Let’s Talk.  I was looking through my library of books and came across some wonderful reading material. I wish I had the hours to sit and immerse myself in all of this information. I am simultaneously reading three books.  Did you know that when you purchase a book, you are actually purchasing the years of knowledge and wisdom a person has gain over their life time? That’s priceless.  I am reading on one of my admired subjects in Taffi Dollar’s, The Portrait of a Virtuous Woman: Finding Your Freedom in God’s Perfect Plan for You. It helps me to make the necessary adjustments in my own journey to break free of inner chaos, confusion, regrets and disappointments.

She cites four things that may become roadblocks as you begin to change. Below is my spin on how the first two of these four roadblocks applies to you making necessary adjustments for designing your ideal life. Next week, I’ll write to you about the remaining two. The numbered italicized roadblock statements in bold are in Taffi’s words. The paragraphs that follow are in my words.

1.  Feelings of Low Self-Image or Lack of Worth
If your self-image is different and less than how God sees you, then your image is false. Perhaps you’ve been seeking your identity and looking for fulfillment among the wrong people, things or places. Here’s how God sees you:

   (a) with a peace of mind – freedom from fear, anger
        and doubt
   (b) with good health – high energy with a satisfied
        life
   (c) with loving relationships – long-term, mature
        relationships with other people
   (d) with financial freedom – no worries of having
        enough money
   (e) with worthy goals and ideas – a driven purpose
   (f)  with personal fulfillment – becoming everything
        you are capable of becoming

2. Unwilling to Change the Way you Speak
The words you speak will either put you over or set up roadblocks. Your words have power. Idle words work against you. Saying things out of habit can destroy your life and those of others.

   (a) I died laughing – say it was extremely
        funny and I laughed
   (b) you won’t ever amount to anything – say you
        can change and do much better
   (c) I will never be successful – say I can do all
        things through Christ
   (d) this pain is killing me – say I refuse to let this
        pain overtake me. I am already healed!

Next week I’ll give my personal spin on how you can make necessary adjustments on the other two roadblocks to design your ideal life.

Final note: as a certified interior living educator, specialist and strategist, I can help you to apply the tools to create major breakthroughs, achieve emotional clarity, personal accountability and inner direction so you can create a life of confidence, order and freedom. Let me help you get unstuck and live intentionally so you can design your ideal life. Begin by signing up for a get-acquainted session on my website.

Share this with others on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. I know you want to help someone else live a 360 Interior Living lifestyle!

Thank You!

Live by Design,

Copyright 2012, Dr. Deana Murphy. Dr. Deana works with women leaders who want to BOUNCE BACK, FAST-FORWARD their lives courageously, confidently, and conscientiously, leaving a positive footprint in the world.

She can be reached in the following ways:

wecare@DeanaMurphyGlobal.com
Twitter
Facebook
Like her Facebook page
LinkedIn
For more information on Dr. Deana’s business check out http://www.DeanaMurphyGlobal.com

 Let’s Talk. This February there is a 29^th day which means the year 2012 has 366 days instead of the usual 365. Thinking about this, with 24 hours in a day, there are 24 extra hours this year to leap forward. So what does this mean? Having 12 months in a year, you have 2 extra hours each month to leap into your desired future.

Undoubtedly no one works 24 hours around the clock, but think about an extra 30 minutes each week to do something extra towards your future. That computes to 2 extra hours a month. I have some reflective suggests by which to utilize this extra time.

Design, organize, execute.  Design clear, concise objectives for the year. Organize the blueprint into 4 spaces of time, say winter, spring, summer and fall. This breaks down to 6 extra hours per time space to work. Format your objectives in reasonable and doable activities and execute accordingly.

Look for innovative ideas. Visit book stores and libraries and read, read and read some more. Many of my ideas are birthed when I read books that intrigued and challenge me. Reading promotes an outstanding wealth of learning.

Develop a sense of urgency. Ideas have an expiration date. Don’t procrastinate. Procrastination is a thief of time. Wasted time is a thief of life. In just 30 minutes you can meditate on how to proceed with an idea or research the possibilities.

