Overcoming Obstacles

Does overcoming obstacles seem nearly impossible? They sure have for me. But, I’ve learned practical ways to overcome obstacles and find a path to getting unstuck that might help you and your children.

We all encounter obstacles, but not everyone has the tools to turn these challenges into stepping stones. With faith, a positive outlook, and a few actionable steps, you can learn how to overcome obstacles that can keep you stuck. Whether you’re struggling with work, your personal life, or your child is struggling, there’s a way to gain forward movement.

While obstacles are common, learning to overcome them can change your future. Challenges don’t have to defeat us or keep us stuck. That’s why consistent time with the Lord and a community of friends can change that.

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We all encounter obstacles, but not everyone has the tools to turn these challenges into stepping stones. That’s why I’m excited to share this episode with you and your family. I want you to learn not only how to get unstuck but also how to run your race with excellence.

Overcoming Obstacles by Identifying and Assessing

We can’t overcome obstacles if we don’t understand the problem. Which is why you have to be honest with yourself.

I like to begin by gathering as much information as possible about the circumstances, feelings, behavior, and thought patterns that are keeping me stuck. You can do this too.

  • Pray and ask the Lord to give you insights
  • Ask trusted friends or your family what they have observed about me
  • Write down why you feel the way you feel
  • Carefully examine where your thoughts and beliefs are coming from that you are believing about yourself.

The benefits of carefully assessing and identifying why you can’t overcome obstacles using these steps can be eye-opening. Once you or your child has completed these steps, I recommend looking for triggers and patterns that you might not realize are happening.

Understanding Triggers and Patterns

Learning to get beyond struggles that might be holding you back, requires identifying triggers and noticing patterns of thought and behavior.

  • What specific situation causes you to feel stuck?
  • What is your emotional reaction?
  • Do you have recurring thoughts and behaviors that cause you to pause?

By spending time on reflective listening, we can identify triggers and patterns of thought and behavior. The words we think and believe about ourselves are powerful, which is why we must not focus on addressing them.

Overcoming Obstacles Through Reflecting Listening

The purpose of reflective listening is to help one understand any deeply held beliefs about oneself or the world. When you take the time to pay attention to what you think or say, you can start to construct a plan that will move you forward.

  • I’m not good at ______?
  • I lack self-confidence.
  • What if I fail?
  • Fear of failure

Our underlying beliefs can cause internal frustration and emotional paralysis. The next step in getting unstuck is to identify where our thoughts, beliefs, and patterns are coming from.

Acceptance and Skills Development to Overcome Obstacles

Learning to accept where you are is a pathway to knowing what skills you need to develop to move forward. To do this well, we need to learn practical problem-solving skills to deal with specific situations that might be causing us to get stuck. Here are a few

  • Tell yourself the truth about a situation. Being honest with yourself is essential to learning.
  • Remind yourself that no one can make you feel or stay stuck. Others may say or do things that knock you down. They don’t have the power to keep you there.
  • Pray: Ask the Lord to help you develop problem-solving skills. Trying to get around obstacles on your own makes any situation more difficult. God has a plan for your obstacle; you need to know the plan.

Every new skill requires practice. I encourage you to write down the behavior you need to improve, the thoughts you want to change, and the patterns you want to challenge. Remember this: When God instructs us to lay something down, we are told what to pick up. It is easier to replace old habits with new ones. That takes practice.

Evaluate and Readjust

Throughout your life, you will be faced with many obstacles. For this reason, make it a habit to evaluate and readjust as needed. Consider what is working and change what isn’t. There is freedom in the pivot. Your approach to overcoming obstacles will change as you and your children grow and mature.

My prayer is that you can gain insight into the processes you need and learn effective ways to overcome obstacles so that you can move forward. I encourage you to tailor these tips to your specific needs and circumstances. The goal is to equip yourself with skills and tools that you can use when obstacles present themselves.

References and Links

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Make Homeschooling Easier with Zan Tyler – ETB #181

My guest, Zan Tyler, shares how parents can make homeschooling easier and strengthen relationships using a few simple activities your children will enjoy.

As a veteran homeschool mom, Zan Tyler believes parents can make homeschooling easier by adding a few simple activities to motivate children on their homeschool journey.

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What can we do to make learning fun while making homeschooling easy? Zan shares three ideas and some sage advice I’m sure you will enjoy.

Embracing God’s Call

Embracing God’s call isn’t always easy, but Zan’s story is filled with defining moments where she witnessed God’s hand guiding her through the process. Through these experiences, she realized that her purpose is to support and encourage homeschool moms like enjoy the adventure.

Making Homeschooling Easier

Zan understands the challenges of homeschooling and wants to help you make your homeschool days more enjoyable. Here are a few tips she shared:

Break up the school week by designating a special day that your kids can look forward to.

Focus on the unique gifts that homeschooling offers, such as the flexibility of time, the ability to explore new ideas, and the spontaneity it allows.

Look for serving opportunities that you and your children can do together. Engaging in service activities strengthens the bond between you and your kids.

Plan mid-week outings or activities outside the house to bring excitement and variety to your homeschool routine.

Encourage your family members to embrace their individual strengths and find meaningful ways to redeem each day.

Building Strong Relationships

Zan emphasizes the importance of building strong relationships within your homeschooling journey. She quotes Mother Teresa, who said, “If you want to bring happiness to the whole world, go home and love your family.”

Here are some practical tips to making homeschooling easier

  • Love each other well by intentionally investing time and effort into nurturing your relationships.
  • Take the time to truly understand and get to know your children, their unique motivations, and learning styles.
  • Give yourself grace as you navigate the homeschooling journey. Remember, it’s all new, and mistakes are part of the learning process.
  • Learn to incorporate your faith into your daily homeschool routine, allowing God to guide you every step of the way.

We must trust in God’s leading to help make homeschooling easier

By implementing these practical tips and embracing the lessons shared in this episode, you can make homeschool easier and more fulfilling while strengthening the bond within your family.

Trust in God’s plan, cherish your relationships and enjoy the adventure of homeschooling. Together, we can strengthen today’s families and create a brighter future.

About Zan Tyler

Zan Tyler’s homeschool journey began in 1984 when homeschooling was illegal, and she was threatened with jail. For eight years, she and other families battled for homeschool freedom and established landmark homeschool legislation in South Carolina. In 1990, she founded the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools (SCAIHS) and served as its president for ten years.

Zan loves to empower parents as they answer their God-given calling to homeschool. She is an inspirational speaker and author. For sixteen years, Zan worked with Christian publishers developing homeschool curriculum and resources. She is now a consultant with BJU Press Homeschool. Zan’s greatest privilege in life was homeschooling their three children through high school. Zan is the host of the Zan Tyler Podcast, sponsored by BJU Press Homeschool. Join Zan and a special guest each week for real encouragement, engaging stories, and practical wisdom for surviving and thriving on the homeschool journey.

References and Links

The following may contain affiliate links.

How to Connect with Connie

Subscribe to Equipped To Be

If you find this podcast helpful, please subscribe and leave a review. It’s a great way to support the show and only takes a few seconds.

Have a Question or Want to Request Connie to Speak?

Want to contact Connie with a question? Want Connie to speak at your event? Contact Connie here. I’m here to help you navigate this season!

7 Ways to Prepare Your Teen to Move Out

7 Ways to Prepare Your Teen to Move Out. ConnieAlbers.com

There comes a time when your teen grows up and moves out. They might be leaving for college, to live with some friends, to get married, or to learn how to manage life on their own. Regardless of the reason parents can strengthen the relationship by preparing them for that day during the teen years.

At a recent speaking engagement I was asked what we did to prepare our teens for life on their own. I had to think about that for a few minutes. I began by reminding the parents that moving out is a normal part of the growing up process. It might be difficult to pack them up and send them on their way, but it will be okay.

That got me thinking, I should share them with you as well. So I put together 7 practical ideas we have used over the years to prepare our children for the day they would move out on their own.

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What Teens Need Most

What teens need the most from their parents might surprise you. Parenting advice from a large family homeschooling veteran. ConnieAlbers.com

What Do Teens Need Most?

When your toddlers fell into a big mud puddle or intentionally filled their overalls with mud pies, how did you respond? Was there was a smile of disbelief or a look of horror as they climbed into your freshly cleaned van? No matter how hard it was to avoid the temptation of disowning them, under all that mud, there still was your tangled-hair, smiling, freckled, little kids.

As your teens mature, they will get dirty and muddy again. This world is a mess. In reality, they are facing things you did not face in high school. Whether they go to public school or are home educated, they will still have to interact with and learn how to operate in this messy world. I can guarantee you they will fall and get mud all over them. Whether it’s because they jumped in headfirst or someone slung it at them, they now have to deal with the fact that life isn’t as clean and clear as it was when they were younger.

Young people understand that rules need to be in place and adults need to be respected, but they also want to know that their parents won’t disown them because of their mud. Even if your child has been in willful sin for a long while, don’t stop loving them. This will mean the world to them later.

It is exhausting and so incredibly hard to go that extra mile; especially after a rough day and all you want to do is collapse on your bed. You don’t want one more person calling for you to fix their problems. How can you possibly help your confused teenager know that you love them if you don’t even have time or energy to read a book about love languages?

There are different ways to show love. Some of them you probably excel in, while others are harder for you to give. Allow me to help define love for you.

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