The Power Reset: Returning to Stillness & Discernment

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Well, hello, my valued listeners, and welcome back to another episode of Living in Your Power.
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I'm your host, Dr. Marlene Greenlee, and I'm truly grateful to share this moment with you today.
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But before we go any further, I want to pause and acknowledge something significant.
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Today, as many across the nation reflect and remember, we honor the life and
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legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
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Dr. King was a leader whose power did not come from noise, position,
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or popularity, but from conviction, faith, clarity, and moral courage.
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He understood something many of us are still learning, that true leadership
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is rooted in purpose and guided by an inner stillness that listens before it moves.
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He once said, the time is always right to do what is right.
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But doing what is right requires discernment. It requires stillness.
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And it requires the courage to hear God clearly, even when the world is loud.
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I believe it's no coincidence that today's episode falls on a day that calls
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us to reflect deeply on leadership, service, and intentional living.
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So as we continue our journey through January, we are grounded in our theme,
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The Power Reset, Returning to What Matters.
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Because this month is about restoring alignment, not rushing ahead,
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but returning to the practices and perspectives that anchor us.
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And today's episode, the third in our January series is the title,
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Returning to Stillness and Desernment.
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Now, in a world that rewards speed, productivity, and constant visibility,
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stillness is often misunderstood.
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We are thought that movement equals progress and that quiet means delay.
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But spiritually, stillness is not avoidance. It is, in fact, wisdom.
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I mean, many of us stay busy, not because we're called to, but because stillness requires us to listen.
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And listening sometimes reveals truths we've been avoiding.
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Psalm 46.10 tells us to be still and know that I am God.
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Now that verse doesn't say be still once things calm down.
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It doesn't say be still when everything makes sense.
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It says be still right in the middle of uncertainty.
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Because stillness is an act of trust.
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It's the decision to pause long enough to remember who is in control and who is not.
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Now, discernment is not the same as decision-making.
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Decision-making can happen quickly.
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Discernment takes time.
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Now, in my own life, I've learned that the moments when I rushed decisions,
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they were often the moments I later had to revisit, repair, or undo them.
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But the choices I brought before God, patiently and prayerfully,
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they carried a different kind of peace.
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Discernment, my dear listeners, it grows when we stop filling every moment with noise.
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Noise from opinions.
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Noise from expectations.
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Noise from comparison. 1st King 19 it reminds us that God did not speak through
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the wind, the earthquake or the fire,
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but through a still, small voice.
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And that voice is often drowned out when we don't create space to hear it.
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Stillness sharpens discernment because it quiets everything competing for our attention.
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Now, if you've been feeling uncertain, overwhelmed, or pulled in too many directions,
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because I know I have at times, stillness is not something you have to wait for.
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It's something you can practice intentionally.
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So here are three ways to begin cultivating stillness and strengthening discernment in this season.
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First and foremost, of course, create daily quiet on purpose.
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Stillness doesn't always arrive naturally, so sometimes it must be protected.
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I mean, it just may look like sitting in silence before the day begins.
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Turn off music or podcasts during a commute. Or just spending time with God
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before opening your phone.
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Quiet creates room for awareness and awareness creates clarity.
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Now second, I want you to pause before you decide.
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Discernment grows when prayer comes before action.
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So before saying yes, pause.
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Before committing, pause.
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Before reacting, pause.
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Take a deep breath, pause. us.
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Proverbs 3, 5 to 6, it reminds us that we need to trust in the Lord with all
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our hearts and lean not on our own understanding.
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In all your ways, submit to him and he will make your paths straight.
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So submission doesn't slow you down, but it keeps you aligned.
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And third release the urgency to
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be certain i mean sometimes
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we rush decisions because we feel pressure to
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be sure but fate does not require certainty it in fact it requires trust and
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discernment often unfolds gradually one step at a time so you don't need the full picture,
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just the next fateful step.
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So now let's reflect on James 1 5 which says if any of you lack wisdom you should
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ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to you,
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so wisdom is not something we have to earn it's something we are invited to
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receive I mean, God is not withholding clarity from us.
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He is in fact waiting for you to slow down enough to hear it.
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So here's your empowerment prompt for this week. Of course, take time to journal
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or reflect on these questions.
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Where in my life am I craving clarity?
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What noise might be preventing me from hearing God's clarity?
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And what decision do I need to bring before God instead of rushing through?
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I'm going to repeat those questions for you. Where in my life am I craving clarity?
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What noise might be preventing me from hearing God clearly?
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And what decisions do I need to bring before God instead of rushing through?
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So still this is not empty space. It is sacred ground.
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So in closing my friends returning to stillness is not about escaping responsibility
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but it's about leading from wisdom rather than urgency,
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when you slow down you don't lose momentum you gain direction and when you quiet
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your spirit you don't fall behind you move forward with purpose.
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So as you continue this power reset, I want you to remember that clarity comes
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to those who are willing to listen.
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Wisdom flows when stillness is honored.
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I want to thank you for joining me today on this episode in our January series,
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The Power Reset Returning to What Matters.
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I mean, next week, we'll close out this month with a powerful conversation entitled,
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Choosing What Matters Gently.
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I want to thank you again for listening to this episode of Living in Your Power.
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And until next time, dear listeners, continue to live boldly in your power today.
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And if it gets tough, just breathe.
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You still got the strength to rise so I'll see you next time and continue to live in your power.