Archive for April, 2010
Relinquish Stagnation and Step Into A New Dimension
Posted by: | Comments…and Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. – Matthew 14:29
Sometimes we want to rise to a new dimension in life but the only thing that’s holding us back is ourselves. The only thing keeping us is our inability to step out of our comfort zone.
In order to be all that you want to be, you should practice thinking out of the box and stepping out of your comfort zone. When you practice these things, you will find a whole new world of possibilities that you never knew existed.
You will find that you are stronger than you ever thought possible when making the choice to rise to a new occasion. But you will never know your true strength until you put yourself to the test. The body builder doesn’t develop the strength that he has by putting the same weight on the bar. No, he has to experiment with more weight. He has to expose himself to more challenges in order to progress.
Are you open to new challenges?
You have to raise the bar for yourself in order to grow. I’m reminded of a great saying that says, “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” In order to expose yourself to new possibilities you must develop the strength and courage to take new risks in life.
Like today’s scripture, Peter stepped out of the boat and walked toward Jesus. But the scripture goes on to say that he began to look around at the boisterous winds and waves, became fearful and began to sink.
My friend it’s natural to feel fear as you step into your new destiny. Fear is a natural part of life, but don’t let fear overtake you. Don’t let fear hold you back and keep you at shore. Develop courage and strength and expose yourself to new oceans and notice the growth you experience as you charge forth in your journey of life.
Consistent Work Is Key To Achieving Goals
Posted by: | CommentsWork hard so God can say to you, “Well done.” Be a good workman, one who does not need to be ashamed when God examines your work… 2 Timothy 2:15
In order to get something good out of life you have to put some effort. You have to roll up your sleeves and break a little sweat. Remember, faith without works is dead.
The scripture tells us to write the vision, and make it plain upon tables. However, we can write down our ambitions and goals all day long, but until we have the faith to act on it and put effort behind the work, we won’t see the vision come to pass. God is not moved on just our level of belief alone, He’s moved on our ability to act on our faith.
A wise man once said, “Even a mosquito doesn’t get a slap on the back until it starts to work.” Maybe you’re looking for a pat on the back. You might even be looking for the diamond in the rough, but remember that the treasure is never at the top of the sand. You have to dig down deep into the sand to find the treasure. The pot of gold doesn’t come before the storm, you have to go through the storm and find your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Too often people put forth a little work effort, gain some ground, and then lose interest. You have to be consistent in order to see the manifestation of your vision.
I recently challenged myself and set a higher bar for myself in one of my goals. It was harder work indeed but I started noticing better results. However, at some point in time, I started to lose the vigor that I originally had and as a result, my progress Read More→
You Deserve To Be Respected
Posted by: | CommentsWe communicate many messages to ourselves on a daily basis but one of the things that we indirectly communicate is lack of self-respect. We want good things out of life but sometimes we inadvertently sabotage ourselves out of things and people who are good for us.
You should know that you do deserve the best in life. You do deserve to live an extravagant lifestyle and own things that are of royal nature. But most important you should know that you are royalty.
You deserve to be seen as someone who is worth being respected. Never walk around with your head held down thinking, “oh I’m just a nobody, I don’t deserve to be looked at as anyone special.” No, you are very special indeed. The scripture tells us that we are an overcomer. The Lord declares that you are a victor and not a victim.
You should carry yourself in such a way which indicates that you are going big places and doing big things. Even if you’re just carrying the trash to the dumpster, you should carry that trash as if you’re placing a million dollars into the bank. In other words, delight yourself in every task that you do and realize that everything you put your hands to do is a direct reflection of you.
A wise man once said, “Every job is a self portrait of the person who does it, autograph your work in excellence.” Whether you’re working a job at the local restaurant washing dishes, or pushing shopping carts in off the lot of the local super-market, you should know that people don’t judge you by what work you do, they observe how you do the work you do. They are looking to see if you appreciate what you do and they respect the person who autographs his work in excellence.
You do deserve to be respected. You deserve to be smiled upon not frown upon, or even worse overlooked, but in order to get you have to give.
I heard a saying that says, “A smile confuses an approaching frown.” When you smile at others, you are showing your inner confidence, and self-confidence equates to self respect. There is something about a smile that the person who is receiving it gets a warm message on the inside that says, “Wow, I am somebody after all. They smiled at me. I must be worth more than I thought.” But in order to send that message Read More→
Empowerment Begins On The Inside
Posted by: | CommentsAre you empowered? What are your expectations for the day? Are you expecting something good to happen today or do you just go with the flow and barely get by?
Empowerment begins on the inside. Sometimes we have to be our own catalyst for change. We have to recognize our own strengths and play on that.
Some people go around looking for praises and are looking to others to encourage them. But the truth is we have to encourage ourselves. It all starts with that small flame that we have on the inside.
We have to be the fuel that makes that flame grow bigger. That flame should be to the point that it grows at an overwhelming rate into a great flame of courage, passion, and motivation.
You should be such a positive spark of influence that others around you benefit indirectly just from being in your presence. You have to know that you are a winner. You are equipped with everything that you need to become who God wants you to be. But it all starts inside, you have to believe that you can fulfill your destiny. The truth is that most people won’t believe in you until you first believe in yourself. So hold your head up, put your shoulders back and stick your chest out, stand tall and know that you can conquer anything that you put your hands to do.
I have a favorite saying that states: “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.” It’s those thoughts that you hold about yourself that will determine your outcome in life. You have to make the choice to wipe out all negative thoughts that speak death into your life.
You are destined for greatness and you can excel and be the best in everything that you can do. Make a choice to empower yourself and to be a light for someone else today as you charge forth on your journey of life
Take Life One Day At a Time
Posted by: | CommentsMany times we sabotage ourselves when we worry too much about the future. If you have a job that is stressful or tends to be overwhelming, you may find yourself thinking about doing the same stressful tasks over and over again tomorrow and the day after that. You may be saying to yourself, “I can’t do this over and over again, this is too unbearable.”
When you think like this you are doing yourself a disservice because for one, It’s negative thinking and it’s poisonous to your mind. And secondly, you’re worrying too much about the future and this isn’t a healthy way of thinking.
You should learn to take life one day at a time. Don’t worry about the overwhelming work load that tomorrow has to bring. You should realize that tomorrow is a brand new day, with brand new mercies.
You only have two hands
You may have worked yourself into the ground and it seems that you’ve given it all you’ve got. You may say to yourself, “I don’t see how I can take another day like this.” But think of it like this… you’ve only got two hands and you can only carry two bag-fulls at once. You may look down your path and see hundreds of bags in sight but you have to over look those bags for the time being.
When your hands are free again, then and only then will be the time to fill them once again. You can only obligate yourself to one task at a time. The thing is, too often we make the dreadful mistake of stressing out over the future, not knowing how were going to be able to deal with the stress that it has to bring.
It’s important to remember to take life one day at a time. God knows how much you can bear, and He wouldn’t put any more on you. Work like it’s your last chance to work and notice the difference this mind-set will bring, as you charge forth on your journey of life.
Photo credit: by chris@APL
25 Occassions Worth Letting Loose and Enjoying The Moment
Posted by: | CommentsThroughout the hustle and bustle of the day, we get stressed out over the wrong things. We may find ourselves focusing too much on the past or the future.
The moments that are worth focusing on, have a tendency to go over our heads. Too often, I have to remind myself to let loose and enjoy the moment. Below, I’ve devised 25 examples that are worth letting loose and enjoying the moment. They come far and few in between, so when you find yourself in one of these moments, be sure to kick back and enjoy.
- The sound of birds chirping at dawn.
- Watching the sun rise.
- Watching the sun set.
- Enjoying the evening breeze.
- A view of the city from the top floor of a 30 story hotel.
- A long relaxing back rub.
- The sound of a nearby fountain.
- The sound of rain on the rooftop at bedtime.
- Inhaling the brisk morning air through an open window.
- Endless laughs with friends.
- Gazing into the sky while lying in a hammock.
- The smell of freshly cut grass.
- A ride on a bridge overlooking a large body of water.
- The sound of the rain-forest.
- Swinging on a swing.
- Watching a fireworks show.
- The sound of nearby wind chimes.
- Catching a shooting star.
- A magnificent view of the earth from the window seat of a plane.
- Watching a live orchestra perform.
- The sound of a baby laughing. Read More→
3 Needed Stress Busters
Posted by: | CommentsStress is our bodies’ way of telling us that it’s being over worked. Without it we just might work ourselves into our own graves. Often enough we over look those signs and overwork ourselves until we just can’t work anymore. I can totally understand, when you’re a go-getter and you’re naturally ambitious, it’s always about getting the most done in the smallest amount of time.
We’ve all heard it before… that famous line that we tell ourselves, “I’ll just work the next ten minutes, then I’m calling it quits.” Well sometimes it doesn’t happen like that. Ten minutes turn into twenty minutes, then thirty minutes, and the next thing you know an hour has gone by and you’ve over worked yourself. You’ve pushed yourself to that last straw.
One of the biggest stress signals that we get are those pounding headaches that come from working ourselves to the limit. Over a period of time, stress starts to manifest itself into our bodies and leaves us with tensed up muscles and overwhelming thoughts. By this time it seems as though it’s too late, we’ve gone overboard in working ourselves.
I always say that life is about balance and the best way to prevent stress is by taken action to neutralize it. Here are three stress busters are helpful in limiting the amount of stress that you will experience.
1. Exercise – Have you ever gone on a short run or did some sort of strenuous exercise and noticed how great you felt afterward? When you exercise, your mind releases neuro-transmitters called endorphins which aid in reducing stress. These endorphins are also partly responsible for making you happy. Exercise is an all the way around Read More→
When Passion Meets Discouragement, Stay Committed
Posted by: | CommentsThere will come a time when you lose your drive and motivation for the things that you’re most passionate about. It helps to focus on that which you’re passionate about, because having a strong passionate foundation will carry you through when you lose focus.
Commitment means remaining focused and dedicated in the face of opposition. Staying committed means shaking off those negative thoughts and questions that arise when you lose motivation for doing what you love in life. You have to stick with it even when discouragement stares you in the face.
Some of the world’s greatest role models, who display such astounding examples of passion and commitment, hit rough patches of discouragement. Even the great Michael Jordan faced doubts about his love for basketball in the beginning. In fact, it was said that he was cut from the high school basketball team, went home, locked himself in his room and cried. It’s his commitment that we can all appreciate, because after he was told no, he didn’t stop there. He went on to become the great legend that we know him to be today.
Jordan is just one of many examples of courage that we have to look to for inspiration. However, the same commitment that he displays is on the inside of you my friend. You must look deep inside and pull out that inner strength that’s needed when passion meets discouragement.
It’s up to you to take that which life throws you and use it to your advantage. Like the saying goes, when life throws you lemons, make lemonade. Remain persistent to your goals and visions and watch the difference that it makes as you charge forth on your journey of life.
Photo credit: by marcokenmoeller
4 Ways To Reward Yourself For Achievements
Posted by: | CommentsHow often do you praise yourself for achievements that you’ve made in the past? We’re always encouraged to view the glass as half full but we don’t always take proper action to reward ourselves when we make great accomplishments.
When we train dogs, we’re taught that we should praise them and reward them when they do right. But when they do bad, we have to let them know as well so that they learn the difference between right and wrong.
Unfortunately when we do wrong or make mistakes, we reminded of the fact because we beat ourselves up about it. We know, all to well, when we fail at something because we remind ourselves over and over with such negative self talk.
The problem is that we don’t uplift ourselves enough when we do good. I know we’re taught to be humble and not to toot our own horn, but there comes a time when you have to break down and award yourself. Here are 4 ways to reward yourself when celebrating some of life’s greatest accomplishments.
1. Indulge – Next time you pass by the ice cream aisle or cookie stand at the supermarket, slip a box or 2 into your shopping cart. Better yet, on the way home stop by Krispy Kreme Donuts and grab a box of hot donuts fresh right out the oven. The key to doing this is to be in the moment. Dwell on the hard work that you’ve put forth and celebrate your achievements.
2. Take some time off – Schedule time off and get some rest and relaxation. You don’t want to make life all work and no play. Take time off and enjoy the laid back pleasures of life.
3. Pamper yourself – There’s nothing more rewarding than being pampered. Make an appointment with the local masseuse and get a sixty minute full body massage.
4. Weekend retreat - Certainly you wouldn’t want to celebrate alone. Why not Read More→
Success Is Relative – What Does It Mean To You?
Posted by: | CommentsWhat is success to you? Is it having everything together? Being in total control over everything in your life? Could it be never-ending joy and happiness? Is it having financial freedom or owning that house on the hill or driving a Rolls Royce?
Success if different to different people. To one person, success is achieving all the goals that they’ve set out to accomplish. For the next, it could simply mean living a life full of joy and happiness.
Success is defined as: an event that accomplishes its intended purpose; or a state of prosperity or fame;
The dictionary provides a skeleton type definition of success. However, it’s up to you to determine what success means to you.
What influences your view of success?
I’ll never forget the series that used to come on TV entitled, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. I guess there’s really no need to go into depth as to what the show is all about. The title pretty much sums it up.
This television series had the great ability to paint the perfect picture of success, in the eyes of it’s many viewers. It featured people who lived in extravagant homes, drove extraordinary automobiles, traveled the world, and then some.
The media has a way of painting the picture into our minds of what true success is. I believe propaganda is the word that comes to mind. It’s almost as if to say- if you aren’t living the lifestyle of the next man, or you have achieved the things that this and that person has achieved, then you haven’t achieved success.
Maybe success is raising a healthy family and seeing your children live past eighteen. Maybe success is planting a tree and watching it grow to be tall and strong. Could success be overcoming a condition that the doctors said there was a little to no chance of you overcoming?
I write on the importance of dreaming and dreaming big. But I think it’s important that Read More→
