From the time we are very young, each of us is programmed with beliefs about our worth, our potential, and our identity. These beliefs form our self-image.

Our self-image is simply the image we hold of ourselves. If we view ourselves highly and in a healthy manner, we’re more likely to believe we are capable of being, doing, and having more in our lives.

And consequently, those beliefs translate into our actions. And our results.

In other words, people who have a healthy self-image end up being, doing, and having more in their lives.

On the other hand, if we have a low view of ourselves, we might think of ourselves as simply victims of our circumstances.

…And this is where it gets dangerous. I know from personal experience that what this does is hinder us from reaching our full potential. I know it was something that stopped me from being, doing, and having all that God had created me to.

Because the truth is, I had specific viruses in my programming. I was believing lies that didn’t serve me or my future. Does this sound familiar to you?

…But my journey didn’t end there. I reached a point where I had enough. I made a choice to start believing in my fully resourced self.

And here's the good news: you can too! There are ways we can renew our minds and reprogram our beliefs so we can have a healthier and more positive self-image and live a life of abundance. Because as I shared in a previous email, the #1 factor that determines our success is our self-image.

Everything I’m sharing with you in this email was discussed more in-depth last Saturday in my teaching within the Fully Resourced series. You can access it by clicking here.

…And I’m excited to share that I’ll be taking an even deeper dive into this topic this coming Saturday at 9:30am (ET) on the Empowered Living platform.

>> www.facebook.com/empoweredlivingcommunity

I look forward to having you join me in my next episode as we go through the Fully Resourced teaching series. I’m looking forward to helping you discover the truth of how you are fully resourced.

Do you know what’s a challenging thought for the vast majority of people to wrap their head around?

…The truth that nothing new needs to be added to you. You are complete, whole, and fully resourced as you are. You’re not lacking or deficient. In fact, you’re connected to the source of all things, to G-O-D—The Grand-Overall-Designer. And you have been created in the image of God, who only creates two ways: perfectly and abundantly.

That might be a lot for you to take in, so if you need to pause and re-read what I just wrote, please do so.

And maybe even just stop right here and take 5, 10, or even 30 minutes right now, to just think on that— to reflect on the truth of who you are and whose you are.

It took me a long time—more than half my life— to come to grips with this truth about myself. And to be honest, it’s still something I need to revisit and remind myself on a regular basis.

And I think that’s how it is for each of us, no matter how far we’ve come or how much success we’ve created in our lives.

What’s really helped me is having just a handful of key people in my life speak truth to me, reminding me of my abilities, my potential, and that I am fully resourced here and now, just the way I am.

Do you have someone like that speaking truth into your life?

This Saturday, I’m continuing a teaching that I started last week. It’s based on a mentoring program I put together called Fully Resourced.

If you need an injection of truth in your life, or maybe just some encouragement and a reminder of your full potential, join me this Saturday, May 22nd, at 9:30am (ET) on Facebook LIVE. And allow me to speak into your life.

>> www.facebook.com/empoweredlivingcommunity

Here’s what I can say… and this is the rule of thumb I’ve used for any mentor in my life.

I will listen to someone and do what they tell me to do if they have the results I’m looking to create in my own life. And I’ll do what they tell me to do unless I learn that they’re either lying to me, or are crazy.

And I can tell you, this rule of thumb has served me well. It has given me the space I need to activate my faith and step forward and take action, even when I couldn’t see how that action step would move me closer to what it is that I wanted in my life.

I trusted my mentor and my guide, and sure enough, each person who has maintained that role of integrity in my life has helped me move forward in tremendous ways.

So again, let me invite you to join me on Saturday, May 22nd, at 9:30am (ET) on Facebook LIVE, right here.

>> www.facebook.com/empoweredlivingcommunity

Even if you want to just "try it on for size," go ahead. There’s no commitment needed. Come check it out. And if what I’m sharing resonates with you, join me again. What I’ve found is that truth will always resonate.

The other weekend, Holly and I got together with some of our good friends and took the time to sit around a meal (composed of food from each of our unique cultural backgrounds).

It was a diverse group...

John is from Colombia, Renata from Brazil; Holly is from Canada, and Christian moved to the US from the Philippines. And I am of Italian heritage and grew up in Pittsburgh.

It was a great time. We had the chance to share about our unique cultures, experiences, and memories. And the food really seemed to play an important role in bringing us back to our roots as well as bringing us together in conversation.

…Specifically, some cookies which I’m now going to tell you about…

I recently found this Italian bakery which sells the same cookies that my grandmother and Great Aunt Zizi used to make when I was a kid.

As soon as I bit into this cookie, memories flooded my mind – remembering that taste and smell, and all the occasions associated with it.

…And it was also interesting to discover that as a group of friends (from different cultural backgrounds), we each had very similar stories and traditions all around some simple foods.

There were Brazilian cookies, Italian cookies, coffee from Colombia... We were taken back to different times and places in our lives, by simply enjoying a bite of a cookie.

And more beautifully, we were able to share that memory and experience it with one another.

…And it really got me thinking: we are much more similar than we are different.

In our society today, there seems to be a big push to divide. It’s so easy to point out our differences and view them in a negative light.

… But what if we learned to embrace our unique cultural backgrounds and took the time to listen to one another’s stories and to discover our commonalities… and to find unity rather than division?

You’d be amazed at how much commonality you can find in a cookie.

Every day, people are asking and searching for ways we can learn to get along…

Well, as you’ve probably realized, we can’t rely on the government or the media to bring us together.

Maybe the answer is as simple as having some cookies with some people from different cultures and backgrounds.

Because the truth is, we’re more alike than we are different.

Maybe it starts with some cookies.