Optimistic Journey » Growth and Maturity

Stuck in a Rut? How to Get Out

Jarrod Clark — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:49:40 +0000

By nature, we all desire to progress forward in life. We all have hopes, visions and dreams. But for many, its the same day in and day out, year in and year out.

For some, traditions are holding them back. Others fall prey to the barely-get-by, lackadaisical mindset. But know today that we serve a God who makes all things new. He doesn’t want you to be stuck in a rut. He wants to bring you into increase, promotion, and a higher dimension.

If you’re going to come into your God-given destiny, you’re going to have to leave the old mindset behind. Don’t fall prey to that toxic mindset that says, “I’ll never achieve that dream” or “I don’t have the talents to be an achiever.”

Don’t say what you can’t do, say what you can do. Don’t be stagnant, make positive declarations that will catapult you into your destiny.

I’ve heard it said that you believe more of what you say, than what anybody else says about you. If you’re going around saying, I’ll never break this bad addiction… I never get the right breaks… I never come into the right relationships, then that’s all you’ll ever acquire. Like the Children of Israel in the Bible, you’ll be stuck in a rut. You’ll be circling that same mountain over and over again, day in and day out.

In order to progress, you’re going to have to break bad traditions. If you’re going to stretch forth to the next level, you’ll have to change some things.

Instead of saying, I don’t have the talents, say I have everything I need to do anything I could imagine. Instead of saying, this relationship will never work, your declaration should be, I serve a God who mends broken relationships.

I’ve heard a great saying, “When you complain, you remain.” If you’re going to progress in life, you must first believe that a change is yet at hand. You’ll have to get rid of the limiting, defeating mindset and believe that you can achieve those dreams. You can get that promotion. You can break through into a higher dimension.

I always say, “change your I can’ts to the I cans.” In other words, let your declaration be, I can recover from a bad break. I can achieve the unachievable. I can break down the walls stagnation. When you do so, you’ll discover that with God, you’ll come into bigger opportunities, better relationships, and fulfilled dreams as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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January 18, 2012 -- Have A Right Now Faith! (2)
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It’s All in the Attitude!

Jarrod Clark — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:09:34 +0000

Too often, we allow the circumstances of everyday life to take our joy away. So many go around with the mentality that says, “I’ll smile, when I have a reason to smile.” And what’s even worse, is that sets a bad example for others who need to see a positive light.

Many have made a habit of going around with a sour attitude. We’re on the edge. We’re on the defense. We allow the doom and gloom to set in and bring us down.

Instead of being affected by the negative circumstances, we should make a decision to be a positive effect. We can choose to be a light in a dark world.

When you wake up in the morning, your goal should be that no matter what happens, you’re going to operate in the joy of the Lord.

Friend, it’s not God’s desire for you to walk around sad, discouraged, doom and gloom. No, the scripture says you’ve been anointed with the oil of joy more than your companions. That means that as ambassadors for Christ, we’ve been chosen to set an example for Christ.

I heard an interesting statistic. When you smile, you’re communicating to your body that everything is going to be alright. I’ve heard it said that when you smile, others wonder what’s the good news.

It’s possible to be joyful even in the bad times. The truth is, joy comes in knowing that all things work together for the good of them who love the Lord. That means we should rejoice always, in the good times as well as the bad times.

Now I understand, for some, it naturally comes easier to be chipper and joyful all the time. True, some have had a life full of hurts, failures, and negative experiences. But the truth is you have a choice to break those strongholds.

You have the potential to unlock the joy that God has placed on the inside of you. Know today that joy is yours for the asking. John 16:24 says to ask and receive that your joy might be full.

Make a decision today to put on a good attitude. Remember, the joy of the Lord is your strength. If you’ll make a decision to smile for no reason, God will give you more and more reasons to smile as you charge forth on your journey of life.

Photo credit: by LULZ Photography

September 7, 2011 -- Your Light is Contagious! (0)
August 4, 2011 -- A Light in a Dark World (0)
January 5, 2012 -- Preach Always, Use Words Only when Necessary (0)
November 22, 2011 -- Maybe You Could be One of the Ones… (Compassion for a Good Cause) (2)
October 13, 2010 -- Be Effective Not Affected (0)

It’s by no Coincidence

Jarrod Clark — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 04:16:03 +0000

You weren’t just birthed into this world by chance, God has had a purpose for your life since the very beginning. Your life is divinely orchestrated by God, and He has great things in store for you!

