Revealing the You God Designed: The Power of Daily Chisels
In Episode 43, we’re taking last week’s metaphor deeper. If Episode 42 showed you the masterpiece God already placed inside you, today we’re talking about the actual work of revealing her — through tiny, consistent chisels that feel almost too small to matter.
Drawing from the metaphor of sculpting, Shanna explains how transformation doesn’t happen through one dramatic swing, but through thousands of tiny taps… and how those taps slowly remove the layers of shame, old identities, overeating, overthinking, and overdoing that have been covering up the real you.
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13:20:51 Hello, and welcome to the Christian Life Coach Podcast. I am Shanna, your Christian
13:20:57 Life coach. So, in the last episode,
13:21:01 we talked about chiseling away
13:21:06 what doesn't belong.
13:21:09 what isn't…
13:21:11 the real you, so that you can reveal…
13:21:15 the real you. God's masterpiece.
13:21:19 That has been covered up by years of…
13:21:23 overeating, overshopping,
13:21:26 over people-pleasing, overworking, over-cleaning, over-exercising, overing.
13:21:32 everything. And…
13:21:35 In this episode, I want to talk about what that looks like.
13:21:40 What does chipping away…
13:21:43 at those things that don't belong, what does that look like?
13:21:47 And…
13:21:51 Is it going to be hard?
13:21:53 Right? So…
13:21:56 I just want to remind you, the picture…
13:21:59 that I showed on the video last week, and…
13:22:04 If you go to the show notes and click on the podcast resources link,
13:22:10 You can click into that, and you can see the picture that I shared in last week's episode.
13:22:18 And…
13:22:20 It is a picture of a woman standing,
13:22:23 And it is a smaller woman, and she is chiseling
13:22:28 a larger…
13:22:30 the larger parts of her off.
13:22:33 to reveal her true self.
13:22:36 And it can be relayed to weight loss, it can be relayed related to a lot of different things.
13:22:42 Um, but the whole metaphor is just, it's showing that…
13:22:50 You, the real you, the true you, God's masterpiece that He created you to be,
13:22:57 is inside.
13:22:59 It's not that you have to change,
13:23:02 It's… we have layered…
13:23:05 so many things on top of us that we've hidden
13:23:10 our true selves.
13:23:12 And that could be with physical weight… physical weight, but it can also be just layers of guilt and shame,
13:23:20 An old beliefs about ourself,
13:23:22 that maybe somebody said at one point in time, but we have taken on that identity,
13:23:28 And it's not ours, and it's time to shed…
13:23:33 All of that that is not really us.
13:23:38 And it's a shedding, or it's a chipping away,
13:23:41 And… this week, I want to…
13:23:46 encourage you that…
13:23:47 It's not one giant swing.
13:23:51 It's not one big dramatic…
13:23:56 swing of the axe or the…
13:23:59 whatever it's called. But it's a… it's thousands of tiny little
13:24:05 chips that are… that are chipping away at what doesn't belong.
13:24:11 And I…
13:24:13 One of the things that I often say that I wrote in my planner
13:24:17 every day for so long was…
13:24:20 Small, consist… small steps
13:24:24 taken consistently over time create amazing results.
13:24:29 And it's… it's just true.
13:24:31 It's just… true.
13:24:34 So, we tend to…
13:24:39 overestimate what we can do in one day, overestimate what we can do in one week.
13:24:46 But we completely underestimate the transformation that can be taken, that can be experienced over a full year.
13:24:55 what God can do in a year, what we can create in a year. We underestimate that, but we overestimate what we can do on the day-to-day.
13:25:05 So, big efforts, big swings,
13:25:09 create burnout. We get…
13:25:12 tired, we get sore, we're exhausted, it's too hard.
13:25:15 But the small chisels
13:25:18 Those small steps that we take create momentum.
13:25:22 And they build identity, and that…
13:25:25 is the real goal.
