Finding Strength in Prayer and Bold Decisions

Feeling stuck and unsure about your next steps? Join me, Mariana, on the MAMI on a Mission podcast, where I share my personal journey of wrestling with God's direction for my life and business. Listen as we explore how to reignite your passion and overcome external expectations, inspired by recent sermons on pursuing excellence. I'll share insights about the transformative power of faith and prayer, and highlight essential questions to keep you moving forward and avoiding stagnation. Together, we’ll uncover the authority we have as women to lead purposeful lives, even amidst life's messiness.

Discover how to embrace change and trust in God's plan during uncertain times. Learn the significance of taking responsibility, maintaining an excellent attitude, and staying committed to your goals despite difficulties. Drawing from personal experiences and powerful metaphors like the Mud Girl run, I illustrate the importance of helping others when they are ready and making bold, courageous decisions. Listen in for a heartfelt prayer that will uplift and guide you as we encourage each other to live more fulfilling lives. Tune in and empower yourself to dream big and pursue greatness.

RESOURCES

EmpowerHer Purpose Program

Interested on coaching but still not sure? Grab your free copy of:
EmpowerHer Purpose Guide

MAMI on a Mission LLC

Grab your Copy of my book MAMI on a Mission - A Guide Towards Healing, Self-Discovery and Walking in Confidence



FOLLOW
Follow me on Instagram: @mamionamissionpodcast

Follow me on FaceBook: @mamionamission

Signup for a free monthly newsletter

Chapters

• 0:04 Empowering Latina Women to Dream Big
• 9:06 Taking Responsibility and Following Through
• 25:09 Embracing Change and Moving Forward

Transcript

Mariana: 0:05

Welcome to the MAMI on a Mission podcast.

Mariana: 0:07

I'm Mariana, your host and the number one bestselling author of MAMI on a Mission a guide towards healing self-discovery and walking in confidence. As a dedicated life coach, wife, mom yaya and, most importantly, daughter of the king, I am passionate about empowering multifaceted women just like you. In each episode, we dive deep into transformative topics that help you reignite your passion and purpose. My unique approach is designed to help you overcome the fear of external expectations and create the space and time you need for both increased job satisfaction and personal growth. Join me on this journey of self-discovery and empowerment as we explore practical strategies, inspiring stories and actionable insights. Together, we'll navigate the complexities of life and emerge stronger, more confident and truly aligned with our deepest desires. Welcome to the MAMI on a Mission podcast, your go-to resource for living a more purposeful and fulfilling life. So grab your taza of coffee and let's talk.

Mariana: 1:20

Hello, hello and good morning to another episode of the MAMI on a Mission podcast, the podcast that empowers Latina women, and all women, to reach their impossible goals, one dream at a time. I'm your host, mariana, and it is always a pleasure and honor to be here with you every morning on Saturdays, just to spend a little bit of time with you and just to be here to encourage you. I'm coming on here today because, you know, I've been really thinking about what it is that I want to deliver today and I'm going to be honest with you, I have been for some time wrestling with where God is taking me in this season in my life. I started this podcast, I started this business, MAMI on a Mission, for the reason or for the purpose of wanting to empower Latina women and of all women, to just continue to dream, dream big. Why? Because I believe that so many of us stop dreaming, stop believing in ourselves, get consumed by life, by taking care of others and not ourselves, and I think, along the way we lose our identity.

Mariana: 2:48

And I've been going to church a lot more and I'm not going to lie to you, it's been a while since I've stepped in to church. Maybe I haven't, I mean, I've gone in and out of church, but to really, really focus and dedicate my time into going to church, I want to say it's been almost a year, if I'm going to be honest, and I've been praying to God to bless my business, to use me to change the trajectory of the business, the podcast trajectory of the business, the podcast, whatever it is, because I really do want this to be for his kingdom. And if I'm going to do this, if I'm going to make the changes, or if the changes need to be made and it's going to be for God's kingdom, then that means that I really need to change some things about this and be very bold about the kind of messages that I need to be delivering and not be afraid and I'm always talking about being comfortable, being uncomfortable, and so if I'm going to be delivering that type of message to you, then I myself have to put myself once again in that position. I'm going to be honest. It's not easy. I'm not going to say that I'm scared or that I'm afraid, but I know that it's going to come perhaps with some negativity, and that's okay.

