Are You Living What Matters Most?

Dragon well Loose Leaf Tea       https://amzn.to/4sX3kwv    (Amazon Affiliate Link)

Good morning and welcome back to Midlife Transformation ~ the Faith & Fire Friday episode. This is  where we focus on wellness, mindset, and becoming who God created us to be.

I’m sitting here with a warm cup of Dragon Well loose-leaf green tea—one of my absolute favorites. There’s something about slowing down with a simple cup of tea that reminds me to pause, reflect, and ask myself… how did I really do this week?

Did I live aligned with my values? Did I protect my peace? This past week, if I am being truly honest with myself, in this category, not really... 

If you’re new here, or if you haven’t identified your three core value words for this quarter, I want to encourage you to go back and listen to my December episode where we walk through that together. I’ll also include a Values Word List for you in today’s show notes.

1. Values Are Your Internal Compass

•  Values-based decisions create peace, contentment
•  Habit-based decisions often create autopilot living 
•  Ask:
   Am I choosing this because it aligns with who I want to become… or because it’s familiar?

Example:
 Choosing rest instead of overcommitting
 Choosing prayer instead of panic
 Choosing boundaries instead of burnout

2. Reflection Question: How Did You Do This Week?

•  Did your actions reflect your values? 
•  Did your schedule reflect your priorities? 
•  Did your emotions drive your choices, or did your values? 

Sometimes we know our values, but we don’t actually practice them.

That’s where transformation happens.

3. Weekend Reflection Challenge

What do you need this weekend?

Do you need:

•  Rest? 
•  Clarity? 
•  Stillness? 
•  Forgiveness? 
•  Discipline? 
•  Movement? 
•  Time with God? 
•  Time away from distractions? 

Sometimes the answer is not doing more—it’s doing what matters most. Sometimes, we wonder why we feel disconnected. The question is not… "What should I do next?" Sometimes the better question is… "Does this align with who I want to become?" That’s where real transformation begins.

4. One Small Step 

Challenge:

Choose ONE value word. Choose ONE area of life. Implement it ONE time this weekend. That’s it.

Examples:

If your value is Health → take the walk
 If your value is Peace → say no
 If your value is Faith → open the Bible first
 If your value is Discipline → prep the meal
 If your value is Family → put the phone down

Small actions create big transformation.

Before we close and you continue with your day, I want to bring this back to the GRIT Method we talk about here inside Midlife Transformation.

G — Ground Yourself ~ Pause. Breathe. Pray. Get still enough to hear what God is showing you.

R — Recognize the Root ~ What is actually keeping you stuck? Not the surface problem—the real issue underneath.

I — Implement One Intentional Step ~ Transformation happens through action, not overwhelm. One step. One decision. One shift.

T — Trust the Transformation ~ Healing takes time. Growth takes faith. Trust that what God is building in you matters. That is the work. That is the process. That is how we move forward. 

Thank you for taking this time with me and for yourself. Until next time.

Rachael D. Arnold, M.Ed., Certified Incite Life Coach
970.279.1818

https://ggtlife.com/