Concentrate on one thing at a time until completion.  The slogan, “I’m Every Woman” is simply played out. You cannot do everything. Do one thing well, in excellence and then graduate to the next level. I see so many make this mistake. I’ve been guilty of this. Simply concentrate intently without diversion and digression on one thing until completion.

Expect disappointments, delays and setbacks. No I am not being a pessimist; I’m preparing you to key yourself up and be motivated to stick it out. You have 2 extra hours each month to outperform your 2011 undertakings. People always plan to succeed with goal setting and affirmations. In addition, add a strategy for any unforeseen disappointments, delays and setbacks. Take an extra 30 minutes to plan how you will handle this.

Respect your dreams. You will attract what you respect. Manage your life so you can give quality time to pursuing your dreams. Get excited about them. This energy will catapult you forward and onward. It’s your personal development barameter.

See it, touch it, hear it, smell it, taste it.  You were designed to engage all of your senses in training your subconscious to propel you to what you desire. Get a clear, mental image of your objective as if already obtained. See it clearly. Feel the texture of it. Smell the environment.  Hear people talking about it. Taste the sweetness of the accomplishments and accolades. You can do this in just 30 minutes each day.

Pay the price. Lay-out your foundation firmly in determination and diligence; persistence and perseverance then vow to never ever give up. Your resolve is your measurement of your faith in yourself. Believe in you especially when all others don’t.

Don’t misunderstand the focus of 24 hours to leap. Remember the key is to managing your personal design and not managing your time. When you manage your lifedesign, you will use time wisely and accomplish all of your objectives.

Do you need help with your personal design? Someone who understands and will help you become accountable for your life and follow inner direction? Contact me for your confidential get-acquainted call.

Share this with others on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. I know you want to help someone else live a 360 Interior Living lifestyle!

Thank You!

Live by Design,

Copyright 2012, Dr. Deana Murphy. Dr. Deana works with women leaders who want to BOUNCE BACK, FAST-FORWARD their lives courageously, confidently, and conscientiously, leaving a positive footprint in the world.

She can be reached in the following ways:

wecare@DeanaMurphyGlobal.com
Twitter
Facebook
Like her Facebook page
LinkedIn
For more information on Dr. Deana’s business check out http://www.DeanaMurphyGlobal.com

“Peace I leave with you; My own peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled. ~ John 14:26-28

A “troubled heart” can be defined many different ways. The most notable is when a loved one has hurt us or perhaps when a loved one has departed from this world. But I want to talk about those hidden troubles that aren’t readily discerned. Those hidden troubles that we don’t want others to know. The lonely hearts, the confused hearts, the burdened hearts, the bitter hearts, the hateful hearts, and yes, the forgotten hearts. Another way of saying this is the downhearted, heartsick or heartbroken. Undoubtedly this affects your quality of life.

Let’s look at this from a design perspective. Let’s say your body is joined together by different rooms in the same way as your home.  The heart room is oftentimes decorated with constant mood swings or negative habitual patterns. We can also say the heart room is the hallway that pretty much links together all the rooms of your body of life because the issues of life flow from the heart. So it’s safe then to conclude that the other rooms of your body of life have a direct effect on how your heart room actually functions.  Just like the purpose behind a functional house renovation and design is to bring more comfort to your life, it is also safe to conclude that the rooms of your body of life can be comforted by a facelift, or renovation.

Constant moods swings or negative habitual patterns don’t have to have a grip on you. What would be your answer if I asked, “What drives and motivates you from day to day?” I can tell you this. The focus of your mind will paint the picture that remains in your heart.  I am not going to tell you that you must change your mindset. You hear that all the time from other coaches. Whew!

Let’s get real here. The only true way to change the décor of your heart room is by renovating the thought room, the vision room, the hearing room and the speaking room. Why? Because all of the issues of life make an entrance through the doors of these rooms first before they can even reach the heart room. Remember, the heart room is only the corridor to life.