Mariana: 4:27

One of the things that I've been listening to the last few Sundays, and really the last two Sundays not this past Sunday, but the Sunday before last it was really about forging great leaders, how to pursue greatness, and what I learned was that to pursue greatness, it takes the extra 5% because God doesn't want us to live a good life. God wants us to be able to live a great life. So there were some things that we have to ask ourselves, and this is these are the questions that the pastor was bringing up, and I thought wow, I really do need to ask myself these questions as well, and one of those was have I settled or become indifferent? In other words, have you ever used that expression? It is what it is, or well, I guess that's good enough. That's more of being indifferent, because what happens is indifference becomes stagnant, stagnation. Your life becomes very stagnant, and I think for a lot of us women, that's what happens.

Mariana: 5:51

So, as we dive into what we're going to talk about today, I mean, grab yourself your cup of coffee, tu cafecito, pen and paper, because I think what we're going to talk about, we're going to talk about some hard stuff today, and I think these are things that we really need to start thinking about. It's been placed on my heart to do it. I'm going to be ad-libbing a lot of this information, so you're probably going to hear a lot of ahs and ums in here, and I'm so sorry if you do, but I'm on this right along with you, because God has really got me on a journey this season and there's going to be some major changes going on with the podcast, because I've asked God to use me, and if God's going to use me, then I need to allow myself to be used and to be stirred up. And it's going to be a bumpy ride, because I don't want to live a stagnant life. I want to live my life according to what God wants me to live, and I'm going to tell you all this that sometimes, when it comes to living for God, it's going to be somewhat messy because, remember, when the disciples were on the boat with Jesus, jesus had the peace and the calmness the rest of them, they were on that rocky boat, remember, during that storm, but God is the one that had the peace and the calmness within him. So we need to find God's peace and calmness throughout the messiness of the journey, of the trajectory that we'll be embarking on, because, as women, god has given us the authority, ladies, he has given us a voice, he has given us the authority to make the changes in our lives, and you need to be ready. You are strong, you are brave, you are courageous, and we're going to talk a little bit more about that too, because that's a message that really hit home for me, we're not who we are because it's just the way God made us. We are who we are yes, partially because this is who God made us to be, but the other part is because life has put us in situations that has developed us to be the people that we are.

Mariana: 8:12

So the six questions that I'm going to once again ask are the ones that the pastor had brought up, and it was the first one once again is have you settled or become indifferent? Are you still telling yourself it is what it is? Are you just accepting things for the way that they are? If you're living life struggling, are you just accepting that you're always going to live life struggling? If you can barely make it, are you going to continue to live like you can just barely make it? Number two is have I relented on my commitment? Meaning, if you say you're going to do something and once it gets hard, do you give up on it, or are you rolling up your sleeves and getting to work?

Mariana: 9:06

Are you doing that hard thing? Are you pushing through? Are you walking through that mud? Are you just climbing up that hill Like when the tough gets going? Are you going for it or are you throwing your hands up and saying I'm done, it's too hard, I can't do this. I've said this before we don't like hard, we like easy. Easy is nice, easy is comfortable, easy is just easy. We don't want hard. But when you make a commitment to your family, when you make a commitment to yourself to do something, you have to follow through. And it's not going to be easy. And that's the difference between good and great that when you're able to follow through the hard, the end product is going to be great, because you've learned so many lessons from it and you're going to be able to go out there and share your wisdom, share your knowledge with someone else, and you're going to be able to tell them hey, I got you, amiga, I know exactly what it is that you're going through.

Mariana: 10:20

Another one is have I withdrawn from my God-given vision? Have you ever had a dream so big? Or have you ever planned on something so big? And because, again, life got so hard, you've put it on the back burner and you just never revisit it. Or maybe it's because you just put it in the back of your mind and you just never thought about it again. Listen, in order for you to have that vision come to fruition. You need to be able to get with someone who has been able to create, who has been able to accomplish that same vision, someone who can guide you, write it down.

