Calling – Page 2 – Melissa Schlies

Comparison: The Thief of Joy

“Comparison is the thief of Joy” —Theodore Roosevelt Recently, I was listening to a podcast by a gifted writer who also has a good size social following. At the beginning of the episode, the host/writer shared how fun it has been to see her newest book on the shelves in bookstores. Then she went on to thank her listeners for all the downloads her show had reached. And I hate to admit it, but I began to feel jealous. Now, you may not want to write books or possibly have a podcast someday, like I do. But you do want [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2019-10-14T15:48:54+00:00October 21st, 2019|Categories: Calling, comparison, perseverance, Purpose, Success, Uncategorized|Comments Off

How to Know It’s Time to Make a Job Change Part 2

A few years ago, I read the Divergent Series by Veronica Roth. Yes, sometimes I can’t help myself when it comes to YA novels. In the first book, the main character, Tris Prior, has to choose her profession and identity in an elaborate ceremony in front of the entire city. Living in a post-apocalyptic Chicago, Tris has to choose between the five factions that divide the entire population. Like taking a virtual reality version of the SAT, prior to the ceremony, Tris and her classmates took a test to tell them which faction would suit them best. Then they had [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2019-08-30T20:07:51+00:00September 19th, 2019|Categories: Adulting, Calling, Change, Courage, Lead, Learn, Love, Love Learn Lead, Making Decisions|Comments Off

How to Know It’s Time to Make a Job Change Part 1

You have been in your job for a few years now. It was the job you went to school for, and the one you wanted since high school. But now, it’s not feeling like you. It could be that it's your work environment. Your boss is hard to read. Your co-workers are catty. Or you find yourself looking forward to the weekend more than you ever did in school (if that’s possible). You’d love to make a change but you can’t figure out if it’s your career or your job, you’re wanting to get away from. How do you figure [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2019-08-30T20:00:01+00:00September 16th, 2019|Categories: Adulting, Calling, Change, Conflict, Fear, Success|Comments Off

What Holds Us Back: The Fear of Criticism

"What will people think?” Sometimes, what is holding us back is as simple as these four little words. Seconded only by “What will people say?” The power that these two small questions have is incalculable. Because, no matter where we were born, what our family was like, or where we went to school, we all know the sting of criticism. And it is our natural response to try to avoid the pain. Only what happens when the thing you know you’re meant to do, the thing you should do, or the thing you can’t stop dreaming about—could put you in [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2019-04-18T14:50:53+00:00April 22nd, 2019|Categories: Anxiety, Calling, Change, Courage, Failure, Fear, Freedom, Hope, Making Decisions, perseverance, Rejection, Success, Uncategorized|4 Comments

Learn: That Weird Place In The Middle

It may surprise you to learn, I was unhappy to find myself working at a university bookstore after graduating college. As you might know, I love books. I was an English major. And, one of my favorite things to do is to wander the aisles of a bookstore with a cup of coffee in my hand. For me it’s pretty close to heaven. So why wasn’t I happy? Well, for one, shelving text books isn’t the same as reading a fantastic novel. Retail is hard work. But more than anything, my unhappiness wasn’t about where I was, it was about [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2019-03-06T20:57:55+00:00March 14th, 2019|Categories: Calling, Character, Faith, gratitude, Hope, Lead, Leadership, Learn, Love, Love Learn Lead, perseverance, Uncategorized, Waiting|Comments Off

A Cold & Broken Hallelujah

The train moved through the dark subway tunnels of Boston, before entering Park Street Station. This was my stop. I got off the train and made my way to the stairs. Rather than heading up to fresh air, and the sun setting on Park Street Church, I descended further to where I’d catch the Red Line Train. As I reached the bottom of the steps, on the platform between the tracks, I saw a man playing a white electric guitar. Crooning into a microphone, he stood with a small amp at his side. An open guitar case lay at his [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2019-03-01T16:41:24+00:00March 4th, 2019|Categories: Calling, Character, Courage, Hope, perseverance, Uncategorized, Waiting|Comments Off

Learn: If We Could Do These 5 Things As Adults

Do you want to know what I think is the hardest part of becoming an adult? All of us, every single one of us, has been let down by an adult in our life. Whether we were kids, teens, or even in our twenties or thirties—we know someone older than us who didn’t act the way we thought they should. Who didn’t act the way an adult should. Very often, it can be tempting to let other’s failures become our excuse for why we aren’t the human beings we should be. How often do we hear people say, “My dad [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2019-01-31T16:46:33+00:00February 7th, 2019|Categories: Adulting, Calling, Character, Courage, Lead, Leadership, Learn, Love, Love Learn Lead, Purpose, Relationships, Success, Uncategorized|Comments Off

Lead: Making Space for Change

“The secret of leadership is simple: Do what you believe in. Paint a picture of the future. Go there. People will follow.” —Seth Godin So many of us seem to react to life more than we prepare for it. We do what we’re told. We wait for permission. We color in the lines. And we put off the dreams, goals, or lifestyle changes we know will rock the boat. Even when they’re the things we think about or long for the most. Why do we do this? Deep down we all know—it’s because it’s scary. It’s risky to put [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2019-01-24T12:57:04+00:00January 24th, 2019|Categories: Calling, Change, Courage, Faith, Health, Lead, Leadership, Learn, Love, Love Learn Lead, Marriage, perseverance, Relationships|Comments Off

Starting the Year Less Than 100%

Confession: January is one of the hardest months for me to institute change in my life. Part of the reason why, is a lifestyle choice. Well, kind of a lifestyle choice. Let me explain. For almost fifteen years now, I have lived away from family. Then, I married someone who also moved away from where he grew up, This means that every Christmas, I travel. During the time of the year where I am most likely to eat foods I know weaken my body, and to fill my schedule limiting time for rest, I get on an airplane with a [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2019-01-10T16:41:44+00:00January 14th, 2019|Categories: Balance, Calling, Change, Character, Courage, Failure, Fear, Health, Hope, perseverance, Success|5 Comments

No Is Not An Answer

On my journey to live out my calling, I have received a lot more no’s than yeses. I was reminded of this recently, when I started reading through one of my journals from the year after I graduated college. At the time, I was working at a bookstore in Boston, and sending my resume out to almost any youth ministry job posted online that I could find. In a journal entry from February, a full nine months after graduation, I wrote about receiving a letter from a church saying they were going with a more qualified candidate. A letter—Do you [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2018-11-12T13:33:48+00:00November 12th, 2018|Categories: Acceptance, Calling, Character, Courage, Hope, Identity, perseverance, Success, Uncategorized|Comments Off

Comparison: The Thief of Joy

How to Know It’s Time to Make a Job Change Part 2

How to Know It’s Time to Make a Job Change Part 1

What Holds Us Back: The Fear of Criticism

Learn: That Weird Place In The Middle

A Cold & Broken Hallelujah

Learn: If We Could Do These 5 Things As Adults

Lead: Making Space for Change

Starting the Year Less Than 100%

No Is Not An Answer

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