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Outside Your Comfort

8/13/2020

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Agape Leaders Rebranded

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Agape Leader's recently released their first Monday Motivation! A bi-weekly series that is made by some leaders to help with your spiritual growth and leadership development! These videos are posted on our YouTube page. There you can also find our weekly Word Wednesdays too. 

We would love it if you would please take a peek and leave us a like, share the content with your friends and family and subscribe so you are able to be notified of any new videos! (Click here to go to our YouTube page: Agape Leaders YouTube)

Meet Emily English

This month’s guest writer is Emily English. She is an exceptional learner, graduating as the salutatorian for the George Jenkins High School class of 2017. Currently a senior at Northeastern University in Boston, MA, she has traveled the world studying abroad learning much about other cultures.
Visiting countries like Australia, Spain, New Zealand, Portugal, and Austria, among others, Emily brings a perspective to Agape Letters that is filled with cultural diversity. Her article is a “call to arms” to her generation to take the opportunity while they are young to willingly learn more about cultures different from the one in which you were raised. She encourages readers to step out of their comfort zone to open up a new world for themselves.
We are thankful that she has taken the time to share her thoughts with us this month. We pray that you are too. 

Traveling Out of Your Comfort Zone

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Going out of our comfort zone can be daunting, but I believe it is the most important aspect to self-development. It means trading familiarity for perspective. In my experience, going out of my comfort zone has drastically changed my life and perspective for the better, while shedding light on opportunities for the future and the impact that I want to make.
I grew up in a mid-size suburb, where I knew to do my best in school, work hard in sports, and be a good friend and family member. Before college, my life was prescribed to me. I followed the same routines, encountered the same people, and focused on short term successes. My bubble was small, and I did not think much about who I was or who I wanted to be in the world. This changed as I got closer to high school graduation, as my focus shifted more to my future.
My senior year of high school, I was ecstatic to be accepted into my top choice college in Boston, Massachusetts. I chose this college because of their emphasis on experiential learning and global opportunities. By the end of high school, I knew that I needed to step further out of my comfort zone and the best way to do this was through new experiences. This choice determined who I am today and gave me opportunities I never could have imagined. Leaving my hometown enabled me to become more independent and less reliant on my bubble. In Boston, I experienced life in a city, constantly surrounded by new people and new ideas. I met friends who had completely different experiences than my own, who exchanged their viewpoints and perspectives to help shape mine. This was the first step of broadening my perspective, but I also wanted to develop my worldview.
Throughout college, I have had the opportunity to travel quite a bit. My freshman year, I spent four months studying abroad in Sydney, Australia, and my junior year, I spent six months working for a start-up company in Seville, Spain. So far I have been to 19 different countries and 5 different continents. The time I have spent traveling and living abroad has given me confidence and self-awareness, and has also helped me develop a broader view of the world.
I am thankful for these opportunities because I believe college and our 20s are a time that helps us to determine who we want to be in the world. Overtime, traveling has built up my confidence and exposed me to a variety of people with completely different stories. I have met people, old and young, from all over the world and have had impromptu experiences joining them to explore a new city, cook dinner, or talk late into the night by a fire pit. Traveling eliminates the shield of who we are to people in our everyday lives, and allows us to truly be ourselves while absorbing others for their true selves as well.

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Some of my most empowering experiences have been while solo traveling and moving by myself to new cities. The unknown can be unsettling, but it is all has to do with mindset. What-ifs can be turned positive, and focus should be placed on opportunity rather than apprehension. Throughout my experiences, I have developed routines in new places, learned how to approach people I do not know to start a conversation, and have increased my ability to adapt when logistics go awry. I have gained confidence that I can forge my own path and live the independent life that I want to live.
While I am thankful for the privilege to travel internationally, traveling does not have to mean flying across the world.

