Speaking Sleepinese

The other morning, my still tired son got up for school and began to eat his breakfast. As he tried to ask me a question, he said something that made absolutely no sense. I repeated back what he said to me, which made him snap out of it and laugh...asking, "Did I really say that?" Itold him yes, and on the spur of the moment I said he must be speaking another language, which I dubbed "sleepinese". That only made him laugh harder.

As I've thought about my new word since then, I began to realize that many of us speak some form of sleepinese, even if we are wide awake. We continue to say the same things over and over to ourselves...things that make us think that we can't change our lives for the better and that we're stuck in the same place we've always been. We run on autopilot, doing what we've always done because it's all we know, and it's our comfort zone. It feels so much easier to sleepwalk through our lives and speak those words of mediocrity or defeat. We tell ourselves that it would take too much effort to change, we're too old now, or where we are right now is OK...even if deep down we are really sick of being stuck where we are and tired of being unhealthy.

Just as actual sleepwalking can be dangerous, so can speaking sleepinese and continuing in our life ruts. We need to step out in faith, speaking words of health, life, and empowerment. We must ask God for his help...not just praying our usual words without really listening to what we say to Him, but truly speaking to God from our souls and listening for His answers. When you catch yourself saying those words of sleepinese, change them immediately. Ask God lead you to the words that will get you on the path to living a full life, and the courage to put those words into action.

No more sleepwalking through life...it's time to shine, just the way God made us to do!