13:25:27 is getting rooted in our true identity that God created us to be.
13:25:34 We want to focus on consistency,
13:25:37 So doing the small things, like the smallest thing,
13:25:43 thinking that it's not going to make a difference because it's entirely too small, if that's the case, it's the exact right thing.
13:25:50 get consistent,
13:25:52 And then, after you are consistent,
13:25:56 Then you can build in some intensity. You can swing a little harder. You might swing a little bit longer each day.
13:26:03 We want to create consistent habits
13:26:09 that reveal who we are… who we are made to be.
13:26:15 Consistent habits might be boring,
13:26:18 It might seem like it's not enough,
13:26:20 But… it is going to be… it's going to be the difference maker. Those small, consistent, boring habits
13:26:29 are going to make all the difference.
13:26:34 Your freedom?
13:26:36 your peace, your well-being will come from actions that feel almost too small to matter.
13:26:45 keep going.
13:26:50 So, one… one of the ways that we can chisel
13:26:55 and practice.
13:26:57 is… what are we thinking?
13:27:01 our mindset, the collection of thoughts that we think day to day, what are our automatic thinking patterns?
13:27:09 Dr. Daniel Amen calls them ants.
13:27:12 automatic negative thoughts.
13:27:14 And he says, kill the ants.
13:27:16 Kill the ants. So, paying attention and noticing those unhelpful…
13:27:23 thoughts that…
13:27:25 play on repeat throughout the day.
13:27:27 Day in and day out.
13:27:29 Pick one of those.
13:27:32 What is one of those thoughts that you think on repeat,
13:27:37 that you could…
13:27:39 Notice and change.
13:27:42 And when you do this,
13:27:44 When you're working on changing thought patterns and thoughts,
13:27:49 You want to think a new thought on purpose. So whatever that thought is that you're going to work on,
13:27:56 Instead of just waiting for it to come,
13:27:58 What is the thought that you want to replace it that is true?
13:28:03 And… that is helpful.
13:28:06 A really easy way to do this is to pick a Bible verse that speaks exactly to that negative thought you're thinking.
13:28:13 Um, a super easy example is if…
13:28:16 Nobody loves me. I'm unlovable.
13:28:20 Nobody loves me.
13:28:22 This is a great one to replace, because it's a lie from the enemy.
13:28:27 And God's Word says you are loved with an everlasting love.
13:28:31 So you could just decide to think that thought on purpose every day.
13:28:36 I am loved with an everlasting love.
13:28:39 I am loved with an everlasting love.
13:28:42 Practice the true thought.
13:28:43 Every day. It's true,
13:28:45 And it's helpful.
13:28:50 So, that's one way.
13:28:53 that you can work on
13:28:55 changing your mindset, chiseling away that negative thought pattern,
13:29:02 to reveal your true self, who God says you are. You are loved with an everlasting love.
13:29:10 And this chiseling of your thoughts reshapes your identity from the inside out.
13:29:17 And then one thought…
13:29:19 change consistently, over time.
13:29:24 creates amazing results.
13:29:29 journal each morning.
13:29:31 journal out the Bible verse that you want to remember.
13:29:35 repeat it throughout the day. Set it as the background on your phone.
13:29:42 Set a reminder so it pops up on your phone throughout the day. Put it on sticky notes all over.
13:29:48 So that is one way that you can start chiseling your thoughts.
13:29:54 to…
13:29:56 chip away at those negative thought patterns, one thought at a time.
13:30:01 And you're gonna notice that when you're doing that,
13:30:05 it elevates other areas of your life.
13:30:08 Okay, so thoughts is one area.
13:30:12 And then habits, the things that we do on repeat every day.
13:30:17 You can…
13:30:19 pick one thing.