I am sharing the following from my own personal experiences.

1. Identify the worn-out spaces.  Have you succumbed to thinking nothing good ever happens to you anyway so what’s the point in trying?  Do you feel that you’ve encountered so many disappointments that you begin to say this is your destiny in life? These thoughts and words are worn-out spaces in your thought and speaking rooms, and simply identifying and recognizing them will begin to chart your freedom.

     a.  Fight for your life in your thought room because your mind-set doesn’t automatically come into agreement with just thinking positively. It takes much effort and the blueprint for charting your course is God’s word. It’s the only power tool that breeds life into the rooms of the body of life.

     b. Begin to practice thinking then speaking only on things that are lovely, noble, honorable and lovely. Even positive thinkers run into difficult situations. But with God’s word as your blueprint, you can let things roll off your back no matter what happens. You will soon begin to think and say only what you desire to manifest in your life! Not always easy, but always doable.

 2. Monitor what you see and hear.  First examine yourself and honestly locate what has become your focus. Prioritize the issues in your life according to the truths in God’s Word. This takes a conscious decision on your part. It took a lifetime to harbor the décor you’ve created in the rooms of your body of life and it will take a conscious decision to correct the damage.

     a.  Don’t listen to the naysayer, doubters, worrywart or complainer. Don’t drown yourself into seeing the negative reports on the local news about the downturned economic conditions.  If you get laid-off, God has a better position for you.

     b.  Ask God to make you sensitive to His plans and purpose for your life. Meditate on the Word, so His promises can take root on the inside of you.

     c.  Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and make the choice to make God your priority. When you seek the things of God, eventually your thoughts and desires will align with His.

     d. Focus on the Father and His Kingdom. When He becomes the center of your life, you will have every good thing He promises you.

3.  Think about what is most important in your life. Don’t allow the things of this world to overshadow the God that designed you for His purpose. He already knows your heart, and when He begins to search your heart room, what will He find there? Will He be welcomed? What will He find sitting on the bed of your heart, which was intended for Him alone? Have you replaced Him with other things such as your personal image, material wealth, selfish ambitions or relationships with people?

     a.   You must forgive. Many thoughts and decisions are related to unforgiveness. One of the most important reasons why you are to forgive is because your unwillingness to forgive others limits your ability to receive forgiveness from God. Unforgiveness makes the heart sick and life dysfunctional.

     b.      The solution to unforgiveness is cultivating a thought décor and a heart style that says, “I set my will to forgive anyone, for anything, at any time” before the offense takes place. It is essentially a heart style that is willing to lay aside pride and bitterness simply because God commands it.

I’ve found that what works for me is saying only what God’s word says about me, my life and anything that concerns my destiny. I believe it will work for you as well as you renovate those trouble spaces in your heart by his blueprint.

 If this post speaks to you, download a complimentary ebook 3 Interior Living Principles and Strategies They Don’t Want You to Know and then please share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter and any other social media sites or networks.

 I know that there’s someone out there needing more, so please pass this along. It’s time to help someone else renovate their life and experience the 360 interior living lifestyle!

 Thank You!

 Live by Design,

Copyright 2012, Dr. Deana Murphy. Dr. Deana works with women leaders who want to BOUNCE BACK, FAST-FORWARD their lives courageously, confidently, and conscientiously, leaving a positive footprint in the world.

She can be reached in the following ways:

wecare@DeanaMurphyGlobal.com
Twitter
Facebook
Like her Facebook page
LinkedIn
For more information on Dr. Deana’s business check out http://www.DeanaMurphyGlobal.com

Wealth and riches shall be in your household, if you are a Bible believing Christian. God created you to live abundantly, enjoyably and successfully in all that you do. Life should never be mundane, dull and without purposeful pursuits. Life should be a grand adventure. You should live from one dream achievement to another. But unfortunately this doesn’t describe the lifestyle of most Believers that I know. I see too much comparing and competing. I see too much of chasing after money. I see too much unauthentic motives and copying and focusing on what others are doing. I hear too much noise. This used to be me. I would find myself trying to keep up with what everyone else was doing for the sake of looking good. At the end of the day I would think, who am I?

