I attended a conference this week where one of the speakers spoke about mental health. He said that we have an inner Board of Directors that we need to start talking back to. This intrigued me as it sounded like a “hot mess” concept. So, I started to think about my personal board of directors – which is dysfunctional of course.
My Inner Board of Directors
I’ve already introduced my inner critic, Marjorie, who talks to me frequently about how dumb I am and all of the things that I should do differently.
Here are the other members of my inner Board of Directors:
- Fearful Fredrica – She is overly conservative and afraid of things like uncertainty and rejection. She doesn’t mean any harm because she wants to keep me safe but holds me back from living the life that God wants me to live.
- Controlling Colton – He makes me want to try to control situations and people to get to the outcome that Colton and Leslie think will result in the best outcome.
- Anxious Annie – Annie is anxious about what is going to happen in the future, and this anxiety sometimes takes over.
- Negative Nelly – Nelly tends to go negative. She wants to complain, and she feels like nothing ever goes in her favor. So, why should she keep trying?
Are my Board members all bad? No, they partially want to keep me safe from harm. But I think Satan sometimes tries to infiltrate my Board, so it’s necessary to be vigilant in ensuring that he isn’t talking control.
Who would be a part of your inner board of directors?
Why is it beneficial to name and talk back to Board members?
It is oddly empowering. If I am feeling afraid, I can ask Fredrica, “What’s going on? What am I afraid of and why am I afraid of it?” Having dialogue with your board members increases self-awareness and helps you to understand and move past what you are feeling. Pro tip – if others are around, you may not want to talk to your Board members out loud.
Who is the Chairman of your Board?
Thankfully, the Chairman of my Board of Directors is the Holy Spirit. So, who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is the presence of God in the life of believers. He/she is given to people who believe in Jesus Christ to bind them together with God and help them become more like Him.
Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
(2 Corinthians 1:21-22)
I want to give the Holy Spirit a name and was thinking of Horatio Holy Spirit but somehow don’t think that’s cool. So, I am just going to call him/her – Chairman Holy Spirit. Chairman Holy Spirit helps me:
- Deal with the fear, control, anxiety, and negativity that try to take control and hold me back from the life that God wants for me.
- Pull things together when my Board of Directors is getting crazy.
- Discern the right direction to go and empowers me to live according to God’s plan, not mine.
If you haven’t appointed the Holy Spirit Chairman of your Board, it’s time to do it! Otherwise, your Board will likely stay mired in dysfunction and hold you back from God’s best for your life.
