Greetings, greetings, and welcome. Welcome back to the sweet spot. You're listening to Dr. Derek Sweet. It is Finish Strong Friday, my friends. Can you believe it? We're here on a Friday and we're going to finish strong. As you know, we've been going through a series this week called The Seven Blocks to Breakthroughs. The seven blocks to breakthroughs. And we've been having quite the time of it. This journey has led us to face ourselves on Monday. On Take Action Tuesday, we named the block. On Wednesday, we clarified the desire. On Thursday, that was Trust Yourself Thursday, we took a brave step, and today we find ourselves in Finish Strong Friday. Look, before I jump into this fifth block, I want to be sure that you understand why we call Friday Finish Strong Friday. Because this is the time we tend to slack off, we see the weekend coming, we figure we can cut a corner. We don't do that. We don't do that. We are sweet, we're the sweet spot. And we find the sweet spot and we finish strong. So whatever you have to finish today, I want to be your encourager, your motivator to tell you you can do this. Take a deep breath, rest if you must, but get up and get it done. Finish strong. Amen? Alright now. So we've been in this series, we've been doing the seven uh blocks to breakthroughs, and we've been hitting it. And today, Finish Strong Friday, we're turning towards the thing that we've been avoiding. The thing that we've been avoiding. Yes, that's the question. What am I avoiding? Because in order to get to the block, you have to ask a question. What am I afraid of? What am I settling for? What am I not trusting? Those are the ways in which we get the answers to figure out what's blocking us. I don't know what's blocking you, but there's a question for you that will unlock the block. And um, hmm, unlock the block. I like that one. So here's the truth avoidance, what am I avoiding? Avoidance doesn't make us weak. It's not so. That's not what I'm talking about. It makes you human. By facing what you've been dodging or what we've been avoiding, that's where the breakthroughs actually begin. We've got to face it. So let's slow it down for a second and think about one thing that you keep pushing back further and further away in your mind. The conversation that you're not having, the decision that you're not making, the truth that you're not facing, the responsibility that it feels easier to avoid than to take on. But your nervous system is quietly paying the bill in the background. You ever feel that way that you know there's something you have to do, it's bothering you, but it's kind of like a nagging feeling in the background. That's your nervous system. When you avoid something, your amygdala. Remember the amygdala, the threat detector in the brain? Your amygdala, your internal alarm system. Guess what? It stays switched on. And that's why you feel tired even when you're not doing much. That's why your thoughts sometimes don't settle down. That's why your peace isn't where it should be. You have a structure in your brain, an alarm system, a threat detector called the amygdala. And when things aren't going well and you're avoiding them and you should be handling them, that amygdala gets activated. And here's the breakthrough, though. There's a breakthrough. The moment you name what you're avoiding, not fixing it, I'm not saying you have to fix it right away. You just gotta name it. What am I avoiding? The minute you name it, what the science shows in brain research is that the alarm center of the brain, the amygdala, starts to calm down. Your clarity begins to come back as your prefrontal cortex, the brain's CEO starts to begin to wake up. And you guess what? Your strength will return. And spiritually, God meets you right in the place where you ask the question. Not after, but in it. You will hear why avoidance is slowing you down. You'll hear it. You will know what to do because the Spirit will speak to you. Because God comes when we slow down to ask. Ask, and it shall be given unto you. So in the ancient wisdom, there's a reward for understanding what God does. And that reward is his presence. Fear not, because what? I am with you. Not after you've shown that you're brave. It's I'm with you while you're trying to be brave. And that's the thing. If you feel a little fear, that's okay. You don't have to be strong. God can be your strength. So here's your moment today if you're avoiding something. You don't have to fix it right away. You don't have to do everything immediately. Just face it. Admit that you're avoiding it. That's the first step. And once you take the first step, remember we've been talking about what motivation looks like. When you have momentum and you have taking meaning and you take movement and you put them all together, oh boy, you can get things done, but you've got to name what you've been avoiding. So that your brain can shift, so that your amygdala could get quiet, so that your prefrontal cortex can come back online, the brain CEO, so your clarity can return, so your strength could rise. Just because you've named it, and your body will relax because there's something about your naming it and your deciding, hmm, this is what it is, that gives you the strength, and God will come alongside you. You will feel the spirit. This is science, soul, and success we're talking about. So we're blending some neuroscience, but we will never give up on the spirit. So I want you today to write it down. Remember, we talked about writing down the vision. The thing I've been avoiding is, and then write it down gently, honestly, and without shame. This is what I've been avoiding. And I'm telling you that once you do that, once you name it, you are on your way. Because the moment you name it, the drain drops, the fog lifts, the peace returns, and breakthroughs begin. You begin to understand that maybe there's some power here. Amen and amen. I'm Dr. Derek Sweet. You've been listening to The Sweet Spot. This is Finish Strong Friday. Sometimes you have to finish by facing the thing you fear. I'll see you tomorrow for self-care Saturday. Oh boy, yeah, self-care Saturday. You know what the question is tomorrow? I'll tell you right now. Who can help me? Huh. Because breakthroughs, they grow faster when you're not carrying everything alone. Love and blessings.