Today everyone is claiming to be some sort of a coach. It burdens my heart to see coaches claiming to show people how to find their purpose, how to change their mindset, how to live a great lifestyle, when in fact, these same coaches aren’t walking the walk themselves. Here’s the deal. If you want to know the purpose of a thing, you get it from the manufacturer. If you want to change your mindset, you find how the manufacturer wired you. If you want to a great lifestyle, you find out the plans from the One Who created you in the first place.

Let’s get real. God is the Creator and Manufacturer of every living thing on this earth, whether you believe it or not. I am no longer going to play around with status-quo and be cute, but I am going to share with you everything the Creator has shown me to pull myself out of a rut. I have yet found anyone who can permanently help me do this, but God. Some coaches have good plans. But they aren’t grounded and founded on God’s plan; therefore, as it is written, it is but a pile of sinking sand.

Here are three things I’ve learned and that have pulled me out of a rut:

1. Develop a Prayer Lifestyle Based on God’s Promises. Your prayer time is where God-given dreams are birthed. When you pray, you force your natural mind, with all its logic and human reasoning to quiet down so you can tune into the spirit of God. The Holy Spirit will fill you with God’s awesome dream for your life and strategies to bring it to pass. Prayer is the motivating force behind my success.

2. Leave Your Prayer Time Believing and Knowing You Have It. The mistake that is mostly made is short-circuiting your prayers. Mark 11:23 tells us to believe that we’ve received when we pray. That means to continue to believe that you have it up until you see it. Five years, ten years or what ever. If you begin to complain that you still don’t have what you desire, your prayer becomes void. If you launch out to do what others are doing and God has not directed you to do so, you are short-circuiting your prayers. Get God’s dream for your life. Dream about it. Find a comfortable place in your home to sit and stir up your dreams by visualizing successful pictures in your mind’s eye. What do you look like? What type of business are you in? You can become this if you mix your faith with the Word of God.

3. Develop Prayer and Dream Disciplines. Once a dream is birthed in your heart, you must take responsibility for the dream and put forth purposeful effort for it to come to pass. Here’s some sure-fire ways to do this:

• Diligence. Pursue what is important to you with a bull-dogged tenacity. Don’t be swayed when opposition arises. God never gives you a dream that matches your ideal circumstances or environment to carry it out. Your faith has to do that.
• Faith. Every God-given dream requires faith to achieve it…not a 20 step program that someone wrote. Practice using your faith on small projects and it will grow from there.
• Patience. A dream delayed is not a dream denied. Learn to let patience have its perfect work. In Ecclesiastes, the Bible states that there is a proper season for everything. Learn to patiently wait on God’s timing while consistently confessing his promises over your life.
• Focus. A focused person wastes little time. In order to fulfill my dreams, I dedicate all my time to purpose pursuits. Focus intensely. Stop looking at what others are doing. This only causes you grief because it appears they are farther than where you are. But know if their seemingly success is not ordained or grounded in God’s Word, it will be short lived.
• Love. To fulfill your dreams, you must be motivated by love. You cannot envy or be jealous of someone else. According to 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, dream achievement is empty without love. Practice your love discipline with those around you. Love your spouse, children, friends, church, pastors, yourself and, of course, God. Love your life regardless of where you are right now.
• Action. You’ll never rise higher than the action you take on a daily basis. Purpose daily to do something in pursuit of your dreams. If you aren’t sure, sit quietly and ask God to show you. Action gives you a sense of fulfillment. Action moves you from where you are to where you want to be.

God’s purpose and plan for your life is one of abundantly living and success. There must be a Bible-based blueprint in order to walk it out. Would you go to a Toyota dealer for assistance with the purpose of the knobs on the dashboard or your Mercedes? So why trust your life in the hands of someone who is directing you by their philosophies instead of the promises of God?