13:30:23 decide that…
13:30:24 you are going to… and whatever it is, physically, for you,
13:30:30 If it's, um, you know…
13:30:33 if it's weight loss, if it's general health and wellness, if it's physical fitness, whatever the area is for you,
13:30:41 that you are not being your true self in,
13:30:44 Pick one thing to change, to chisel away,
13:30:49 at the negative habits and behaviors to create a positive
13:30:55 habit and behavior. Drinking water. Decide that you're gonna drink water, one glass of water,
13:31:01 Before you eat or drink anything else throughout the day.
13:31:06 Or just start your day with water.
13:31:08 Before I have anything else, I'm going to have 8 ounces of water.
13:31:14 go for a walk.
13:31:16 practice going for a walk every day, even if it's a 3-minute walk.
13:31:20 Get consistent.
13:31:22 And then you can increase the intensity.
13:31:25 Then you can walk for 5 minutes. Then you can…
13:31:28 Walk for 10 minutes, and then you can try to walk a little bit faster.
13:31:33 You can…
13:31:34 go to bed 15 minutes earlier. If you don't get the sleep that your body and that your brain requires, go to bed 15 minutes earlier each day.
13:31:44 practice a new bedtime routine.
13:31:48 So just pick one small
13:31:52 habit to create, to chisel away at those negative habits.
13:31:57 When you re… when you incorporate positive habits into your life,
13:32:02 You'll notice that the negative habits tend to fall away.
13:32:08 And remember, again, back to the boring.
13:32:12 Big results come from making boring decisions.
13:32:17 It's not exciting to say, I'm gonna drink a glass of water every day before I… before I drink my coffee, or…
13:32:24 I'm gonna set 100 ounces of water on the counter and make sure that I drink it all day long.
13:32:30 Like, that's not exciting.
13:32:32 But it is a habit that is going to change your life.
13:32:37 And I will just… I will…
13:32:40 I'll do this at this point.
13:32:43 I have a devotional that I wrote called Self-Care as Stewardship.
13:32:49 And it's a 31-day devotional.
13:32:52 you can get it on Amazon. I will put the link in the show notes, and…
13:32:57 When you order it,
13:32:59 what I want you to do is go… when you…
13:33:02 When it comes in the mail, or if you get it on Kindle,
13:33:06 Go straight to the…
13:33:11 Um, the pages after…
13:33:13 Let's see… right after day 7…
13:33:17 There's a page called Keep Building Your Rhythms, and there's a QR code, go to the QR code, or…
13:33:25 the link, have the link written up here, you can type in the link.
13:33:29 And you will opt in to my self-care planning pages.
13:33:35 And then…
13:33:37 You will get an invitation.
13:33:40 to a private Facebook group for free,
13:33:43 for purchasing the book,
13:33:46 And January, we are going to be doing self-care stewardship devotional.
13:33:52 daily in the Facebook group. So…
13:33:55 Get the book, the link is in the show notes.
13:33:58 And then go straight to that page right after day 7, and opt in to the planning pages.
13:34:06 And then you will get an invitation to the Facebook group for January, where we will be
13:34:12 doing 31 days of self-care as stewardship.
13:34:16 Okay. So…
13:34:18 That is chiseling away at negative behaviors by creating a positive behavior.
13:34:27 Small, consistent,
13:34:29 Over time.
13:34:31 And then we can chisel away at…
13:34:36 emotional patterns.
13:34:38 And I did an episode called Mining
13:34:43 Mining your past without shame, or something like that. I will…
13:34:48 I will link that video at the end of this video.
13:34:52 And…
13:34:54 This… so chiseling away at these emotional patterns…
13:34:59 might be noticing when you're eating emotionally.
13:35:04 When you're eating from a place of not being hungry.
13:35:07 Um, another example would be…
13:35:12 practicing saying no.
13:35:15 when typically you would automatically say yes.
13:35:19 So practice saying no,
13:35:22 When it's not an automatic, heck yeah, I want to do that.
13:35:26 Maybe it's…
13:35:29 practicing taking 30 seconds to breathe,
13:35:33 Before you react,
13:35:35 to something that somebody else says.
