BB Ep 70: How to Be Content in Every Situation with Rachel Cruze

Picture this: You’re booked to speak on a college campus. The auditorium seats 1,000, but only three students show up. Yes, that’s 997 empty seats. And the icing on the cake? The three students who bothered to show up only did so for the extra credit. Ouch. Or how about this: You’re speaking at a conference for a bank, and even though there are enough seats for a few hundred people, only two show up. TWO! Are you cringing yet? To make matters worse, one of them talks—yes, talks, not texts—on her cell phone during your presentation. Oh, and that other attendee? He promptly falls asleep and snores the whole time. No, I’m not describing my worst nightmares. Unfortunately, both of those things actually happened to me. I mean, I can’t make this stuff up! And, y’all, I have stories like these for days from the years I spent speaking in high school cafeterias, family reunions, libraries and strip malls. As an aspiring professional speaker like I was at the time, it would’ve been easy to get discouraged in those situations. And believe me, some days were harder than others. But really, it’s natural to feel disappointed when reality doesn’t measure up to your expectations—like when your business isn’t as big, impressive or successful as you thought it would be today. Patience can be hard, right? I get it because I’ve been there. But you know what? Even in that season when nobody showed up for my speeches, when every audience was tiny, I always brought the same level of passion and energy. Related: Play to the Size of Your Heart Why? Because I believe there is something sacred in every season we go through. In other words, there is training in the trenches. It’s during those hard seasons that something happens in you that can’t happen any other way. It’s like a rite of passage. So, instead of wishing away what you’re going through right now or focusing on what’s next, I encourage you to find contentment in the now. I know that can be challenging when you’ve got big dreams. But I promise, it’s possible to be content with where you are today without giving up on your goals—it’s a both/and situation. That could look like super-serving the 200 Instagram followers you have today while working to turn that into 200,000. Or giving a heartfelt speech to five people while working on the marketing plan to grow your following. It’s both being content and striving for more. Related: Dream Bigger for Your Business I’ve told you this before, but it’s worth repeating. If you’re not faithful with what you have and where you are today, God can’t trust you with more. That’s exactly why—no matter if I’m speaking to two people or 2,000—I bring my all to every single speaking engagement. Don’t despise your small beginnings, embrace them. Practicing contentment makes it much easier to hear what God is teaching you in each season. Here are three ways you can start doing that right now: Three Ways to Practice Contentment  1. Control Your Thoughts You have more power over your mind than you think. I know this is hard, especially when you’re scrolling Instagram and see that one of your girlfriends has a brand-new kitchen or is on a fancy vacation. Do you know what you’re doing in that moment? You’re comparing someone else’s highlight reel to your current reality. Stop doing that! Comparison is a recipe for discouragement and resentment. Related: The Benefits of Practicing Gratitude 2. Focus on What You Have When you look at what you already have, it is so much easier to have an attitude of gratitude. I love how 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us to take every thought captive to Christ. When you feel comparison creep in, kick those thoughts to the curb and focus on what you’re grateful for instead. The truth is, you and I have more than most people. We live in the greatest country in the world with more money, resources and technology than we know what to do with. So stop focusing on what you wish you had. Focus on what you do have, and I bet you’ll find it difficult not to be content. 3. Write It Down There is something so powerful about writing down things like what you’re grateful for or the goals you’re striving towards. It’s as if by writing them down, you’re elevating their importance so they can take on a life of their own. That’s because when you put something down on paper, you remove it from the battlefield of your mind and bring it into the real world. How to Be More Content with Rachel Cruze  My guest today is Rachel Cruze! She’s the best-selling author of Love Your Life, Not Theirs and Smart Money Smart Kids. She’s also a speaker, host of The Rachel Cruze Show and one of my very best friends. Rachel is passionate about helping people balance spending and saving money. But everything she teaches about money centers around contentment. That’s because mismanaging your finances is often a symptom of a deeper issue: discontentment. In her work, she has found that content people are more likely to win with money because: They’re more inclined to save money They’re willing to sacrifice to get out of debt They live generous lives On today’s episode, we talk about: What contentment actually is and isn’t A real formula you can use to quit comparison How to be grateful—even on the days you don’t feel like it I’m so excited to share that Rachel has just released a beautiful tool to help us all on this journey. Rachel’s Contentment Journal is a 90-day guided journal all about loving your life and focusing on who God created you to be. If you want to learn more and read the first 10 pages for free, text RC Journal to 33444 or click on the link in the Resources section below. Contentment and FOMO  Time management is something I struggle with every single day—yes, even as a business coach! We all have 24 hours in a day, but somehow that never feels like enough. And social media has made this even harder. FOMO, anyone? Related: Excuses That Steal Your Time Thanks to FOMO, it’s so much harder to say no. We say yes to all the invitations because if we don’t, we’re afraid we’ll regret it when we see everything we missed out on all over Instagram. But, guess what? Contentment is actually the cure for FOMO! When you’re content where you are—whether that’s at home in your pajamas on a Friday night or at the playground on a Sunday afternoon—you have the confidence to say no. You can easily turn down invitations without fear because you know you’ve said yes to what really matters to you. Y’all, here’s the thing: We can’t do it all. Spending time trying to keep up with other people’s demands and expectations is just plain exhausting. I want you to not just find contentment in your heart, but also find contentment in how you manage your time. This week, I challenge you to spend your time only on what’s most important to you. #AskChristyWright On today’s #AskChristyWright segment, we talk about how to raise your prices without losing your current customers. If you have a question for me, call my toll-free number 844-944-1074 for a chance to be featured on the show. 1:19 Intentional Living: Three Clues You’re Living in Your Purpose 11:49 How to Cultivate a Life of Purpose with Lara Casey 37:55 #AskChristyWright 42:45 Challenge: Share Your “Why” with Your Customers Resources The Contentment Journal by Rachel Cruze Sometimes life feels insanely busy, disorganized, and downright unfulfilling. But God created you for more than that. In a world full of distraction and comparison, Rachel Cruze's brand-new Contentment Journal is about loving YOUR life. This 90-day guided journal will take you from feeling busy, disorganized and unfulfilled to loving your life and focusing on who God created you to be. There are 3 Sections of the Journal: 1. Gratitude 2. Humility 3. Contentment This journal is the tool that will help you focus on what matters most to you. You can learn more and start reading the first 10 pages for free by texting RCJOURNAL to 33444 or by clicking on this link! This 90-day guided journal will take you from feeling busy, disorganized and unfulfilled to loving your life and focusing on who God created you to be. Sponsors Check out our friends at DesignCrowd. If you’re looking for design work for your business, anything from a logo – to business cards – to your website, DesignCrowd is offering you, my Business Boutique listeners, a special offer to save up to $100 when you start your next project. Simply enter the discount code “BB” when posting a project on DesignCrowd. Or visit DesignCrowd.com/BB. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at [email protected]. New podcast episodes are available every other week.