Yes, I’m tired of it. God has called me to elevate, educate and motivate His people. As a Marketplace Minister and Master Interior LifeDesigner, this is exactly what I’m going to do. I’m here for you.

If this post speaks to you, download a complimentary ebook 3 Interior Living Principles and Strategies They Don’t Want You to Know and then please share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter and any other social media sites or networks.

I know that there’s someone out there needing more, so please pass this along. It’s time to help someone else renovate their life and experience the 360 interior lifestyle!

Thank You!

Live by Design,

Credit Statement to be Included in Reprints
Reproduced with permission from Dr. Deana’s 360 Interior Living Report. To subscribe to Dr. Deana’s 360 Interior Living Report, go to www.DeanaMurphyGlobal.com or send an email with Join in the subject to wecare@DeanaMurphyGlobal.com Copyright © 2011 Deana Murphy Global. All rights reserved worldwide.

I am spotlighted in the article “100 Women to Cross Promote With on LinkedIn This Holiday Season” on WomenPartner.org. With the holiday sales season about to be in full swing, it makes good business sense for LinkedIn’s women in business community to join forces to thrive starting with Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. Visit http://bit.ly/100crosspromote to connect with all of the women listed and check out their cross promotion preferences. Approach the women who are looking to cross promote with your type of business with a win win cross promotion idea to spark your holiday sales. You should also explore how to get your company spotlighted at no cost in the next article update coming out after Thanksgiving.

Will I be cross promoting with you?

Live by Design,

Entering the lobby of any Fortune 500 company and you are sure to see their mission statement on their walls. This is a point of reference for their clients to know what service to expect; and for their employees, it shows them what their ultimate corporate goals are. It’s their corporate life plan and brand design.

A mission statement is not only a corporate tool. Every person needs a personal mission statement in order to stay purpose-driven in life. The poorest person in life is one who has never discovered why they were born. A mission statement will serve as a compass and a life coach to guide and keep you focused while you are in pursuit of your purpose. It gives you an outline of what you are called to do and how you will set out to accomplish it. it directs your personal development goals. Your mission statement should be easy to communicate and as concise as possible.

Are you going where you want to go, doing what you want to do, and becoming who you want to become? Answering these questions in writing is very important. Writing is the process that crystallizes and clarifies your plans so you can fulfill them. Writing your mission statement for your life has its benefits:

“A man’s (or woman’s) gift makes room for him and brings him before great men” is recorded at Proverbs 18:16. It is disturbing how many women do not understand the significance of discovering their gifts. When you maximize the gifts and talents that you have been given, you will begin fulfilling your purpose and become great in your chosen field of expertise. Here are six easy steps to help you uncover your unique gifts.

1. Ask. The created is not more powerful than the Creator. Ask God to show you things that cause you to become zealous and enthusiastic. With pad and pen take inventory of your skills and abilities. Your list may include working with your hands, building or fixing things, easily counseling others, good writing skills, strong leadership or organization skills or strong listening or speaking skills. List everything you can do well.

2. Reflect. When you were growing up, what were your favorite types of movies, books, places to go and things to do? Are there some witty ideas you’ve been sitting on or business ventures you’ve always wanted to do but never started? What have been some of your biggest accomplishments in life? Look through your book collection and see what genres do you read the most. I recently inventoried my library and wasn’t at all surprised to discover that interior design, life achievement and spiritual growth were the repeated theme. Some keys to your purpose are hidden in these.

3. Journal. Record your reflections in your journal. Also, spend time journaling about your deepest dreams and goals. Your journal is a record of where you would like your life to go and can be used as road map to get your there.

4. Think above and beyond. Don’t limit yourself in your way of thinking. Don’t think the same old way about your life. Remove all limits that your family may have embraced. Great thinkers do great things. Think big and extraordinarily and you will be motivated to accomplish your goals. Go to new places like museums, the opera, a live play. Talk to new people especially people who are movers and shakers who push the envelop. Talking to people outside of your normal circle of friends will help you look at your life and gifts from a different perspective. Never rule out the importance of engaging a mentor or consultant.