Too often, we find ourselves being tossed back and forth in the wind. Many people feel a since of no purpose. We’re just taking chances hoping for what the world calls “luck.” But with God, there’s no such thing as luck. No, you’re not here by chance. There is a method to His madness. You’re not doing what you’re doing by coincidence. Your steps are ordered by the Lord, and He has every step planned out for you.

Maybe you didn’t have the same upbringing as your peers. Maybe you’ve had it rough all your life, and you’re tempted to think that God has deserted you. Well know today that what you’ve been through is not by chance. Jeremiah 1:5 says that “even before you were born God knew you and He set you apart.” And Jeremiah 29:11 pretty much answers this when it says, “God knows the plans He has for you. He wants to prosper you and give you a future full of hope!”

The seemingly insignificant things that you partake in day in and day out, could be the very things that lead to the next major opportunity. It’s no coincidence that those contacts that you’ve met along the way, have become an influence in your life. They may have been placed there by the almighty God, as a vehicle to lead you to your success.

It’s by no coincidence that you’ve faced some hardships along the way. It’s those very setbacks that will give you the ability to blast through the ultimate finish-line. Those roadblocks that you encounter, serve a purpose to show you what road not to take in the future.

Those defeats that you’ve suffered they didn’t happen by coincidence. Maybe you’ve encountered some closed doors and passed by opportunities, know that it’s no coincidence. Anytime you come face to face with a closed door, it’s because God has something greater in store.

Now just think, if you would’ve accepted the mediocre opportunity, or walked through the wrong doors, you would be delaying yourself from the destiny that God has purposed and designed for you.

I heard a wise person say, “what was supposed to be your setback, is your setup.” So next time you suffer rejection, next time you experience failure or let downs, know that it’s not by chance. Those setbacks will set you up for the next major move that God has planned for you.

God is working behind the scenes. And He’s turning the pages of your life one opportunity at a time. So take pleasure in your defeats and failed opportunities. They are there to bring about growth and maturity as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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April 9, 2010 -- 5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Accepting a Yes (13)
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Take Bigger Risks

Jarrod Clark — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 04:21:15 +0000

Too often we fall prey to contentment and complacency. And in the end, all this does is bring stagnation and hinders our growth.

But do you know that it’s better to take risks in life than to end up short changing yourself? When you play it safe and take the comfortable road in life, you end up holding the short end of the bargain.

Know today that God wants you to go above and beyond the call of duty. It’s easy to get comfortable and lackadaisical, but you should know that when you go out on a limb, God will carry you the rest of the way.

In order to grow, you have to stretch your abilities. Take risks in life. Do the unexpected. Do the things that you’ve always feared.

When you set out to achieve things that are outside of your comfort zone, you’ll be surprised at the outcome. The good thing is that the outcome will give you the confidence to take even bigger risks in life.

When you venture out and take more chances, you’ll start to see your dreams come alive. You’ll start to see your goals being fulfilled. You’ll start to notice more doors opening. But when you play it safe and do the same expected things day in and day out, you end up forfeiting your growth.

I’m reminded of what Luke 19:26 says in the Message bible. In this passage of scripture Jesus says, “That’s what I mean: Risk your life and get more than you ever dreamed of. Play it safe and end up holding the bag.”

My friends, I want to encourage you to seek ways to expand your growth. Stretch your faith. That which has been given to you, put it to work for you. Let it earn you a return on your investment.

Remember, the scripture says to whom much is given, much is required. Take bigger risks in life then you’ll get the satisfaction of a “well done” as you charge forth on your journey of life!

Photo credit: by pasotraspaso

August 19, 2011 -- Don’t Limit Yourself (0)
December 25, 2011 -- God Comforts the Discomforted (0)
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Don’t Limit Yourself

Jarrod Clark — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 00:56:09 +0000

There are times when we end up shortchanging ourselves. Too often, we judge our strengths and abilities based on past experiences.

