The Heart of Who I AmSample

I AM INTENTIONAL

Remember learning to ride a bicycle? Even though it likely was years ago, there’s still something I’ll bet you remember: you can't coast uphill. Pedaling - and often a protecting helmet - is required to get from the bottom of a hill to the very top.

Does being intentional about showing others your heart feel like pedaling up a hill? It can at times. But the reward at the top is worth it.

• Prepare
  Before attending an event or entering a room, think of conversation topics or questions you can ask others. Confident communication comes from preparation.
• Start small
  Your bicycle may need training wheels - and that's okay! Start by meeting one person at an event and remembering one name. Then, challenge yourself next time to meet two.
• Fill Up
  You can only pour out what's inside. In other words, if you find intentionally working on these tips difficult, it might be because you need a bit more positivity in your own life. Intentionally fill up on the Word, on prayer, on good times with friends, on family, and on the things that make you happy. Get rest. Learn to manage stress.
  
  Picture this: You've had a tough morning and can't wait for your first cup of coffee. You pour that piping hot coffee to the top. Just as you turn to take a sip, someone accidentally bumps you and you spill hot coffee everywhere. Why did you spill coffee? Because someone bumped you, right? Wrong. You spilled coffee because that's what you put in the cup. If you would have filled it with sweet, cool lemonade, you would have spilled lemonade. That's how life is. You will get bumped. What spills out naturally is all about how you've filled up.

Being intentional means purposefully pedaling toward better relationships, toward showing love, toward making others feel welcomed, toward caring, and toward recognizing others, all to discover that at the top of that hill is a life of showing Jesus to others. It's "letting your light shine" so that others see Jesus at the heart of who you are.

NEXT STEP: Write down one new thing from this study you will do to let your light shine. When will you start?