Courage – Page 7 – Melissa Schlies

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

Love Learn Lead November 8, 2018

It hardly seems possible that we’re already into November. Perhaps it’s because it took until the middle of October to finally begin to feel like fall. But, as soon as it was cool enough to wear big sweaters and boots, I had a feeling that before we knew it, the Holiday’s would be on our door step. Thankfully though, we have a few weeks yet before Thanksgiving, and a little more time to enjoy the beauty of this season. For me, this fall has looked like coming up with new paleo recipes involving the apples we picked at a local [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2018-11-03T14:15:03+00:00November 8th, 2018|Categories: Change, Courage, Freedom, Lead, Leadership, Learn, Love, Love Learn Lead, Making Decisions, Saying No, Uncategorized|Comments Off

No-vember

My favorite word growing up was, “Yes.” If you think about it, your’s probably was too. It was the answer we wanted for every good question: “Mom, can I ride my bike with my friends?” “Yes.” “Dad, can we go out for ice cream?” “Yes.” “Mom, can I stay up late?” “No.” (bummer) “No” just doesn’t have the same happy ring to it as “yes” does. Especially because it usually means we’re not getting what we want. But “yes” isn’t only our favorite answer, for many of us, it is also our favorite reply. In High School and college, yes [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2018-11-03T14:15:37+00:00November 5th, 2018|Categories: Courage, Fear, Health, Making Decisions, Saying No|4 Comments

The Hero’s Journey

Ever notice that many of our favorite books-turned-movies all follow the same formula? Katniss, Harry Potter, Frodo—the story is always the same. Sure their lives and situations look different, but their journeys, not so much. At their core, each of these stories is about a normal, seemingly everyday person faced with an impossible quest. But why are we so enamored by them when we aren’t faced with the arena, becoming a wizard, or the daunting task of destroying an evil ring before it destroys us? What about the hero’s journey speaks to you and me? All this month, we have [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2018-10-18T18:45:26+00:00October 29th, 2018|Categories: Acceptance, Calling, Character, Courage, Failure, Fear, Health, Hope, Mental Health, perseverance, Success, Uncategorized, Waiting|3 Comments

Calling: Do We Only Get One?

Do you remember when you were a kid and your parents told you, you could pick one treat off the dessert tray at a party? The choice wasn’t always obvious. Sure, if Aunt Ida’s chocolate chip cookies were burnt, while Uncle Larry brought cupcakes from the bakery down the street—it might have been easy. But, usually, if you were a sugar fiend like me, it was a hard decision. Choosing between two good things is always tough. In some cases, it’s the most difficult type of decision. Because choosing one means not choosing the other. And the fear of missing [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2018-10-27T01:32:29+00:00October 22nd, 2018|Categories: Balance, Calling, Courage, FOMO, Hope, Success, Uncategorized|4 Comments

Love: Resources to Help Clarify Your Calling

At the end of August, Tony and I took a small prop plane for a seven minute ride over the ocean to the island of Inis Mor, just off the coast of Ireland. Online, I had read about its ancient ruins and the beautiful, jagged cliffs that line its shores. I wanted to stand on the edge of those cliffs and take in the view. Only for a visitor, to get to that side of the island meant taking a tour bus or renting a bike. As we’re not tour bus people—biking it was. That morning, we stood outside the [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2018-10-18T18:10:14+00:00October 18th, 2018|Categories: Calling, Change, Courage, Good Books, Lead, Leadership, Leadership Tip, Learn, Life Coaching, Love, Love Learn Lead, perseverance, podcasts I love, Success, Uncategorized|Comments Off

When Your Path is Different

It was almost nine in the morning, and if I didn’t hurry, I might be late to my meeting. I grabbed my purse and notebook from the passenger seat, and got out of my car. It was late fall, and flurries had just begun to fly through the air. As I crossed the parking lot, I pulled my unzipped denim jacket around me and hugged my notebook to my chest, to try to keep warm. Just up ahead of me, I saw another youth pastor also hurrying to get to our local youth worker meeting. When we got to the [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2018-10-08T15:09:43+00:00October 15th, 2018|Categories: Calling, Courage, Making Decisions, Purpose, Success, Uncategorized|Comments Off

What is Your Why

When I was seventeen, I remember praying and asking God to use me for good in this world. I wanted my life to count. But I had no idea how. I didn’t fully know or understand my strengths or my weaknesses. And unlike so many of my fellow overachieving friends, I didn’t have a plan for my life. College was mere months away, and I had no clue what to major in. I wanted to do something that mattered, but I felt lost. I share this today, because on some level, I believe you can relate. I believe we all [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2018-10-03T18:59:22+00:00October 8th, 2018|Categories: Calling, Change, Courage, Hope, Life Coaching, Purpose, Uncategorized|Comments Off

Learn: Ways I Step Back

Ever notice how the most healthy life practices, are often the hardest for us to do? Like keeping a regular exercise routine, taking time to rest, or sticking to a healthy diet. For some reason, these actions that seem like they should come naturally, are usually the ones we must fight to maintain. As if there is something in us—or in the world around us—trying to keep us off track. The same can be said for our schedules. Often at the root of struggling to live a healthy life style, is all the things competing for our time. Our job [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2018-10-08T15:12:24+00:00September 27th, 2018|Categories: Anxiety, Balance, Courage, FOMO, Hope, Lead, Learn, Love, Love Learn Lead, Routines|Comments Off

Setting The Pace

Did you know cycling is a team sport? Up until a few years ago, I didn’t. Because there is usually only one winner, I always assumed that cycling was just like running—but with bikes. Then one day, while Tony was watching the Tour De France, I came into the living room to see something that confused me. At that moment, the news coverage was showing footage of a group of riders traversing a narrow, winding road. They were all wearing the same jersey, and it looked like they were working together. “Why are they all wearing the same jersey? Do [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2018-10-08T15:14:32+00:00September 17th, 2018|Categories: Balance, Character, Courage, Friendship, perseverance, Relationships, Success, Uncategorized|4 Comments

No Is Not An Answer

Love Learn Lead November 8, 2018

No-vember

The Hero’s Journey

Calling: Do We Only Get One?

Love: Resources to Help Clarify Your Calling

When Your Path is Different

What is Your Why

Learn: Ways I Step Back

Setting The Pace

ABOUT ME

RECENT POSTS