Archive for Growth and Maturity
Make Your Appointment With Fear Today!
Posted by: | CommentsWhat would you do if fear was an actual person, would you continue to run from him or face him directly?
Essentially what we do, when faced with a challenge that seems to overwhelm us, is get fearful and run the other way. But I dare you to stare fear in the face and make a declaration that fear no longer runs your life. In other words, be bold – be courageous! Go new places in which you’ve never been! Do new things that you’ve never done!
Imagine that you are the CEO of a large corporation and you have to let some people go. You might, spontaneously call them into your office one by one and have a talk with them. Or you might make an appointment with a group and let them know as a whole.
Well I challenge you to make an appointment with fear today. Let him know that due to recent changes in your life style, you are no longer welcome here. Let him know that you are down-sizing and that you have to let go of those things that are holding you back. You’re letting go of those things that are hindering you from profiting in life.
While you’re there, call in worry, doubt, and anxiety. Let them all know that changes have been made. Tell them that you are bold and courageous. Show them how confident you are and that they are no longer apart of your life. Let them know that you’re making room for certainty, self-assurance, and contentment.
By doing this you are restoring peace and tranquility in your life! You’re Read More→
Making Mistakes Is Not A Bad Thing – You Can Fly!
Posted by: | CommentsAre you fearful of making mistakes in life? …or perhaps it’s been a while since you’ve made a mistake. If so, could it be because you haven’t taken enough risks in life?
Taking risks is like a numbers game, the more risks you take the more mistakes you will make. When you go out on a limb, chances are you won’t get it right the first time. That’s okay! Life is all about learning along the way.
If you want to grow, learn to take risks. Be bold. Be courageous! It’s okay to fall — it’s not okay to stay down.
Don’t allow others to dictate the risks you take. Along the journey, you will find others who will tell you what you can’t do, but don’t let that phase you. Tune out the voice of the nay-sayers — aspire to prove them wrong.
Be like star trek — Boldly go where no man has gone before!
I’m reminded of the bumblebee. According to 20th century legends, the laws of aerodynamics prove that the bumblebee should be incapable of flight. Studies have shown that it does not have the capacity (in terms of wing size or beats per second) to achieve flight.
The bumblebee is the perfect example of how we should tune out what the nay-sayers say we can’t do. You see, this genius species of bees can’t understand Read More→
Remove Boundaries and Explore Limitless Possibilities
Posted by: | CommentsThere is no limit to what you can achieve in life. You have the power to do all you want and more in life. You have to remove the limits that have been placed on you.
Just like they say in the Army, “Be all that you can be.” I couldn’t say it any better myself.
The scripture says, “… I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Notice that it didn’t say “I’ve come that you might have a life full of scarcity and limited potential.” Neither did it say you might have a life full of “just enough”. No, it says “I came that they may have life more abundantly!”
My friend if that’s not enough to get you excited, I don’t know what is. God has promised an overflow of abundance for you today!
Everyday you should strive to meet greater goals and reach higher dimensions. When you achieve one goal don’t stop there, your mind-set should be, “what’s next?” When you wake up in the morning, you should look for ways to do something even greater today than the day before.
I’m reminded of a great saying that says, “Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done.” In other words before man landed on the moon, someone placed a limit on that man’s ability to do so. Oh but Apollo 11 proved them wrong, did they not?
What are those limits that others have placed on you? What about those boundaries you placed on yourself? Dare you dream of the limitless possibilities?
You determine your altitude in life. Sure you may not be climbing at the rate you’d like to and whose to say that at some point you won’t level off a bit. That’s okay, what matters is Read More→
Are You Digging For Facts?
Posted by: | CommentsA wise man once said, “Jumping to conclusions is not half as good an exercise as digging for facts,” I totally agree.
It’s often said that assumptions don’t get us very far in life. When answers are provided to missing links then we don’t have to assume. However when variables are missing, unless we take out the time to search for answers, we will form an opinion based on the way things appear.