13:35:40 When you're feeling…
13:35:42 triggered. I don't like that word.
13:35:45 activated. When you're feeling activated,
13:35:47 Ask yourself, what do I need right now?
13:35:52 And this chiseling…
13:35:55 one little thing at a time will loosen up decades.
13:35:59 of unnecessary mental and emotional
13:36:03 Wait.
13:36:06 This… this right here, that… this is the work right here.
13:36:10 But just these little steps can be so helpful. You might need to go back and listen to this episode again,
13:36:16 to pick some practices that you want to incorporate to start chiseling away.
13:36:23 at those outer layers that are covering up the real, true,
13:36:29 God's masterpiece
13:36:30 version of you.
13:36:35 When you interrupt a pattern one time,
13:36:38 You weaken it.
13:36:41 And when you interrupt it,
13:36:43 consistently, daily, over time, you destroy the pattern.
13:36:48 So we want to create new patterns to replace those old patterns.
13:36:53 that are unhelpful.
13:36:55 Now, what happens if you decide
13:36:59 I don't want to chip away. I don't want to do this work.
13:37:02 Number one, I don't understand why you would be listening to this episode if that is you.
13:37:07 But just in case,
13:37:09 I'm gonna say…
13:37:11 That, if you don't want to do this work, then you…
13:37:15 get to stay where you're at. You stay stuck in those same emotional loops of shame and regret,
13:37:23 and overwhelm, and they just keep piling up.
13:37:27 If you're not willing to do this work.
13:37:30 You will continue to reinforce
13:37:33 Your old identity, the same identity. This is just who I am.
13:37:37 And it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, so you just continue to be that version of you.
13:37:43 And just keep piling more and more and more on.
13:37:49 If you do not do this work, your body, your mind, and your spirit pay the price.
13:37:56 Small neglect.
13:37:59 small, negative?
13:38:03 action, thought patterns, habits,
13:38:05 They compound just like the small stewardship habits compound.
13:38:10 So you're compounding…
13:38:13 You're either compounding one way or the other.
13:38:17 And maybe even the worst thing that happens if you don't start
13:38:22 chiseling away at this outer layer to reveal
13:38:28 your real self.
13:38:29 the masterpiece that is you stays hidden.
13:38:34 It's not neutral.
13:38:39 You are choosing to keep the marble, and you're keeping your true self, your true gifts,
13:38:48 Your true, God-given personality,
13:38:50 You're keeping that hidden, and people need you.
13:38:55 You're gonna pay for your habits either way.
13:38:58 Do you want to pay for the habits?
13:39:01 On the negative side, or do you want to reap the benefits of them?
13:39:11 And just remember that every…
13:39:14 Small chisel?
13:39:16 accumulates.
13:39:18 Each time you make that choice to show up as your true
13:39:23 God-given masterpiece self.
13:39:26 You are reinforcing that you are a woman who shows up.
13:39:31 Your consistency,
13:39:33 creates momentum,
13:39:35 creates confidence.
13:39:40 And there's always… there's always a tipping point.
13:39:43 So…
13:39:45 for a sculpture, you know,
13:39:49 Michelangelo, Michelangelo… Michelangelo had a…
13:39:53 I don't know, a big giant stone.
13:39:56 And he was chiseling away at the stone.
13:39:59 And for a long time,
13:40:02 It's like, what are you doing? You're just chipping away at that big ol' rock?
13:40:06 Doesn't look like anything. And then one day,
13:40:09 It's like, oh my word, I can see…
13:40:13 some hair, or I can see a face.
13:40:17 I can see the masterpiece being revealed.
13:40:21 And it's the same thing with weight loss.
13:40:25 You are consistent, consistent, consistent.
13:40:28 And the scale might even be going down, but you don't really see the change.
13:40:32 Until you do. And then it's like, whoa.
13:40:36 I am down two pant sizes, and I didn't even realize it.
13:40:41 The same thing with mindset.
13:40:43 You pick a thought that's true and helpful to think on purpose repeatedly, consistently.
13:40:50 And over time, you're gonna notice
13:40:53 that you feel lighter. People are going to notice
13:40:56 they're gonna be like, there's something different about you.
13:41:00 So there's a tipping point.
13:41:03 And we want to keep going.
13:41:06 To get to that tipping point, and then keep going to get to the next tipping point.
13:41:13 And I just… I want to encourage you, celebrate what you don't see.
13:41:19 Celebrate that you're… that you are doing the work of chiseling.
13:41:24 Without seeing the results yet.
13:41:26 Without seeing the payoff yet.
13:41:29 Every chip you make is a celebration.
13:41:32 Every time you think that thought on purpose is a celebration.
13:41:36 Every time you get up and drink that water before you have your coffee, that's a celebration.
13:41:42 Every time you take a minute to take a breath,
13:41:46 and respond, rather than react.
13:41:49 That's a celebration.
13:41:51 Celebrate every little step along the way.
13:41:55 that you take in the right direction.
13:42:00 Now, I want to encourage you.
13:42:02 pick one thing. Pick one area, pick one thing in that area,
13:42:07 And start today.
13:42:09 Whether it's a thinking,
13:42:13 pattern, a habit,
13:42:15 or an emotional pattern.
13:42:18 Well, it's one small thing?
13:42:21 That you can do today. Choose the…
13:42:23 The smallest possible thing that you can practice doing today
13:42:27 And tomorrow, on repeat.
13:42:31 And then, when you get consistent,
13:42:34 up-level it.
13:42:36 do it a little bit more. Do it a little bit longer.
13:42:39 do it a little bit faster.
13:42:42 And keep going.
13:42:44 You want it to be boring.
13:42:46 You want it to just be, this is… this is who I am. This is what I do.
13:42:55 And remember to celebrate every step along the way.
13:42:59 Dopamine…
13:43:01 We get a dopamine hit,
13:43:03 And dopamine is talked about a lot, and I talk about it on the…
13:43:08 Ooh, the Boring Habits episode. I can't remember what it's called, but…
13:43:13 Dopamine is a driving…
13:43:16 neurotransmitter.
13:43:18 When you get a dopamine hit, it's like, oh my word, I love that, I want more of it. It's not, oh, that's enough, I'm satisfied. It's, I want more, I want more, I want more.
13:43:29 And so, if you can create natural dopamine,
13:43:33 by celebrating every step,
13:43:36 then your body is gonna be like, ooh, I like that, I want to do that again. Oh, I like that, I want to do that again. So we want to create natural dopamine
13:43:44 By celebrating every positive step we take.
13:43:48 And remember, that there's going to be resistance expected.
13:43:53 There is going to be obstacles that get in the way, and just remind yourself, that's not a reason to stop.
13:44:01 It means you're going in the right direction.
13:44:04 And resistance?
13:44:06 When met?
13:44:09 and overcome creates strength.
13:44:13 So, keep going.
13:44:21 So, your masterpiece, you, the masterpiece,
13:44:25 is already there.
13:44:29 What is one small chisel?
13:44:32 You're going to make today
13:44:36 And tomorrow.
13:44:38 to reveal more and more of you.
13:44:41 the masterpiece.
13:44:46 I would love to hear from you. I would love to know what is that small thing that you're deciding to start with.
13:44:53 And I would love it, again,
13:44:55 If you would get…
13:44:57 self-care stewardship, a 31-day devotional.
13:45:01 linked in the show notes. Get that, go to that page after Day 7,
13:45:06 And get the free planning pages so that you get invited into
13:45:11 the Facebook group in January.
13:45:14 Where we will be going through the 31-day devotional.
13:45:19 I would love to see you there.
13:45:22 Remember that…
13:45:24 Life coaching is life-changing.
13:45:28 One renewed thought at a time.
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