#Provocation

Believe it or not, this is one of my favorite words. And it's rarely used in positive terms. I mean, when is the last time you heard someone say "She provoked me to smile!" Yeah... Never. It's a word often used in road rage stories, and aggravated assaults. But I'm about to flip the way you see the word, and you'll get why I love it so much.

Ok so, to be provoked means someone or something moves you to action. Think about how the Universe works.. It knows your purpose and delivers you opportunities to fulfill it. But that doesn't always mean gifts fall from the sky, or opportunities always land in your lap. Oh no, stories like those always stand out to us because they are so rare! Now here's where provocation comes into play.. Often times, you need that push to compel you INTO your purpose. And that push is rarely comfortable. I have a good friend who's child nearly drown in the neighbors pool. A tragedy that brought all of us close to the family, to our knees. Her child survived, but with severe neurological deficits and special physical needs. At the time my friend was a Stay At Home Mom, and this experience provoked her to go to Medical School. Did you catch that? From the couch to Medical School in 5 years. She's been a Neurologist for 4 years now, helping other children & families who've suffered the same way her child has. She found herself doing so much research in the midst of daily meetings with her child's medical team (who she felt weren't serving her child the way she needed) that she was compelled to fulfill a purpose she never even knew she had until tragedy hit. I think about my co-parenting struggles of the past, all single parents have their moments but **whew chile** - There was a rough 2-3 years where I was CONVINCED I'd pulled wings off butterflies as a child and was being delivered Universal retribution :) I'm talking daily drama, non-stop and stupid stuff that totally distracted from the only thing that mattered - the kid! For me, it's frustrating to be forced to deal with people who vibe on a lower level than I do. So I spent a chunk of time ANNOYED AF! But here's where provocation comes in... The Mother I am in 2019 is a damn superhero compared to who I was in 2015. I was forced to grow and evolve in SO MANY WAYS! I was provoked to work around crazy-making and drama, I was provoked to laser focus on my child, I was provoked to BE BETTER and get my Michelle Obama "We Go High" in full effect! It changed me for the better in all areas of my life, and the bond with my kiddo is so much stronger too! None of that would've happened without the Universe delivering the circumstances that provoked me to ACT! So, here's my point... Stop down and really take a look at all the things in your life that are pushing you to the verge of insanity. There's likely a deeper reason the struggle isn't going away. There's a push to action you aren't yet answering. Think about those things that you find yourself consumed with. The struggles you find yourself on your knees asking God to take away. Those struggles very well may be there as a means to PROVOKE you into action! Praying for a better job because your boss mistreats you? Maybe the push is for you to start that business you've been dreaming of! Every single thing that crosses your path is a teacher, so make sure you are being a good student! xx CM