.