5. Involve God. God wants to reward you with the abundant life, but you must grow in the things of God. Believe that. Let Him be involved in your passions and pursuits. He created the passion you have, He leads you by your desires and He can instruct you on how to properly use it. (Psalm 37:4).  Believe He will do great things in your life. In Psalms 37:23, God promises to help us accomplish our purpose by ordering our steps.

6. Cue in. Identify what limits you. Is it a lack of education? Financial limitations? Lack of spiritual growth or are there other things that are gong on in your life that may be limiting you? Cue in on them and devise a plan of action to eliminate them. Again, this is an area where a mentor or consultant is indispensable.

Your unique gifts and talents have the potential to be a flourishing career for you and also a way for you to give back to those who are a part of your life. A well-designed life of peace, happiness and fulfillment begins with your beautiful interior where your potentials and gifts are lodged. Don’t allow yourself to be a shallow version of the woman you were called to be. Shape your life with standards, principles and morals; color your life with love, laughter, learning and a legacy and utilize the textures of excellence, expertise and experiences to make a positive footprint in the world.

Thank you for reading my blog. I appreciate your your comments and insights and will be sure to respond to every one.

Live by Design,

© 2011 Dr. Deana Murphy All rights reserved.

Sometime ago, I was asked to contribute to a book collaboration on heroism. The book never happened so I thought this was a good time to make it into a blog post. On heroism I once read that it is a much higher attainment than anything that occurs in sports. To be a hero requires taking risks and exposing yourself to jeopardy. Heroism requires nobility of purpose, some goal that is outside of your own self-interest. And heroism may require sacrifice.

I remember the high school days when my best buddy girlfriend, Dyanne and I would often go downtown. One day we ran into another friend, Thomas Scott, who was neatly clad in his army gear. I remember being impressed as he stood bold, brave and brawn. What seemed like only weeks later, Thomas was killed while in combat. Like Thomas, countless heroes have died while defending this great country.

As we lay asleep in our warm beds at night, both men and women alike are literally guarding the gates to these United States of America in various positions of the armed forces. Ordinary men and women are called to the front lines to do extraordinary things. They are the ones who keep us safe. They are my heroes, America’s heroes, and it is with honor that I celebrate them.

In remembrance of the supreme sacrifice of our fallen heroes, and of those who still stand, I dedicate to them this story.

Army: Be All You Can Be

In spite of the former U.S. Army, slogan, “Be all You Can Be”, our brave men and women assume their role as soldiers defending their country, yet not in the capacity all they can be. They cannot be a present loving husband or wife to their spouse or a trusted mother or father to their children. Their new roles command priority. How heroic is that? They put the safety of an entire nation above the need for the physical touch of their loved ones.

The battles that they fight are real—not at all as the spats and exchange of words with their spouse, but real bullets, hand grenades, rocket grenades and fire balls. They have the rewarding and challenging responsibility of risking their lives for a nation of people they know not of outside of their family, friends, co-workers, and the like.

Serving his nation in the U.S. Army, my father, Corporal Roy L. Grant, served honorably while defending our freedom during the Korean War. Awarded the Korean Service Medal, Bronze Star, United Nations Service Medal and the Natural Defense Service Medal, he lived to tell about it. I’m proud as can be of my father’s military record.

United States Navy: A Global Force for Good
United States Marines: The Few ▪ The Proud

He was only five feet tall when my then high school sweet-heart, Joe Greene enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He graduated the year before me. I thought the white tunic, black tie and white bell bottom slacks service uniform were so cool. What I wasn’t grateful for then was the combined efforts of the U.S. Navy and Marines defending the right of the United States and her allies to move freely on the oceans while protecting her against her enemies. I was proud of Joe because if this little guy could defend this nation— of course not single-handed— he had redefined the essence of sacrifice, duty and civic virtue.