Traveling is about having an open mind and trying new things.
It can mean exploring a new place close to home, trying a new recipe, or watching a documentary. In this digital age, we have access to information never thought possible. We can travel by reading books and educating ourselves on other countries and world news. It’s not always about the vacation pictures, but about the knowledge gained from traveling and how it changes perspective.
For me, I wanted to better understand who I was and my place in the world by developing my worldview. It is important to identify our goals and the ways in which we can go out of our comfort zone to impact us the most.Traveling doesn’t appeal to everyone and you don’t have to travel to develop who you are. Other ways to challenge yourself include joining a club, making a new friend, volunteering, trying a new hobby, or taking a class on a topic that you are interested in.
I believe the more experiences we have and the more people we meet in our 20s, the broader our perspective becomes. It is important to open our minds now while we are young, and have the time and independence. In this time of our lives, we need to take advantage of our ability to be open to new experiences.
Looking back, these past few years has been the largest growth period I have had. They have been a time of maturity and perspective. Looking forward, it is exciting that this growth and shaping of who we are never stops. I urge you to take this time to go out of your comfort zone in whichever way you see fit, to meet new people who open your mind, and to realize that differences and diversity are what make us stronger. I have identified issues in the world that I want to help solve, and opened my mind to living in a new way that brings me excitement to think about.
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July 17th, 2020

7/17/2020

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Agape Leaders Rebranded

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​Agape Leaders’ website has been completely revamped by the talented Jessica Maldonado. She has dragged our organization into the 21st century with her on point graphics and exceptional designs. But don’t take our word for it, you can see her work first hand by perusing our website or by visiting her website at vichesniche.com

Meet Madison Deaton

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This month’s guest writer is Madison Deaton. She is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in kinesiology. She is also a certified nutrition coach and personal trainer. She is the owner of The Fit Flamingo Studio, in Plano, TX. The studio is a 40-foot shipping container she converted into a safe space for women.
With a positive energy that transcends just being a fitness coach, Madison seeks to help women love who they are, right where they are. Her goal with The Fit Flamingo Studio is to create a safe place where women can gather, speak vulnerably and authentically, and grow in their self-love and body resilience.
It is an honor to have Madison Deaton writing this month’s Agape Letter. We believe you will enjoy her message too.

Dear Friend,

 I don’t know you.
 And yet I do.
You’re my brother. You’re my sister. You’re my friend and fellow seeker of the Light, searching for truth in the darkest of places. You’re showing up even when it’s hard. You’re facing the giants of this life even when you’re running low on stones to throw. I see you and I’m so honored to share this space with you.
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Hi, I’m Madison :)
I’m a personal trainer and nutrition coach who’s on a mission to help women feel really good in their own skin. I own a fitness studio in my hometown of Plano, Texas where I coach women through their trauma, deeply rooted pain, and negative beliefs so they can fully own their lives and embrace all that they were created to be.
Within this post, I wanted to share two things that were on my heart.

Number one is this:
YOU ARE ENOUGH.

 Just as you are.
There’s nothing you can do to earn or un-earn it. You’re enough. Simple as that!
But let me ask you this, do you believe that you are enough?
Take a moment to sit with yourself and see what thoughts and feelings come up for you…

[Did you sit with yourself and ponder this question!!? Do you believe that you are enough??]

Maybe you know you’re enough, but you don’t feel like you are. On a conscious level, we know we’re loved and valued but on a deeper subconscious level, we may be holding on too tightly to old stories and limiting beliefs from our past.
 
For example, as a young girl, basketball was my first love. But I often got bullied for being “too skinny.” I was called names that have stuck with me my whole life. And now as an adult, I’ve had to be really intentional about letting go of what those people said about me. You see, it’s all too easy to let negative opinions and mean comments become our truths.
 
But it’s our job to identify and become aware of the thoughts we’re listening to with the aim to heal the deeper root cause.
 
Now, I have the power to claim who I want to be (who I am), create space for myself and others to shine, and to believe full heartedly that I am enough.
 
It’s super counter-cultural to feel good in your own skin, without wanting to lose weight or change bits and pieces about who you are to feel worthy of love.
 
Loving who you are is a radical form of self-care.
 