Mariana: 11:16

One of the things that I've talked about time and time again has been about my life, the things that I've wanted the kind of house that I wanted, how many children I wanted, the kind of car that I wanted, the kind of husband that I wanted. I mean, just write it down detail for detail what is it that you want? And be specific in your vision of what it is that you want, your career, the type of money you want to make, the kind of, you know, whatever it is, the kind of vacation you want to have, where do you want to go by when do you want to go? How much money do you want to earn? All of those things you need to write it down and then give it to God, but, at the same time, share it with someone that can help you get to that goal, that can help you get to that vision, not someone who's never gotten there, because if you get and share it with someone that has never gotten there, they're going to see it as an impossible goal or an impossible vision and all they're going to do is convince you of why you shouldn't go for it. So we have to be careful who we're telling our visions to our dreams to, because not everybody needs to know, not everybody can be part of that.

Mariana: 12:41

Number four has my attitude been excellent? So one of the good examples that he gave was this so let's say, for instance, that you are at a job and I don't know. Let's say you are wanting to be a manager, okay, and you're working for a manager and the manager is just not the kind of manager that you like to work under. So one of the things that you should do is be an example of what you would like to see. Be that. So, the day that you become a manager, you will be what you hope to have in a manager. Or you may want to also have employees under you, right, and you say I want this kind of employee. Then you be that type of employee now in your current position Be trustworthy, always on time, be the one that doesn't stir up trouble, that will be able to communicate problems but in a more efficient way, someone that can be I don't want to just always say reliable, but someone that can you know, that has the values that you desire to see and have, that has a true character, that has that is honest, responsible, grit, determined All of the things that you would hope to see or be. Be that so that when you begin to hire, you can be that example of what you would like to see.

Mariana: 14:37

And one of the things that I love is that a good attitude starts with your face, and I laugh at that because I am one of those people that my face gives away how I feel or what I think, or what I like and what I don't like. I just have one of those faces. You can read my face. My face gives me away all the time and it's something that I have to learn how to work on my poker face. I'm not going to deny that. But we do have to have a good attitude and we have to express gratitude, be optimistic, be team-minded, encouraging, approachable. These are things that I think sometimes it's hard, especially when you work with people that you really don't like.

Mariana: 15:35

I'm just speaking truth. I'm speaking truth here. Let's be honest, because we don't always like everybody that we work with or that we're around. Not everybody is likable. Let's be honest, because we don't always like everybody that we work with or that we're around. Not everybody is likable, let's just be truthful. But just because we don't like them doesn't mean we have to be ugly, doesn't mean we, you know, we have to still work around these people. We still have to be around certain people Doesn't mean that, hey, let's go have lunch together. Does it mean that, hey, let's go have lunch together, unless God is actually calling you to do something. Pray about it, because let me tell you, I have been in that position where God has called me to do something for someone that I did not like, and I had to.

Mariana: 16:19

I struggled with that because I kept saying, god, no, I don't want to do that, I don't want to, I don't like this girl, I don't want to do that, I don't want to, I don't like this girl, I don't. You know, she's been ugly. She's talked about me. I have done nothing to her. All I've done was try to, you know, work with her, do the best that I can. She's tried to throw me under the bus several times.

Mariana: 16:39

I don't understand what's going on. I've done everything that I possibly can and yet I still get, you know, talked about from this girl and um, and, and you want me to give her gifts. I don't understand, but that's what God called me to do, and and I did it. And, uh, I have nothing against this person, Not at all. You know, I have to work with her and that's okay, because God calls us to love our enemies, right? And so I'm going to love her because that's what God has called me to do. I don't always like her, but I'm going to love her and I'm going to continue to pray for her because I know that, personally, she's going through some things and I know that God is using me to pray for her, to intercede for her in certain areas in her life, and so, for that comes point number five about have I accepted personal responsibility.

Mariana: 17:47

See, we have to hold ourselves accountable for the things that we do. We have to own our own mistakes, and that's one of the things that is so hard for us to do, because a lot of times, what we want to do is we want to blame somebody else for how we respond to certain things. Oh well, you know, if he wouldn't have done that or she wouldn't have done that, I wouldn't have reacted this way. Nobody can make you do anything. You have a choice on how you're going to respond and how you're going to act. And I'm not going to say that we're not human and that we're not going to react a certain way. But when someone puts their hands on you, you have one of two choices you can walk away, run away, do something, or you can defend yourself, and that is only going to escalate and that's a tough one, because I've been abused and there were times that I would just let them, and then there were times that I would fight back. And then there was that one time where I just decided enough was enough and I had to leave, and that was the better choice was deciding that it was time to go.

