Rhonda (00:00.93)
Hey, hey, hey, you read that title correctly. Fear is preventing you from having a joy comeback. So it is time to stop allowing fear to rob you. So if you didn't know, I'm going to say it until I can't say it anymore. Your girl ran her first half marathon and
I just want to share that it literally took me two weeks to decide to run this first half marathon. And honestly, every time I got dressed, I was nervous. I felt like a little kid trying to figure out what to wear and how I should look. Many times.
I was afraid because I didn't want people to see me and talk about what I was wearing when I went outside and tried to run. You know, I also had a love-hate relationship with the treadmill. I knew I could get up there and get it done, but it was a little boring to me. And I also was focused on
The people watching me. People probably weren't even watching me, but in my head, I had that fear that people were going to be watching me and talking about me. But as I kept training, I realized that being able to jog barely one mile turned into being able to jog 10 miles without stopping.
Then I could jog 11 miles without stopping. And then I was at 12 miles without stopping. At that point, I realized it didn't matter how I looked to other people or to two other people. And it really didn't even matter how slow I was going. My race was my race. And I was finishing the miles.
Rhonda (02:22.762)
I wasn't just going out there for five minutes and giving up, but I was finishing the miles even though I was slow. Okay. I am a slow runner. But one day, y'all, I was driving- not driving, excuse me. I was running, and a car drove past me, and I heard
Heard a small voice coming from the car as it approached me, and it sounded like a child. And the little girl, once she was literally right beside me in the car, in the back seat, she had rolled down her window, and she was like, " Get it, girl, go, girl, get it.
And I'm going to tell you the truth, that gave me so much joy and encouragement. So what I'm saying is, when we choose to set aside our fear of doing the thing and look beyond what we can imagine, we become people we can't even imagine. We're able to reach goals that are beyond
what we ever dreamed of. And I can say that I am a marathon runner. I don't even want to display this particular picture because, you know, the pounds are there. But can you see the face? Can you see my face and how excited I was to be running
Out in the streets of Hawaii, and then just the faces of completion and getting the actual marathon- so much joy, so much happiness, so much love that I really can't even put into words. And now I am looking forward to.
Rhonda (04:43.362)
Doing another half marathon as well as the full marathon in 2027. So I want to share some practical things you can put in place to start moving beyond your own fear. I was really, really fearful about doing that half marathon. I was really, really fearful about getting up and running in public.
Letting people see me, you know.
What clothes should I wear? Am I gonna look crazy? And oftentimes I would run in the early part of the morning before the sun came up, one because it's hot, but also because I knew that people really weren't gonna be paying attention to me that much. And I will say that the running community, those who are actually runners, they are so supportive and
It wasn't just that little girl who gave me compliments. A lot of other people would encourage me to keep going. Because anytime you do something hard, you need encouragement. So I want to give you some practical tips so you can start to move beyond your fear, as I did, and actually find joy. Because let me tell you something.
When I crossed that finish line, nobody could tell me anything. I was exhausted and could barely walk, but I was so thrilled. So you have to get thrilled about the benefits that come with doing something out of your comfort zone and stepping out of that fear category. Maybe it is running a half marathon; maybe it's working out. We already know that.
Rhonda (06:41.026)
Working out and increasing your activity. There are so many scientific benefits that have been proven that as you move your body, as you exercise, you release certain endorphins that enhance your mood. But the accomplishment of getting something done, being a heavier runner than most people- you know, I'm not the fittest person in the world. That's something I am still
working on, but your girl did it. So I want you to give and do some things as well to move beyond fear because that's where joy is. So let's get into practical steps you can start taking to get over your fear. Let me
Pause for an announcement to let you know that even if you feel stuck right now, you don't have to remain that way. If you need a reset, head to my website, www.rhondalive.com, and get my free guide, Sing Your Way Back to Joy, so you can use those writing prompts. You'll be able to
Take all the information, and I promise you, if you apply those things, you will begin to live your life in a place of joy. So here are the practical steps on how to go beyond your fear. First, I want you to take a deep breath.
Rhonda (08:24.67)
Let it out and write down what you want to do but are afraid to do.
Rhonda (08:34.486)
I know you may not be able to write right now, but you can come back and listen to this podcast or put a note or voice note on your phone to do this. Take a deep breath, write down what you want to do but are afraid of. After you write it down, put a date on your calendar.
