Tag: epiphany

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Brea’s encouraging epiphanies (Part 2): Hanging wall paper.

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After I posted Brea’s encouraging epiphanies: Repainting a wall, Brea told me, “I actually jotted down a few notes when we were hanging that wall paper in the bathroom.” My eye immediately started twitching, because similar to the Madrigal family, there is something we don’t talk about in our home: self-adhesive wall paper! It’s a simple project (at least on YouTube) that shouldn’t take longer than 30 minutes, but it takes us hours to complete. Regardless, these encouraging epiphanies are too important not to share, and since some of you called my phenomenal dad puns “cringy” in the last post, I will stick to the point!

Without further ado (or any additional phenomenal dad puns), I present part two of Brea’s encouraging epiphanies!

The story:

Today, I tackled a home project alone. Contrary to popular beliefs, I do not like doing home projects (or any projects really) alone. I know how I want something to look, and I stand back as I instruct others (usually my husband) on how to do the job.

Anyways, today I was determined to apply adhesive wallpaper to our half bath. This job can be a little tricky. You have to make sure the wallpaper lines up with the edges of the wall; otherwise, you have wallpaper that slants down your wall. 🥴 You also have to rub out all of the bubbles in the wallpaper as you go, which can be very time consuming. Let’s just say, I thought (and maybe even mumbled) a few choice words during this process and wanted to give up more than a few times. I literally had a conversation/debate with my inner self. It was crazy!

The conversation.

After struggling a bit, I told myself, “You should just give up!” I entertained this thought momentarily, and even started thinking about all the things I could be doing instead. But after contemplating this for a little while, I finally told myself, “This is bigger than you just quitting this one project! If you quit this project, soon you’ll find yourself quitting the next project, job, relationship, etc. It’s a slippery slope!”

You see, I’ve allowed myself to start believing that I’m a quitter. I’ve begrudgingly accepted the identity of one of whom can never finish what she’s started. I almost allowed that identity to dictate how I would proceed throughout the day, and more importantly, how I would abruptly end this project.

Then something happened. I heard a new voice from God. He told me to slow down and trust the process. Then, He told me to look up. When I looked up, I noticed how much I’d accomplished. Seeing how far I’d come and how well I had done was the encouragement I needed to keep going! Throughout the remainder of the project, I begin to jot down a few thoughts on what I learned. Here are those notes.:

Encouraging epiphany #1: It’s okay to take a break…just don’t quit!

Listen, I get it. My arms and shoulders got tired first. Then, my back started stiffening. I’m pretty sure I even started seeing double at some point. Initially I thought, “yep, this is a sign that it’s time to quit!” In reality, my body was just asking for a break. I was so focused on completing the project, I hadn’t eaten or had any water for several hours. We do the same thing in life.

We get so focused on the “what” that not only do we lose sight of the “why,” but we forget to take care of ourselves. Rest, eat well, stretch, hydrate, meditate, and recover. This is an essential part of completing any project or pursuing any goal in life.

Encouraging epiphany #2: Sometimes you have to start back from the top and try again.

This one was a tough pill to swallow. Once I finally got the wallpaper to smoothen without bubbles, I realized it was slanted! 😤 So I had to take it off and reapply it. Though this process was frustrating because it felt like I was losing progress, I had to change my perspective. Instead of saying, “Dang it! I’m restarting again!” I told myself, “let’s shake it out and figure out how we can make it straighter this time. It’s going to look great when you finish!” This change in attitude shifted my focus from what is going wrong to why I’m doing this project in the first place. We should always pursue our “why.”

Encouraging epiphany #3: It’s okay to accept help.

I started this project determined to finish on my own. Why? I wanted to prove to myself that I can finish what I started! This is an awesome and encouraging “why.” I had to ask myself an important question when it started getting really rough and frustrating: Can I ask my husband for help? Admittedly, I initially said, “No! I have to do this project myself.” Then I finally realized that I could accomplish my “why” more efficiently if I invited him to share this journey with me.

Doing things on your own makes a success story sound great! However, it is exhausting, painful, and makes what could be an exciting journey completely unbearable. Asking for help doesn’t make you weak, incompetent, or less of a woman. I encourage you to disconnect from anyone who would tell you otherwise. Reach out and connect with people who can encourage you and make you better along your journey!

Reflection

Now, this job isn’t perfect by a looong shot! Lol…but that’s life. We aren’t perfect. There will be bumps along the way (just like my wallpaper 🤣), but if we hold firm to God’s truths about our identity, progress, and accomplishments while blocking out the negative thoughts, we will be encouraged and strengthened to finish the journey.