Mariana: 18:59

But I can very easily blame other people in my life for the choices that I've made, and I can't blame them. Sure, I could be hurt, I could be angry, I could be mad, I could be sad. But to do wrong, no. For me to go out and do a wrongful act, no. I have to own my end of the bargain. I have to own up to the things that I did wrong, because two wrongs don't make a right. They're not the ones that grabbed my hand and forced me to steal money just because I was angry at them. No, I can't blame them. I can't blame someone because I drank a whole bottle of alcohol when I was a teenager, because I was hurt, because I was sad and I was mad. No one. You have to take responsibility for your actions. We have to, and that's huge, because we don't want to. It's easy to want to put the blame on somebody else. It's very easy to want to do that because we want to justify our action and all we're doing is causing ourselves more heartache.

Mariana: 20:15

So so the following week, one of the things that I learned was we have been given the authority to make changes in our lives. God has given us the authority to make changes in our lives. God has given us the authority to make changes in our lives, and I'm going to go through this fairly quickly because I don't want to take a lot of your time. But God has given us, in a way, a certain anointing. One of the scriptures that was shared was Joshua 1, through 9, and a lot of us know this. And if you don't, it says do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord, your God, is with you wherever you go. I am with you and this is where Moses was laying his hands on Joshua and transfer the leadership to lead the next generation. We have to remember, mujeres, that we have the authority. We are anointed women. We have the authority to lead our families, to lead other women For the next generations to come. We can break those generational curses.

Mariana: 21:30

Latina women, stand up and speak up. Be the voice for those women, for those mujeres, for those niñas that are getting abused, that are getting silenced, that are continuously living that lie that we are to be seen and not heard. How many of us have heard that phrase? Calladita te ves mas bonita. I remember hearing that phrase. Kids should be seen and not heard. That ain't none of your business. Go over there, ve a ver que puso la cochina por allá. No, tú no tienes depresión, ponte a limpiar. How many of us have heard things time and time again? Or maybe you grew up in a traditional hispanic hope when the man was the dominating figure in the house and he was the one that made the money and your mom was the one that took care of the house which is nothing wrong with that but he had an issue or a problem and he was out there drinking, being a mujeriego and mistreating your mom, and your mom was just taking it over and over and over again and then coming home and abusing you physically, hitting you, yelling at you, insulting you, mistreating you. It's time to speak up and break those generational curses.

Mariana: 23:00

God has given us the authority to be strong, mujeres. It's time to be strong. He has given us the authority to be strong, mujeres. It's time to be strong. He has given us the strength God says. The Bible says in Philippians 4.13, I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength. He will give us the strength when we are feeling weak. He makes us courageous.

Mariana: 23:20

It wasn't easy to leave a marriage of abuse. It was't easy to leave a marriage of abuse. It was not easy. It took courage for me to finally step out and walk away from this marriage. It was scary because I had tried it once before and he found me. And the second time I did it I was afraid, but God gave me the courage, the authority, to step out in faith and go.

Mariana: 23:48

See, one of the things that happens, amiga, is that when we make bold moves, we begin to stir up things in our lives. It's like you know, when you make tea, or when you make Kool-Aid, or when you make coffee and you add that sugar, you have to stir it up right in order to change the flavor. You have to stir things up, and that's what happens in our lives. We start to stir things up. Why? Because we need to. If not, it all just sinks down to the bottom, and we don't want that. We don't want to just be sunk down to the bottom. No, we need to be stirred up. Our lives need to be stirred up. We need to be stirred up so that we can continue to be seen, to be heard, to be strong to.

Mariana: 24:42

So, amigas, I'm encouraging you today. I'm encouraging you today to walk in your authority. Be careful who you surround yourself with, because not every mujer is for you. We need to be united. All of us mujeres, all of us women, need to be united, but sometimes some women do not need to be in your life.

Mariana: 25:09

In this season I'm not going to say ever, I'm just saying in this season Because there are going to be some women that are with you right now for a moment, and then there's going to be changes in your life. So your life is going to be so stirred up. But see, they're not prepared and they're not ready. They're not in that position to be moved just yet, because God's going to be working some things out in their lives. And you, right now, are in a position where God is moving you into a different direction. He's moving you into a direction that only you can go.