So let this post be a friendly reminder to you that you always have and will always be enough. This truth is here waiting for you to claim, own, and fully believe. It’s yours for the taking!

My second point is this sweet and simple truth:
THERE IS ONLY ONE YOU.

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 So friend, I beg of you!!! Show up to each day in the way that only you can. Do it unapologetically. Show up with bravery and an unmatched fierceness, even in the midst of your doubt and faithless nights.
 
Show up on the good days and show up on the tough days too. Show up when you’re filled with joy and know that you can show up even on the days when the depression feels too heavy to lift you off the floor.
 
For you don’t have to show up perfect. You just have to show up as you. Fully you.  
Because that’s where the magic is.
 
You see, God will always use where we’re at to grow us. Every season of this life has meaning. Each struggle shapes the narrative of our story. Every high offers a new vantage point and every low is filled full with lessons to be learned.
 
So soak in each season. Treasure the periods of waiting. Trust in your slow and steady growth. Find the strength to be grateful, even when the answer is “no.”
 
Because there is magic to be found as we sit within our story, without rushing to the next chapter.
 
So sit with your sadness, anger, loneliness and disappointment. Sit with your joy, victories, blessings, and peace. Sit with your scars, trauma, hurts, and baggage. Sit with them long enough to know what they came to teach and reveal to you.
 
And as you let yourself feel and experience all that this life has to offer, I hope you remember to cling to God and to the ones who remind you of your enough-ness. Be determined to find moments of hope and light, even in the midst of your messy middle.
 
For there is always Light to be found for those who look for it.
 
Dear friend, your Creator has already given you everything you need to live a life fulfilled. You have every tool and every idea already inside of you!!! You don’t have to become like someone else or do what someone else is doing. Because if you do, you will miss out on the very thing that God is calling YOU (and only you) to.
 
So be you.
 
Tell your story.
 
Follow the call that has been placed on your heart.
 
Because we need you to show up in all of your fullness. This is the fullness you were born to claim.
 
For you have always been enough just as you are.
 
So be you. Fully you. In the ways that only you can.
 
I’m sending you so much love.
 
You are enough.
 
With love,
Madison Deaton.

 
Ps! If you’d like to connect with me online, you can find me @thefitflamingo on Instagram and more resources for owning your enough-ness on my website @ thefitflamingo.com. You can also find me on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/madisondeaton/. I’d love to hear what this season of life is revealing to you :)

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Why is it important to be an upstander?

6/12/2020

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​Agape Leaders Rebranded

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Agape Leaders’ website has been completely revamped by the talented Jessica Maldonado. She has dragged our organization into the 21st century with her on point graphics and exceptional designs. But don’t take our word for it, you can see her work first hand by perusing our website or by visiting her website at vichesniche.com.

Meet Kayley Klatt

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​Our first guest writer is Miss St. Petersburg Outstanding Teen 2020, Kayley Klatt. She is a recent graduate of Oviedo High School and will be attending Rollins College in the fall. She has held several local titles in the Miss America Organization, earning top 5 recognition during the Miss Florida Outstanding Teen competitions in 2018 and 2019. Her social initiative platform is Be an Upstander: Bullying Prevention. She is passionate about galvanizing Upstanders to help stop bullying. One of her Instagram posts says, “When bystanders become UPSTANDERS positivity shines through.” We are proud to have Kayley Klatt as our first featured writer. We believe you will be as pleased as we are.

Featured Article: 
Why is it important to be an upstander?

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At eleven years old I experienced the effects of bullying for the very first time. I had been picked on and pushed around prior to this experience but it didn’t ever affect me. The fifth grade was different - the picking on, pushing around, and hurtful words seemed never-ending. Even more heart wrenching - this behavior was coming from who I considered to be my closest friends. Because of their behavior, because I believed their comments, because I trusted them, I was changed from the school-loving, care-free, light at the end of the tunnel fifth-grader to one who felt lost in confusion, heart-break, and negativity. I didn’t understand how those I thought I knew and loved so much and who loved me could be the same friends who joined forces to tear me down. 
 