But seriously, history reveals that the lives of men and women serving in the military are not only at stake during a war. On the otherwise calm Sunday morning on December 7, 1941, over 3,500 Americans were killed or wounded in two waves of terror lasting two long hours when the Japanese shocked the world by bombing the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Our sailors, our heroes who exposed themselves to jeopardy, didn’t have a chance.

United States Air Force: It’s Not Science Fiction ▪ It’s What We Do Every Day

Why someone would desire to fly a fighter-jet is beyond me. And what kind of person would break the protocol and dare to step over the invisible line to enlist in a military service with the odds stacked against him? Dedicated, determined and dogged young men who became America’s first black military airmen during a time when many people thought that black men lacked intelligence, skill, courage and patriotism. But these are the things heroes do. It is a much higher attainment than anything that occurs in sports. It requires nobility of purpose.

The fabric of the U.S. Air Force has not been the same since. Instead of feeling discouraged while spending their energy focusing on what couldn’t be changed, the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II accepted the challenge. Because of their superb performance and bravery, pilots from the 332^nd Fighter Group took first place in the Air Force National Fighter Gunnery Meet at Las Vegas Air Force Base, Nevada.

Many brave men and women have given their lives for this nation and in support of democracy in other countries. Four hundred thousand women gave a part of their lives, suffering not only the hardships of war but the cutting edge of public opinion. A former classmate, Shelia Baxter, a Brigadier General, is today the first African-American woman to heroically command Madigan Army Medical Center in its fifty-six years history.

There are no unimportant jobs in the military. Their heroic support and love is a reminder that freedom is not free, heroism requires sacrifice and living by design is a privilege.

Live by Design,

© 2011 Dr. Deana Murphy All rights reserved.

Thoughts of Renewal….

Greetings and Happy Easter week-end

This is a season of renewal, of rebirth, of resurrection….

This weekend people from every country will celebrate the Easter Resurrection – and anticipate our own resurrection “someday.” But actually we can experience resurrection in many ways even now. The birth of a baby, waking up after a long night’s sleep, recovering after a serious illness, starting a new week, seeing new leaves appear after a hard winter, picking up the pieces after a job loss or business crash, or just the refreshed awakening after a brief afternoon nap, are all examples of our rebirth experiences. Don’t miss the beauty and significance of those meaningful events in your life. Be grateful for the starting anew that we can savor every single day.

If you are new to DeanaMurphy.com, welcome. This is a place where we elevate, educate and motive you to master your mindset so you can live by design, not by default. One way of renewing and resurrecting the mindset is to speak life to the dead things in your life calling nonexistent things as if they already exist. This is a faith principle found at Romans 4:17.

Resurrection Tip: If you want to awaken dead things in your life, speak life to them as they are stated in God’s Word, not just things that you want. The key is you will get God’s will accomplished. As you believe and call forth what God has already said in His word, you are setting yourself in agreement with Him for His plan to birth and resurrect in your lives.

Remember, to renew, rebirth and resurrect, you must stay on the offense, not the defense. The offense position with the living Word of God will awaken those dead areas of your life and put to flight the attacks opposing you..

Happy Easter!

Live by Design,

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“Lord, what do you want me to do?” “Why am I here Lord?” “I know you have a purpose for my life, so what is it?”  “Do you hear me?”

I was trapped in a maze of ambiguity, disappointment, and loneliness. You see, during this time my friend was sharing with me her life’s direction and seemingly a new insight or opportunity everyday! It sounded so wonderful. I would think, humm, I can do that too! Whatever the “buzz” or trend for that season, I wanted my stake. Needing so much to fit in, I was trying to force it.

Then one day I awaken with the compulsion to discover myself. This was the Lord’s way of answering my prayers. My desire to know Deana and her place became unbearably intense. Settling for status-quo wasn’t an option. The emotional roller-coaster was wearing on me. Determined to defy even a wisp of depression, I surrendered every square-foot of my heart to acknowledge God’s design course for me. Growing jaded by hearing of other’s victories, I declared, “What’s for me is for me and I’m going to find it!” I began with a conscious assessment of my inner landscape. Within me was a special drawing pulling me onward. My discovery didn’t happen overnight, of course.