We forget that everyday is a new day. Today we’re stronger than we were yesterday. We’re wiser and better than we were yesterday. And when we place limits on ourselves we limit our growth. We end up falling into a rut.

I want to encourage you not to place limits on yourself. Don’t measure today’s strength by yesterday’s strength. Don’t judge the talents of today based on past abilities.

Today I was at the gym and I was doing an incline bench press. Normally I do less weight on an incline bench press than I do on a flat bench press because the incline press is harder. But this week I unintentionally put the same amount of weight on the incline press that I put on my flat bench press. And it turns out that I was able to bench the same amount of weight on the incline press than I can on the flat press.

The lesson I learned was that I was limiting myself. I assumed that just because the inclined press was harder than the flat press that I would need less weight on the incline. To put it simply, I was limiting myself based on the past week’s experiences.

Here’s the key- don’t fall prey to stagnation. Don’t be afraid to up the ante. You never know how much you can do or how far you can go until you try. Be bold- Be courageous. Your growth depends on your ability to raise the bar. For many, the ceiling is too low. They’ve got the threshold level set way to low.

In order for growth to come, you’ve got to explore new avenues. When you stretch yourself, you’ll find out that you can leap farther than you thought. You’ll be able to jump higher. You’ll get stronger, wiser and better than the day before. Take the limits off yourself and when you do so you’ll rise to higher heights as you charge forth on your journey of life!

Photo credit: by vanRijn

September 14, 2011 -- Take Bigger Risks (0)
January 25, 2012 -- Stuck in a Rut? How to Get Out (0)
July 30, 2010 -- Learn To Accept Change (1)
April 30, 2010 -- Relinquish Stagnation and Step Into A New Dimension (6)
January 2, 2010 -- Leave Mediocrity Behind And Rise To A New Level (0)

Enjoy The Journey Along The Way

Jarrod Clark — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 22:03:38 +0000

Too often we say to ourselves, “if i can just get this in order then I’ll be alright” or “if I can just get to this point in my life, or get through this semester in school, life will be better.” Does this sound familiar?

Well, I don’t think that God’s plan for our life is that we go through life stressing over everything. I believe that His ultimate will for your life is for you to live a joy-filled, peaceful life full of happiness, and wholeness!

The truth is that if you keep looking to the future for things to get better then you’ll never live a stress-free life. The enemy will always be planting more attacks in your life that will constantly cause stress and anguish.

John 10:10 says, “The thief (the enemy) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I (Jesus) am come that they (you and I) might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.”

In actuality, you should learn to enjoy the present moment in every area of your life. If your job is stressing you out or that class is overwhelming you, then you should look to God as a source of peace in your life.

I believe that one way to enjoy the journey along the way is to make positive declarations. In other words instead saying, “once I get that new house then life will be better,” say “I’m going to appreciate all that I have and be thankful for it. Things can always be worse.” Your declaration should be that, such as the scripture says in Matthew 25:23 “I’m going to be faithful over a few things so that the Lord can make me ruler over many.”

I believe that life will be so much more rewarding and fulfilling if you learn to appreciate the small things. You should learn to appreciate the good times as well as the bad. When things aren’t looking up, let that be an opportunity to exercise your faith! Don’t wallow in despair, make a better decision to live your life in the victory that God has for you as you charge forth on your journey of life!

Photo credit: by д§mд

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Don’t Hold On To The Pain

Jarrod Clark — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 02:08:06 +0000

In the natural, we have a tendency to put up a wall when others do us wrong. As a result we may find ourselves retaliating in many different ways. Some may use offensive words as defense, some resort to physical acts, and others may stir up mess against the wrongdoer.

However one of the worst things that one can do is hold in the hurt. When someone does you wrong, talk to a close friend or relative. You may want to seek further counsel such as a spiritual adviser or a counselor. If the wrongdoer is a close friend or family member, you might want to consider sitting down with them, after you’ve calmed down, and talk the situation out. It could be a total misunderstanding.

Whatever the level the misunderstanding is, don’t hold it in. Small misunderstandings can escalate to bigger ones over time. And the longer you hold onto past hurt, pain, or disappointments the more unhealthy they become for you.