For when you want to do it. Now, there are a few things to consider with that date. If you want
Or need to make preparations, make sure you take that into account before putting the date on the calendar. For example, when I prepared for the half marathon, I couldn't just get out there and run 13.1 miles. No, I had to prepare before it came because if I didn't, I knew I wouldn't be successful. Now I knew that the half marathon was going to be April 13th.
And when the idea came to me from a friend, it was Thanksgiving, actually. So I needed to decide soon so I'd have at least three months to prepare. When I did the research, I looked up how long it takes to prepare for a half marathon if you're a beginner runner. And the research said it takes two to three months.
And because the research supported this goal of stepping out of my comfort zone and moving into something that I was afraid of, I had no excuse not to do it. All the research said that it could be done. So the only thing that was keeping me from doing it was my mind. I had to do it. So the next thing I want you to do, after you put it on the calendar, is
Rhonda (10:35.306)
You need to tell a true accountability partner, not someone who is going to just agree with you when you want to give up, or someone who's going to agree with you when you think it's too hard. No, you want someone who will hold you accountable and help you work toward your goal when you want to stop. Now, we do this all the time in the community.
I have an open season for the community coming soon. If you're interested, you can go to my website and look for the tab that says community. I'll also include a link in the notes below so you can access it easily. We hold each other accountable because we understand that accountability helps us reach our goals and inspires us to be better.
Better moving out of fear. The next thing is you want to do it.
Rhonda (11:41.997)
And you want to make sure that you set small milestones by checking in with your goal. You're setting small milestones for yourself to reach. If you're making a phone call to someone, maybe you need to pay a bill, or you need to send a letter, you can still put a date on that.
But there are no milestones that you need to call someone or send a letter; you still need to create it. You just have to set a day aside and finally get over your fear. Then you'll be more confident. Of course, one of the other things that I would advise you to do that helped me is to use the word of God to speak life.
When you feel like you cannot do it anymore. There were many times when I was on the road, on the track/or in a neighborhood, and I wanted to give up. I was far from home, but in those moments I literally spoke the word of God. Rhonda, you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength. Rhonda, you are more than a conqueror.
And many times I would pray to God to give me strength. I would pray that He would let my legs keep moving and not fold. I would sing songs, anything to provide me with a strength that was greater than me. And that strength only came from God and the Holy Spirit. So your next step is getting over your fear by deciding when you're going to do it.
Don't take a month, don't take six months, don't even take a year, but decide today: when am I going to do it? I would love to hear from you. So make sure you put in the comments when you're going to decide to do it and/or send me a DM. Let me know what you're gonna do and how you're gonna do it. Trust me, when you do decide to do it, you will be extremely confident and
Rhonda (14:03.946)
Not only that, you would obtain joy that no one or nothing can take away from you. I can't wait until you tackle your next thing. Can I pray with you? Father, I thank you for this listener. I thank you, God, that you have provided us with tools, and you've provided us the power through your Son, Jesus Christ, that we do not have to live
And walk in fear. You said in your word, Lord, that you have not given us the spirit of fear, but you have given us love, power, and a sound mind. And so, God, I pray that as we have listened to this and as I pray, Lord, that you would stir up the gift within us that we'd be able to walk in freedom, enjoy, casting down fear, and Lord Jesus.
Being able to be your disciples here on earth. Bless us as God, we move forward, and we thank you that action is going to help us overcome fear.
Rhonda (15:18.966)
I love to laugh, and I want you to keep finding joy by laughing at some of the simplest things. So here is our joy break for this week.
Rhonda (15:45.839)
Dear worship leader, the pastor wants to know if you will be attending Bible study this week. He is tired of you all quoting the same scripture every Sunday.
Rhonda (16:13.112)
Have y'all ever been to church? Have y'all ever been to church or watched services online?
And the worship leader or worshipers keep saying the same thing over and over again. If you're a worshiper, if you're a worship leader, take time to learn some scripture. Take time outside of Sunday, go to Bible study, learn some scripture so that you can edify and lift up the Lord with more than make a joyful noise unto the Lord, how you land or
Come on, let's clap our hands. Let's speak the word of God in the atmosphere. Something that will change people's hearts and minds. All right, y'all. Until next time. Stay joyful.