Just like designing a space, it was a process.

Are you seeking to know the real you? Do you sometimes question where your place is? I can help you. Here’s a blueprint to self-discovery I use in my “life design” journey. To make it fun and real, I’ll apply comparable interior design jargon I use with my students:

Purpose to know your space: Knowing your space identifies how to use it. Know that you must use God’s word to identify his exceeding great and precious promises. Purpose to trust him. His Spirit occupies the space of your heart; therefore, believe that he directs your steps as he promised in Psalm 37:23. During this process, he may impress upon your spirit to initiate a specific action. Partake of his divine nature as you take what you hear from him and act in faith until fresh clarity comes.

Assess your style and taste: What appeals to you generally identifies your taste and style. We can relate this to the cliché, “Follow your passion.” My passion assessment didn’t lead me to self-discovery. My gifting did. There’s a gift in you. Your responsibility is to stir it up. (1 Timothy 1:6). He will give you ideas that correspond with your gift. God promises that your gift makes room for you, not your passion. (Proverbs 18:16)

Create a furniture plan: A furniture plan helps the performance of functionality. To function within the scope of your gift, write a plan or a vision for your life. A room design calls for several furniture pieces not necessarily placed all at once. And sometimes it is necessary to make adjustments to the room’s layout for improving its appearance. Your life design comes with many gifts not revealed all at once. The vision outlines the performance of functionality of your gifts. Make room in your vision for adjustments and for God’s intervention. Situations and interruptions may well arise. Nevertheless, the vision is yet for an appointed time. God promises if you clearly write the vision and wait, though it tarries it will surely come. (Habakkuk 2:2-3)

Build your room, layer your décor: There is an orderly progression to achieving a distinctive, pleasing and satisfactory room décor. In developing your best life design, embrace the process of building a relationship with you. Get to know and understand you. Like yourself. Accept yourself. Love you. Your distinctive qualities represent your value. And the values within you indicate a specific inner décor for crafting your vision. So what do you do? Layer your inner décor with a mind renewal (Romans 12:2); creative self-talk (I am, I can, I will—Mark 11:23); forgiveness—the crucial one (Matthew 18:21); and love—the required one (1 Corinthians 13:8).

Combining color and light levels: Color and light distribution adds personality to a space. I like to call it the power network. Hence, opt to incorporate a network of personas then distribute them by coloring and brightening the lives of others. Encouraging, serving, praying for, submitting to, fellowshipping with, ministering to and sharing your grace and wisdom with others, illuminates their mind, impacts their spirit, brings you joy and refines your character. (Colossians 3:16)

Avoiding chaos and eliminating clutter: This helps you to resist the urge to clutter surfaces and indulge in all sorts of inner and visual fuss. Learning to run with the vision involves protection against all disorder together with being physically and mentally fit. Designing your best life sends a resounding message that exercise and good nourishment is necessary for optimum productivity. Keep the mind sharp and healthy. Complement life with cardiovascular exercise, good books, wholesome relationships and hearty dialogue. God wants your inner design strong, healthy and fit because it affects your external state. (Romans 12:1-2)

Know this. You don’t have to emulate anyone else for acceptance. Neither should you seek people’s approval. There’s nothing wrong with not knowing what to do. You need the word and prayer to become part of who you are—part of your spiritual DNA—the real you, so that they can influence and direct all aspects of your life. Make it your blueprint for your self-discovery to designing your best life.

A place of greatness is within you.
Never give up!

Thank you for reading my post today. I appreciate your comments.

Sharing my Passion,

Deana

©2011 All Rights Reserved
Award winning author and transformational speaker Deana Murphy
Deana passionately supports the success of women helping them to
design their best life. Creator and visionary of the LivingDesigns™
brand, Deana is the expert on life design and your Go-to-Resource 
for promoting empowering life makeovers, whether you seek one-on-one
consulting, group trainings, educational workshops or live lifestyle
makeover events. Visit Deana at deanamurphyglobal.com and
designingfortheking.com.