At the time I attended an incredibly small school and had been since I was four. A school so small that we were one, big family. How could family be so destructive? I was so confused, but I kept it all in. I didn’t think much of it, I thought it would blow over and suddenly disappear - I was naive. It came to a point where I couldn’t keep it in any longer, my attitude changed and I was filled with anger. I remember talking to my parents with a steady stream of tears as I expressed my frustrations, confusion, and heart-break. I remember my parents calling the principle while I cried in their closet, calling my friend to tell her how I felt. I remember my parents calling other parents to politely address the situation and understand what was taking place. One thing that wasn’t evident at the time was how bruised I really was. Yes, I had the luxury of supportive parents and teachers. No, I was not physically bullied, there was no physical bruising. I was mentally bruised, I was the victim of verbal and social bullying which can be just as damaging as physical bullying. This became evident as the years went by and I would bully myself by not loving myself to the best of my ability. I kept my guard up when making new friends and had what can best be described as a shield around my heart. I wasn’t going to let myself experience a heart break like that again. It wasn’t until recently that I slowly let my guard down and it happened again - several times. These next times was a close mentor, next - a friend, then another friend, then another adult, all of which whose actions and comments and talking behind my back, hurt. I began to understand that these were life's bumpy roads and that I would most likely encounter these experiences in the workforce as well. It was after that realization that I had developed a mentality that I would be proud of who I was and stand up for myself or anyone else who was going through a similar experience. I didn’t let these experiences tear me down and I stood my ground.
Now, at seventeen years old, I still have moments of doubt and insecurity. I continue to come across people who feel empowered by taking the power away from others. I keep my guard up slightly and allow myself to feel defeated but I live by Michelle Obama’s quote, “When they go low, we go high.”. I will not let myself stoop to that level, I will not let my confidence be stripped from me, and I will not let our youth experience an experience similar to mine. I am writing not only to tell my story but to empower our youth, to empower teenagers, to empower the people of tomorrow to have confidence in themselves in order to spread an immense amount of kindness. I urge you to use your voice to put an end to the bullying epidemic. I urge you to love yourself unconditionally and to treat yourself with nothing but respect because there is so much to be proud of. I urge you to be the change. We must listen to our own words and realize that in order to stop the bullying epidemic we must unite, use our voices, and set a precedent for our youth. I am writing to inform those who may not have the strongest support system to tell you that we care, we are here for you.

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Each year, 3.2 million students are victims of bullying. Our youth are relying on the generations ahead of them to combat bullying and reduce it drastically. It is critical that we, as a nation, act and work to save the lives of our future attorneys, doctors, law enforcement, mothers, and fathers. It is essential that we recognize that the bully is also in need of as much help as the victims. It is necessary that we spread never-ending kindness, care for one another, respect each other, and most importantly treat others the way you want to be treated. If we are going to end this epidemic, we need to raise the generations to come with love, kindness, and respect by teaching them how to handle conflict and their emotions without putting others at risk. I encourage you to find your spark and use it to create change. I can do it, you can do it, and we can do it so that no child has to experience the effects of bullying again.
With much love,
Kayley Klatt.

Follow me @missstpetersburgot and @kayleyklatt on both Instagram and Facebook.

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    Agape Letters

    Do an internet search and you will find several definitions for the word “Agape.” According to one site, Agape is a Greco-Christian term referring to love, "the highest form of love, charity" and "the love of God for man and of man for God". This is the definition that we use at Agape Leaders for the way we mean agape. In our lives, many of us long to receive a “love letter” from that special someone. You are our special someone, therefore we are sending you our “Agape Letter,” our love letter to you.
    ​The purpose of this monthly blog is to share with you the love and passion many people have for humanity. This letter will give leaders an opportunity to share their hearts with you. You will learn about some of the “left behind” in our society and be given the opportunity to offer your support. We want to hear from you when a particular topic touches you. Thank you for taking the time to read our blog. We pray that it is a blessing for you. And remember, STAY STRONG!!

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