Amanda w/ Renegade Roots

Hey, listen.

When I jumped back on to social media in the mayhem of 2020 I did it with strict intention: to find people that I’m on the same with.

I’m always looking to connect with people I am on the same page with - and I’m also always looking to learn from those who I am not.

I’m not here to tell you how to do things, well that is not unless you ask me to. Because if you ask me to, then I will. In fact I’m pretty good at it.

The truth is though motherhood wears you down down down..or is that just my kids? It’s like they have to take you all the way down to the ground so you can….what?

Give them what they want?
Give in to chocolate cake for breakfast?
Give them their tablets for an undefined period of time?
What? I mean really?
Why are children THE BEST negotiators ever??

Here’s what I think.

The Lord made them that way.

You know why?

To break you so you’d finally learn how to be less like your crappy self.

So you can be more like Him.

Don’t you see your kids are bringing you to the end of yourself so you can stop being yourself??

We’re all a bit damaged, don’t you think?

Less like me, more like Him.

Now please don’t misunderstand me - I’m not saying we should just stop being who we are.

Quite on the contrary.

We all need to be more like He intended us to be.

How do we do that though?

Well it might start with a bit of reinvention, don’t you think?

Reinventing the old is not about discarding what came before; it's about honoring the foundation while breathing new life into it.

When we maintain the integrity of the old, we're preserving its core values, the wisdom it was built on, and the lessons that shaped it.

This approach allows us to innovate without losing sight of what made the original valuable.

It’s like restoring a classic car—not just to make it run, but to make it run better, with modern enhancements that respect its heritage.

Reinventing the old with integrity means we’re not just chasing the new for the sake of it; we’re building on a solid, time-tested foundation that can carry us forward with strength and purpose.

Maintaining my integrity means staying true to my core values and principles in everything I do, both personally and professionally.

Whether I’m making decisions, building relationships, or growing my business, I ensure that my actions align with my beliefs. This means being honest, transparent, and consistent, even when it’s challenging.

I focus on doing what’s right, not just what’s easy or profitable, and I strive to create value for others while holding myself accountable to the standards that matter most to me.

My integrity is the foundation that guides every choice I make, ensuring that I stay authentic and trustworthy in all my endeavors.

Aligning my integrity with the Lord means grounding my actions and decisions in faith and biblical principles.

I strive to live in a way that honors God, reflecting His teachings in my daily life. This includes being honest, compassionate, and humble, treating others with love and respect, and seeking His guidance in all that I do.

By staying true to His Word, I ensure that my integrity isn’t just a personal standard but a reflection of my commitment to living a life that glorifies Him.

This alignment gives me the strength to make decisions with courage and clarity, knowing that I’m walking in the path He’s laid out for me.

And guess what, I’m always looking for those who really aim high and want to make those uncomfortable and wildly rewarding reinventions to join me.

(That's my grandfather's watch, btw - it faithfully keeps time; it's my reminder of the enduring legacy of integrity, shaped by tradition and my commitment to living with purpose and honoring the Lord in all that I do.)

This can be applied in just about any scenario you can imagine, it is always true.

Why? Because we all project our "weaknesses" onto other people. Meaning...the aspects of people that we try to repress or deny or ignore in others are just pieces of ourselves that we have not fully integrated as parts of us.

There are endless reasons why they haven't been brought into ourselves. The most obvious is TRAUMA.

We all experience trauma, even if we do not consciously recall it. It is there. And if you feel it is not, then it is most certain unresolved and unhealed.

You cannot bypass the healing that needs to occur in order to be whole. You cannot wish someone away because their view makes you feel uncomfortable.

The answer is always love and it is always compassion.

First and foremost for ourselves.

Once we learn how to integrate the deep, dark, disgusting pieces of ourselves that we were forced to shove down or sweep under the rug in order to survive, we can then start to see other people for who they are.

Both separate from us, and also part of us.

It can be so difficult to decipher whose trauma belongs where in the collective; it get very muddled. This is why turning inward, coming truly clean with yourself (and with GOD) allows you to create the space and time to learn what truly belongs to you and what does not.

Ultimate self-mastery is control over oneself.

Amanda Marie