I was inspired to take on this topic by my recent reading of Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins. (I did not finish reading because of the insane levels of foul language, so I do not necessarily recommend it!). In it, the author tells his life story of overcoming many obstacles and accomplishing great things. In my reading, I found myself agreeing that many of us can do hard things—sometimes much harder things than we think we can—but I was bothered that God seemed to be left out of the equation. And so I thought we might talk about how to do difficult things, why we do them, and how God is part of that process. You have already done hard things. I know you can do hard things because you have already done some: going to college, getting married, having children, working a job, buying a house, etc. I know you can do hard things. Sometimes, though, we need someone to say that out loud so we can recognize what we are capable of. Break down hard things into smaller steps. Do you want to run a marathon? Start with just a couple of miles. Do you want to write a book? Start with one chapter at a time. Make a daunting tasks into much smaller, more do-able tasks and then … get started! Check in with someone. For many of us, this would be a loving friend or our spouse - someone who knows us and can remind us of why we set the goal in the first place, and that we are strong enough to accomplish it. You are going to have weaker moments on the way to your hard things. Find a source of encouragement and support before you even start. Rely on God. It is only by the grace of God that any of us can accomplish anything in our lives - let alone something hard! Figure out what hard things God might be calling you to through prayer, and then turn to God for the strength you need to do them. I recently recorded an audio version of my newest book, You Are Enough: What Women of the Bible Teach You About Your Mission and Worth. More to come! Have feedback or an idea to share? I would love to hear from you! My newest book, You Are Enough: What Women of the Bible Teach You About Your Mission and Worth, is available for order! Use the code, GIRLFRIENDS to receive ten percent off your order. Don’t miss out on this special available exclusively to listeners of the Girlfriends podcast. I can’t wait to share this book with you! Upcoming Events: Saturday, November 16, 2019 You Are Enough Retreat Holy Family Catholic Church Orlando, FL Saturday, January 11, 2020 You’re Worth It Retreat St. Michael Church Exeter, NH February 20-23, 2020 Speaking at Los Angeles Religious Education Congress Anaheim, CA Saturday, March 7, 2020 You’re Worth It Retreat Precious Blood Parish Jasper, IN Saturday, March 28, 2020 Women’s Conference Norwich, CT Would you like to have me come to your community to speak or give my retreat, You Are Enough, based on the themes in my newest book? Get all the information here! ANNOUNCEMENTS Join our Girlfriends Podcast Facebook group! Check out the Catholic Momcast featuring Lisa Hendey and me, available on iTunes! RETREAT The You're Worth It! Retreat for Women Find out more about bringing this unique event for women to your parish, group, or community. Read more and request more information here. Or find out more about having me come speak at your parish or conference. Subscribe to Girlfriends in iTunes Subscribe to Girlfriends in Stitcher About Danielle Bean Danielle's Books on Amazon CatholicMom.com Contact: Email Danielle Bean Rate and Review Girlfriends in iTunes Leave voice feedback Girlfriends on Facebook Danielle Bean on Facebook Danielle Bean on Twitter Danielle Bean on Instagram Connect with me on Voxer!

Get full access to Girlfriends After Hours at daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe

To hear more, visit daniellebea.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe