Beautiful Identity: A Spiritual Guide to Self-Discovery

By Addie Begashaw

Our spiritual life connects us with the invisible world so we can draw the truth and create a satisfying visible world.

Most spiritual and non-spiritual women alike are perplexed, deceived, and shortchanged from what they can be, do, or have. In this state of deception, wrong feels right, and that is why Beautiful Identity looks to the Bible to bring clarity to who we are and how we can do the work we were born to do.
Could this be the missing link to your best life?

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Sep 17, 2019
• ISBN: 9781973663546

Addie Begashaw

Adanech Begashaw is a Certified Coach in Personal Leadership Development. She has earned a coaching certificate from The Coaching and Positive Psychology (CaPP) Institute, and a bachelor’s degree in Business Production Operations and Systems Management. Addie has worked with women for thirty years in various organizations and in the corporate world. Currently Addie enjoys traveling, speaking, training, and coaching here in the United States and in Africa. She and her husband, George, live with their three daughters in California.

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Copyright © 2019 Addie Begashaw.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

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Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-6353-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-6355-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-6354-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019906574

WestBow Press rev. date: 9/3/2019

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMPC),

Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman

Foundation Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

Scripture taken from the Amplified Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962,

1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used with permission.

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996,

2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible,

New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale

House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers,

Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®,

NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®

Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,

1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.

CONTENTS

Dedication

Introduction

1.  Connecting with Your Source

Who Is Defining You?

Who Are You?

The Kingdom of God

Trusting the Kingdom

Say Wow!

2.  You Were Born to Lead

Your Awareness Matters

Private Education

Undertaking Your Responsibilities

Informed or Transformed?

Are You Misled?

3.  King Jesus the Game Changer

Retrace Your Thoughts

Your Redeemed Willpower

Avoid the Bait of Satan

Citizenship of Heaven

Thinking with God

You Are Valuable

4.  The Divine Power in You

God Within You

Who Is the Holy Spirit?

Empower Yourself

Be Empowered and Transformed

Be Before Do

Don’t Be Misinformed

Connect to Your Work

5.  Kingdom Culture

Add Value

Grow the Tree of Life

Grow Like a Fruit

Naturally Supernatural

It Sustains You

Predict Your Success

Review

Dear Reader,

If you wonder why you hold this book in your hands, it’s because you sense something more for your life that is yet undiscovered. You have a longing deep inside that cannot be dismissed; a passion for a purpose you have not yet defined. How do I know? Because I have been there. And I wish I had read this book.

I have known Addie for many years. We first met when she participated in a women’s discipleship program that I had authored. As a faithful member of a large church family, Addie quickly assumed a leadership role, developing her skills and deploying them for Kingdom advancement. Along the way, she felt impressed to mentor others on their faith journey by sharing the principles of her own personal growth and success. In time, Addie followed the Lord’s leading to write these down in order to help a broader audience find their beautiful identity. That, dear friend, is what you will find within these pages.

Life journeys are rarely level ones. And the more adventurous you are, the more apt you are to experience mountain peaks and valley lows. Along the way, you will also confront things like failure, disappointment and delay. At other times, you will encounter exciting opportunities and divine connections. Without a firm foundation in who you truly are, which means how you were uniquely designed by your Creator, these moments can either propel you into your destiny or derail you.

There are many voices speaking today. I encourage you to listen to this one. Dig into the material and discover answers to questions you have yet to ask. Find encouragement to either define your dream or put it to the test. Allow this book to serve as a compass for your life course. And above all, let it assist you as you seek your purpose and place in this world, for you are here for such a time as this.

May God richly reward you,

Lisa Santagate

Founder

TitusTouch Ministry

DEDICATION

I dedicate Beautiful Identity to my precious mother, Shetaye Asfaw, who is now in heaven. Your life has exhibited your beautiful identity and introduced me to the woman I have become today. You gave your life to empower your family and friends, and our city. You led your life with principles and instilled the values of love and greatness in many people.

My siblings and I are forever grateful that you nurtured our talents, encouraged our dreams, and showed us our priorities in life. Psalm 127:4 (NLT) says, Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands. You were the warrior, and I was the arrow.

Thank you for your countless prayers and gentle discipline. You were fearless and yet graceful. Your bravery to step out into the unknown has positioned us for success. Thank you for modeling generosity, personal growth, and servant leadership. Your life was balanced; you loved the unloved and challenged the loved. You are by far the most influential woman I have ever known. Thank you for being you and showing me how to become me.

To my committed father, Begashaw Ayele, who taught me how to work, build, give, and laugh. You have provided everything our family needed and beyond. You transformed our lives financially through your natural gifts, and you inspired me to discover my gifts. You taught me to sit at the table and talk to a father who is real, funny, and a serious businessman. Your jokes were hilarious, your achievements were countless, and your legacy outlives you. Thank you for your determination and commitment to making all things possible.

To my dear husband, George W. Aytenfsu, you have poured yourself into supporting our family and encouraging me in all I do. Thank you for your countless hours of work to provide us with a home. You resemble my father in so many ways, and you are surely the best provider a woman could have. Most of all, thank you for believing in my gifts and becoming my friend.

To our three beautiful daughters—Mekleet, Raee’, and Mattaniah Aytenfsu—who have filled my life with joy and fulfillment. You have been my rewards from day one and you have truly become my three trophies, tangible reminders of mercy and grace. I pray that I will be the warrior your grandmother was and that you will be the arrows who will take the legacy forward. I love you!

INTRODUCTION

Have you ever wondered why some women are living their dreams while others are just surviving? Women who discover their personal identities will have courage to engage in their dream works and influence others, but few women live extraordinary lives. Why is that?

Are you the head or the tail? What are the ingredients to becoming a head rather than a tail? You are changing daily. Are you growing toward the extraordinary or staying mediocre? If God can be your Lord, who can show you how to become profitable in all you do? How is it, my sister, that you are not growing closer to your dream life? In the next few chapters, I will share my story and my answers to these provoking questions. But before that, let me share the story behind my story.

I was born in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. My parents raised me with my seven siblings in Nazareth, which is forty-five minutes from Addis Ababa. I grew up in a home where my parents modeled faith and business. Perhaps business and faith were not separate; they were married and stayed married in my heart even after my mother, Shetaye Asfaw, and my father, Begashaw Ayele, went to heaven.

My mom created a true house of God, and my dad was a business expert. As good as that might sound, we had our share of dysfunction. Our parents gave us their best and created a life many would only dream about.