The journey may get rough, but keep pushing and pursuing your goals! You’re not a quitter. You’re a winner!

Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful week!

Here are a few pictures of the completed project. It may not be perfect, but I am extremely proud of how it turned out!
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Brea’s encouraging epiphanies: Repainting a wall.

On the go? Listen to the audio version of “Brea’s encouraging epiphanies from repainting a wall.“

My wife, Brea, called me to share encouraging epiphanies she had while repainting my son’s bedroom. It was so encouraging, that I felt sharing was the “write” thing to do. Brea took on this project to really bring my son’s room to life! There’s only one problem; although she is painting the walls green, one part of this project is giving her “the blues.” We removed a rock wall that has (unfortunately) left a few small damages. These blemishes have made the project as a “hole” impossible to finish! I guess you could say, she’s been running into a wall.

This is actual footage she sent me before the epiphany 😂

Ok she didn’t give me permission to write these terrible puns. So let’s get to the point!

Brea made her experience a parabolic teaching. Here are the main points she conveyed.

Encouraging Epiphany #1: Use the proper tools.

After recognizing the holes left by the rock wall, Brea grabbed a butter knife, some spackling, and a small square of sandpaper left over from previous projects. This was definitely the economic solution which is usually my favorite because I’m cheap! In this case, there were better tools available.  In fact, the wall repair patch kit came with a tub of spackling, a putty knife, a sanding block, and a self-adhesive mesh patch.  She chose these tools because they were more easily accessible (i.e. she had to search for the rest of the wall repair kit.)

How does this apply to life?

Raise your hand if you’ve ever used a tool or resource not because it was the best for the job, but because it was convenient? *I just raised both of my hands!* For example, when Brea and I clash, the convenient tool is Facebook. I can vent my frustrations and get everyone to empathize with me. I’m sure that would (at least temporarily) make me feel better, but it would likely damage my relationship. The proper tool is a one-on-one communication session with Brea or even a guided session with a marriage counselor. This may not give me the immediate results I crave, but it gives me the best long-term results that I need.

The convenient tool may not always be the best option. Choose the tools that will give you the best long-term results.

Encouraging Epiphany #2: Follow the proper steps. Don’t Rush!

Patch, spackle, sand, prime, and paint. That is the order Brea knew to follow if she wanted to complete this project. She also knew that skipping or rushing through any of those steps could slow or impede progress. Of course like many of us who are eager to see the end result of our projects, she rushed anyway. She patched the hole and used her butter knife to cover it with spackling. Then, she waited until the next day, sanded with her tiny sanding square, primed, and painted. She definitely did all of the steps in the proper order, but there were a couple of problems. You could still easily see some of the holes, and for those you couldn’t see, you could see the glob of (now painted) dry spackling. “I guess I thought I could just paint over it and it would be smooth,” Brea said. Definitely not the desired end state.

How does this apply to life?

Whether we are working to improve a relationship, forming a new habit, battling an addiction, or doing anything in life, we know there are several steps we have to take to be successful. Failing to take these steps in the proper order may initially appear successful but may cause long-term damage. Similar to what Brea described, we rush and skip steps and try to cover up our faults. Doing so only creates recognizable “blobs.” These “blobs” reveal themselves as angry outbursts, unmanageable emotions, bad habits, obsession with your physical appearance, and more.

The key point is we have to be willing to patiently complete the required steps and address the root of the problem if we want long-term success.

Epiphany #3: Some damages are larger than others.

This is a rather obvious observation when you’re staring at a wall with a little over a dozen holes in it. You don’t need a ruler or measuring tape to know that some holes are bigger, some holes aren’t a perfect circle, and some holes will require a greater repair. Brea looked at the wall and made the obvious conclusion that though the holes were similar, each hole required a unique patch job.

How does this apply to life?

Observing the differences in the holes on a physical wall is easy. Recognizing our internal mental, emotional, and spiritual damages is much more complex. There is no “one size fits all” solution when it comes to dealing with our internal hurts and pains. That’s why I encourage things like journaling and talking to a counselor. These are ways to capture our thoughts and emotions in a visual manner so we can address them accordingly. That initial observation is imperative before we can begin taking the proper steps towards living a better life!

Conclusion

I could do nothing but smile as I listened to Brea on the opposite end of the phone. It was amazing to hear what could’ve been a simple venting session transform into an encouraging interaction! I hope that these encouraging epiphanies caused you to reflect on your own emotional, mental, and spiritual “projects” or journeys. You can and will make it to a better you!

Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful week!

Olaolu Ogunyemi: U.S. Marine Officer | Mentor | Best-selling Author