Defined: to check, adjust, or determine by comparison with a standard. To make corrections in; adjust.

As a One on the Enneagram Scale, I like to think that I have a strong sense of right and wrong and that I am always trying to make change for the good.  I hold myself to a very high standard. But true to the Enneagram scale my type in stress is a Four; where my fear becomes not having an identity or personal significance and emotions run high.

Now I will be honest, feeling like I do not have an identity or a clear focus on establishing reform has never happened to me. I say this because I think it is important that we listen to ourselves and the ways in which our minds speak. When things change; we need to recalibrate and understand the motivations or situations behind the change. It was not until I was discussing Enneagram types with some friends and giving advice, that I came to understand what was happening in my own heart and head. My emotions were kicking in as a Four and my One-self was drowning in those emotions and feelings of losing my identity.

When things change; we need to recalibrate and understand the motivations behind the change.

If you do not follow Enneagram or know your type, I highly recommend that you look into it.  It is a great tool to understanding yourself a little bit better and working toward the healthiest you.  But if you have no interest, this post still holds significance.  We all owe ourselves some reflection and some recalibration; especially in the midst of life’s busiest seasons.  My whole point is based on the fact that I contend that we all must have a standard or a measure. That standard is up to you and you may not know what that standard is.  But start by asking yourself how you know when you’re not healthy or when you’re in a season of life that is too difficult; what are you judging this off of?  

Over the past month, I have sat on the word recalibrate. What was I asking myself to do? How deep was I going to make myself actually look? Was I really going to drag myself into this recalibration process and set my eyes back on the standard? Yes, but slowly; although I was going to push myself because I want to be in my secure point (Enneagram One). It didn’t take a quick process to get me to my stress point; although some of the situations in my life could have easily been the one to push me to that point. But I think just as it is a shock to our system to hit our stress point, it is also a shock to our system to go the other way too quickly. Acting in your stress point may also be a defense mechanism that your body needs for a minute. But the biggest reason I say slowly is so that you really walk through the process of recalibrating yourself and understanding the influences that got you here. That is where change comes from.

Recalibrate: this looks like me taking a deep dive into my thoughts and extending myself some grace to fail a few times before I get back to myself.  It looks like space.  It looks like time.  It looks like assessing where I am at.  Asking questions: Where do your thoughts dwell?  Where does your heart dwell?  These not only will tell you where you are currently at; but they will also start to show you the standard or the measure you are trying to get back to. 

The biggest action step forward?  I contend is our choices.  I fully believe that life is a series of choices.  I do not think that most of the choices we face as adults are right or wrong; but rather a choice we get to make and it how those fit into our standard.  Our lives are given to freely make choices.  Yes, there are poor life choices; but I also think that when we put actual thought into a choice or we are at a crossroad it is just a decision on where our life will go and what we are choosing to prioritize.  When we are calibrated these decisions become easier.  My choices as of late have been to mute certain conversations on my phone, to disable some of my Social Media for a time, to give myself a day off, and to really dwell on why my heart feels so out of place.  To stop always forcing myself to face the hurt and allow time to see the motivations behind others actions.

We all have a standard or measure.

I cannot sit here and tell you that in difficult seasons, or in seasons in which you are not walking in your secure point, everything will become easier by recalibrating your life.  But what I can tell you is that the more you understand the reasons behind the changes, behind the difference in your actions and emotions, the more you grow and allow the busy or difficult seasons to transform you.