How to Define True Success

Every day I'm learning more and more about how my mindset is the key to progressing and moving forward in my business, or staying stagnant. I'm learning a great deal about where my mental blocks are as well as the areas where I lack confidence. It's time to put feet to my goals, hopes and desires, but, if I'm being honest, I'm facing a battle in my mind every single morning. I know for sure that the enemy doesn't want to me to succeed. I'm finally in a place of total freedom from everything that once entangled me. Even more than that, I'm in my sweet spot- where my passions and strengths overlap and allow me the opportunity to do what I'm great at and love it at the same time.

So I'm focusing on being intentional every day about praying for my actions to be prosperous and successful, and for increased courage & confidence along the way. God brought me back to Joshua 1:8 today. He has made it my starting point in each new endeavor over the last several months. God promises that meditating on His word and living by it will, "make my way prosperous, and then I will have good success." I know this to be true. He's proven it to me so many times. Essentially this would be an equation that looks like this: I study the Word + act accordingly = God makes my way prosperous and successful. Yet, I still sometimes get wrapped up in what I contribute to the right side of the equation. Interestingly enough, it's God's name on the right, not mine. It isn't I read the Word + act accordingly = Karen has the ability to make my way prosperous and successful. The only effort He requires of me, what He boils it down to, is that I study His word, keep it always on my lips (literally, as well as the lips of the mouth that speaks in my head!), model what I study, and He will do the rest. This is such good news! He doesn't define success by how many buyers or sellers I help this year. He defines success as knowing and doing His word. Period. Gosh y'all, that just brings so much freedom from the fear that can cloud my head about not being "successful" at building this business because I feel too new, inadequately prepared still, don't know enough people, etc, etc. Why do I revert so easily to fooling myself that I am really in control of any of those things anyways? Now that I've learned (the hard way) to look only to Him for approval, if He defines my success this way, then I'm freed up to press in to Him hard and lay my burden about the rest at His feet. If you are a part of a conversation with me anytime soon and I mention any type of inadequacy, you have my permission to remind me of this. In fact, please do. 

"Success is a journey, not a destination; the doing is often more important than the outcome." ~Arthur Ashe