E.L.I.T.E. Ambitions, Guided by Grace

One of my favorite hymns is Amazing Grace by John Newton. I’ve always been drawn to the first stanza:

Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

But this week, I found particular inspiration in the second stanza:

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believed!

What does this mean? To me, it reminds us that grace is not only what reveals our limitations and fears, but it is also what helps us overcome them. Grace shows us where we fall short, but it also offers the strength and peace to move forward.

This week, I realized I needed to extend that grace to myself. I’ve been putting a lot of pressure on getting the blog and podcast perfectly aligned. Ideally, I want readers to follow the blog posts on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and then listen to the podcast on Monday. I know I’ll get there eventually, but I need to give myself the grace to grow into that rhythm.

What’s challenging is that I started the blog weeks before deciding to launch a podcast, so there's already a timing disconnect. And since I’ve never recorded a podcast before, I’m learning a lot about the process—recording, editing, posting—it’s all more complex than I initially thought. The grace I’m giving myself is to adjust the blog posting schedule now, ensuring that everything will align perfectly in the long run.

It’s funny how this decision brought me so much stress. I control the blog and podcast, and right now, there aren’t even any readers of the blog yet. Still, I worried about disappointing potential future readers, people who don’t yet exist! When I realized that the only person I’d disappoint by shifting the schedule was myself, I gave myself grace to prioritize what makes sense for the future.

Hopefully, as a future reader or listener, you’ll appreciate this decision.

Am I E.L.I.T.E. for giving myself the grace to overcome my fears and challenges? I think so.

Quote of the Blog:
"All that counts in life is intention."
—Andrea Bocelli