"MOLD & INSPECTION"
Last week we talked about the impact of the "Design Process" of the shoe making process! The lesson taught us that we must remember that GOD is our DESIGNER (Creator), recognize that JESUS is our FOUNDATION, learn how to follow his patterns and become a sample product of GOD’S LOVE! This framework reminds us that we must return to the designer when we lose sight of the original vision. If you missed week one of this series be sure to go check it out, then come back to this blog post.
WEEK 2: THE MOLD & INSPECTION
LIFE can be extremely beautiful, but it can also be extremely brutal! One moment you’ll be standing on top of the mountain. Next thing you know you’re walking through the valley. Standing in between the two extremes can cause you to feel lost and confused! Being in this dark place makes you feel alone and hopeless. Life presents many mountains to climb and hills to overcome. It’s inevitable that you’ll fail at times, experience pain, and fall! I really dislike the way that the world has pushed the narrative that FAILURE is a bad thing, but that’s the furthest thing from the truth. The good news is you don’t have to stay in that dark place. Overcoming these moments is difficult but you can emerge stronger after you go through the fire. You may not know how to navigate each season of your life, but I believe step two of the shoe making process could teach you how to change your perspective.
The second step of creating a shoe is developing the mold and conducting an inspection. The manufacturer creates a 3D model of the original shoe design, then uses it to make a metal mold. Developing the metal mold is a very time-consuming process. It could take up to 10 hours to complete one shoe size. Once it’s complete the mold is inspected and measured to make sure it’s functioning right. After everything is evaluated the material is injected into the mold and put under pressure to create the base for the shoe.
This process demonstrates that being under pressure isn’t always a bad thing and routine inspections are necessary. In the moment we don’t realize everything we endure in life is meant to mold us into the people we’re destined to become. Overtime our mold gets injected with different types of materials. Sometimes the materials come in the form of negativity, family issues, self-doubt, depression and hard times. Other times the materials come in the form or love, self-awareness, and good times. As a result our base is a mash up of our negative and positive experiences.
GOD allows us to go through trials to build our endurance and strengthen our faith! Often times we forget GOD created us so we don’t have to handle the pressure alone. GOD walks with us and he uses our good and bad encounters for our good. It’s hard to gain a different perspective about life when you’re in the middle of the storm, that’s why it’s important to conduct self-checks and inspections along the way. If the metal mold isn’t carefully inspected and adjusted it won’t fit the original shoe design, the same rules apply to you. The inspection is implemented to make sure everything is aligned and working properly. It gives you an opportunity to adjust and seek out the support you need. I believe the mold and inspection phase has given us FOUR steps we can implement to help us when we’re in high pressured situations.
1.) ACKNOWLEDGE & ACCEPT: We must acknowledge and accept that the difficult moments were meant to build our endurance. Every part of the journey is important and vital to the production process. Reflect on your experiences, set your goals and be intentional about your bottom line.
2. CONDUCT SELF-CHECKS & INSPECTIONS: Self-checks and inspections are necessary to make sure we’re in alignment with the vision. It's important to create checkpoints and systems. You must check your intentions and motives often and celebrate the small wins because they lead to the BIG WINS!!!
3. CREATE ACCOUNTABILITY: Holding yourself accountable is extremely important. Once you set your goals and conduct your inspections, you have to establish an accountability system. Having a support group filled with likeminded individuals will be clutch! Also having helpful, resourceful and skilled individuals in your circle is needed. (Therapist, life coach, parents, counseling, friends, and your tribe)
4. USE ALL OF YOUR EXPERIENCES: Putting systems in place, having a support system, and making the decision to flourish is so important to your progress. You have the ability to bounce back and overcome anything because GOD is living within you. Use all of your experiences to create your L.I.F.E, which means:
L-EVELUP
I-NSPITE OF
F-AILURES AND
E-XPERIENCES
Click the link below to download the FREE Mold & Inspection Process Worksheet.
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