Don’t let hurts of the past plague your future. I once heard a wise man say, “you can’t move forward while looking in the rear view mirror.” When someone has wronged you, do everything you can to release the hurt and forgive them. When forgiving someone you’re doing it for your benefit. You see, when practicing forgiveness you’re making an effort to bring peace back to your life.

A wrongdoer may not even be aware of the offense, therefore they’re moving on with their life while you’re holding on to pain and bitterness. So place it on your heart today to practice forgiveness. Make an effort to release past hurt and gain peace and closure as you charge forth on your journey of life!

Photo credit: Crazyfinn36

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Dealing With Difficult People

Jarrod Clark — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 01:11:27 +0000

Every once in a while, you may run into people who are particularly hard to get along with. Whether it be family, friends, or people you’re confronted with when you’re out and about, there will come a time when attitudes, anger, bitterness and egos get in the way.

You may be dealing will someone who wants to be intentionally difficult or someone who difficult and unaware. One main thing to remember, is that people will be people. In other words, no one is perfect. No one has hit that mark where they’ve arrived.

If you’re dealing with a friend who is hard to deal with, try taking a peaceful route. Try making peace and talking the situation out. Know that you don’t have to agree with their ways but instead remember that they are human and let be an opportunity to exercise patience. Realize that inspite of their imperfections they do deserve to be understood.

I believe that God puts different types of people in our lives for a reason. Know that every person that you come across isn’t meant to be your friend. Just like the terminology “tough love“, often time your enemies will be a the main source to make you grow. They are the ones who will cause you to grow a back bone.

Next time you run into someone difficult, instead of totally shutting down and casting them out, try to be understanding of where they are coming from. Let the difficult situation be an opportunity for you to exercise caution on how you deal with them. They may be the peace-breakers but you should be the peacemaker. Exercise peace and love today, as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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Be Effective Not Affected

Jarrod Clark — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 02:45:31 +0000

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. – Romans 12:2

One of the most difficult things to do when living the Christian life is being in the world and not of the world. There are so many opportunities to conform to the ways of the world. Many opportunities to be led astray. But I believe that God wants you to be the light that this world needs to see.

Instead of trying to fit in and be who the world wants you to be, try to be the positive and refreshing change that the world needs to see. Too often were told to that we can’t go out with friends and have fun.

But know today that you can hangout with friends and be effective and not affected. Set a tone that is positive and light. Let them know that you can have fun and be down to earth while living a Christian and Godly life.

A wise man once said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Instead of letting others affect you in a negative way, be the positive change that they need to see. Show them that it’s possible to have fun and refrain from the use obscene language.

Set an example that says it is possible to have a night on the town without getting intoxicated. Show someone that there is a positive side of every situation.

I believe that while being effective and setting a positive example for others to follow you are being the Jesus that some never knew. Make a decision today to be the change that the world needs to see as you rise to a new dimension in Christ!

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September 7, 2011 -- Your Light is Contagious! (0)
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Keep First Things First!

Jarrod Clark — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 01:02:39 +0000

Often times, we put material things and people at the forefront of our minds. We may focus on that new friend that we discovered we have many things in common with. We may put that new job, house or car first in mind. We may even live in reach of that vacation time that’s six months ahead of time.

Although it’s good to keep our natural priorities in order, let’s not neglect the most important priority of all, God!

He keeps you as His priority. You were His priority when He was given the option to come down from the cross. You were his priority when no one else would give you a chance. You were His priority when it seemed like all else failed. Why not give Christ a few minutes of your day to meditate, worship and show your gratitude for everything.

When you put God first, all other things will fall in line. When He’s a priority in your life you will find that the stress is lifted. You’ll find that those things that used to irritate and get the best of you won’t seem to bother you any more. When God is first you’ll find that the peace that surpasseth all understanding will come over you and guard your heart in mind.

I love how the scripture says in Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” That means that all those things that you’ve been lacking will come in abundance. All the worry, fear and stress that has been accumulating over time will become a thing of the past.

Next time you find yourself wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of things, take a moment to reflect. Remember to keep God first in all that you do and think and watch everything fall in place as you charge forth on your journey of life!

Photo credit: ruminatrix

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Optimistic Journey » Growth and Maturity

Stuck in a Rut? How to Get Out

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