Mariana: 25:56

Your amiga can't go with you just yet. You've got to go first, and maybe she's not going to be ready for quite some time and she's going to be mad and she's going to be angry and she's going to be sad, and she's probably going to say things about you and stuff, and she's probably going to say things like oh, she thinks she's better than me, or whatever, and that's not even the case. See, the thing is, is that you're going, you're going to go through some things that she's not ready to go through yet, because she's not equipped for it. See, god has equipped you to go through something hard. He's prepared you to go through something hard. He's prepared you to go through something hard and you're strong enough and you're courageous enough and you're bold enough to do just that not your amiga, but when the time comes, you're going to be able to extend a hand out and you're going to be able to be the hand out and you're going to be able to be there for when your amiga is ready. You're going to be able to extend your hand out and say, hey, reach out for my hand, god's got my other hand, I've got this hand.

Mariana: 27:11

It reminds me of when I did Tough Mudder or not Tough Mudder it was the Mud Girl run and we had to climb over this mud wall and there were so many girls and some girls were able to climb it, and there were so many of us that were strong enough to go over it and we were the rest of us that were already on top were reaching out for those that couldn't quite get there yet. We were pulling them up and there was some that just gave up and then just went around, and there was some of us that were able to pull up the other girl. Well, that's what this reminds me of is that some will be ready and some will not, and that's okay. That's okay. Focus on what God is calling you to do. I believe in you, amiga. God is going to do a mighty work in your life. He's got something prepared for you, so big and so good and so great.

Mariana: 28:19

I'm not even sure why I'm doing this message today, but God has placed it on my heart to do it and I hope that you receive it, and I pray that you share this message with somebody, because I do believe that there is somebody out there that needs to hear this message, because I think that there's someone out there that is listening and saying wow, I needed to hear that. God is speaking to me right now through you. God knows that I'm afraid to do something. God knows that I've been struggling with something, and if that's you, amiga, reach out to me and let me know so that I can pray with you. I want to be able to pray with you. In fact, I'm going to pray right now, and this is something that I haven't done either, but, like I said, god is calling me to do that.

Mariana: 29:06

Woman of God, I lift you up.

Mariana: 29:09

Today.

Mariana: 29:11

God has given you the authority, woman of God, to just move boldly in this life. You have called to be courageous and strong. You have been called and given the authority to move forward with the vision, the mission and the goal that has been placed in your heart, the one that you have been doubting. Maybe it's the new job that you've been applying for, that you interviewed for, and you're afraid to make a decision. Maybe it's the move to another city. Maybe it's the selling of your home. Maybe it's the opening up of a business. Maybe it's the paying off a debt. Maybe it's forgiving someone in your family. Maybe it's forgiving someone in your family. Maybe it's forgiving a friend, a coworker, or maybe it's making the decision to go back to church. Maybe it's a decision to go back to God.

Mariana: 30:10

Whatever it is, amiga, you have been given the authority to be bold and to be brave. You have the courage to go forward with the plan that has been placed on your heart. As the word says, do not be afraid, for I, your God, am with you and I believe that today, I believe that tomorrow and I believe that forever, because our believe that tomorrow and I believe that forever Because our God is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow. Thank you, amiga, for listening. Today, I lift you up. Today I don't know your circumstances, but what I do know is that God has already taken care of it, and we pray this in Jesus's name Amen, amiga.

Mariana: 31:01

If you know of someone that can benefit from this message. Please share this episode with them, subscribe, share, review. I would just be so eternally grateful and again remember you are bold, you are courageous, you are strong, you are wonderful. Hasta el proximo sabado, adios. Thank you for tuning in to the Mommy on a Mission podcast. If you found today's episode inspiring, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review and share it with your amigas. And, before you go, if you're looking to dive deeper into healing, self-discovery and walking in confidence, be sure to grab a copy of my book Mommy on a Mission a guide towards healing, self-discovery and walking in confidence, available now on Amazon. Stay connected with me on social media. Follow us on Instagram at Mommy on a Mission Podcast, and on Facebook at Mommy on a Mission. If you're considering working with a coach, but aren't sure if you're ready, send me a DM and I will send you a free gift to help you get started on your journey. Until next Saturday, keep shining and remember the tower is within you. Adios, amigas.