There are times when we’ve been offended by another. As a result, we allow the first answer that comes to mind to lead us to an inaccurate judgment call.
Most friendships are broken up due to misunderstandings. A simple mis-communication barrier can set a bad tone for it.
Broken relationships can be mended if misunderstandings were resolved. Sometimes we should give the benefit of a doubt to someone who has offended us. We should put ourselves in their shoes.
I like today’s quote, because it reminds us that it’s important that we strive to dig for the facts. It implies that we should take out time to seek the source of where the misunderstanding is coming from.
I like how the quote hints that digging for the facts is a better exercise than jumping to conclusions. Have you ever did something that wasn’t worth your time and effort? Well, that’s what jumping to conclusions does.
It causes us to base our answers on valuable missing information, when we Read More→
Are You In Indifference Mode?
Posted by: | CommentsDo you get agitated about little petty things that happen during your day? Or do you take things with a grain of salt?
My friend It’s not the will of God for you to go around bogged down by the cares of life. He wants you to excel into a greater level of thinking. He wants you to focus on the greater things in life.
You see, when you’re in indifference mode, you allow things to roll off your shoulders. You say “no matter what happens today, I will not be affected.” When you’re indifferent, you make the decision to be a positive effect, rather than to be affected negatively.
When someone cuts you off in traffic, shrug your shoulders and say “oh well… I will not allow this to affect me negatively.” When someone walks into the supermarket in front of you and allows the door to shut in your face, don’t allow that to get the best of you. Just say, “this isn’t the first time a door has been shut in my face, and it probably won’t be the last time.” After all, when one door closes another is open to you.
I’m reminded of the heavy weight champion and while he’s in the ring, his best defense is his strongest offense. In other words, he doesn’t allow his opponent to gain leverage at his expense. He learns to roll with the punches. He learns to dodge the big blows.
My friend if you take a hit in life, make a point to roll with the punches. You’ve got to learn to take a lick and keep on ticking.
Proverbs 24:16 exclaims that “A just man falls seven times, and rises up again…“
Even if you get knocked down, know that you can get back up and take control of your day. Remember, it’s not a Total Knock Out if you get back up. The boxing match isn’t over until one of the boxers is knocked out indefinitely.
Even if you take a major blow in life and find that you don’t have the Read More→
Define Expectation In Your Life
Posted by: | CommentsAre you a perfectionist? Do you often find it difficult to accept a completed task as it is? Or do you continue to sweat and toil over a finished job?
Life would be much simpler if we develop a ‘good enough’ mentality. That’s not to say that you don’t deserve more. That’s not to say that you should stop striving to be the best you can be. No- that’s to say that you should look at the glass as half full and accept progress.
Define expectation … sometimes we expect too much of ourselves.
As a perfectionist, you may find it often difficult to accept a completed task. You probably find yourself critiquing and nit picking at a job that is finished.
As a result, you may find that it’s hard to lower expectations. You’re constantly setting the bar high. You get the bigger picture in your mind, and you won’t stop until it’s done.
While I encourage you to keep the vision in mind, don’t raise the bar so high that you cause un-needed stress and strain on your life.
I’m reminded of the High Jumping sport, in the Olympics. In this event, athletes aspire to jump over a bar without tipping or knocking it down. Every time an athlete clears the bar, it’s raised to a new level.
As the athlete continues to clear the bar, the bar is constantly raised higher and higher until the athlete can no longer complete the jump. The bar represents the level of expectation that we place on ourselves.
I’d imagine that in this event, if an athlete continues to attempt a jump that is Read More→
Allow Your Integrity To Be Consistent
Posted by: | CommentsNot with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. – Ephesians 6:6
There’s an old American proverb that says, “Character is who you are in the dark.” It’s who you are when no one is looking. Do you often find yourself to be the same person around others as you are alone? or are there some inconsistencies in character?
We shouldn’t hold standards for ourselves based on the simple fact that others are watching. The man who lives a life pleasing in the sight of others and goes home and lives a lie doesn’t uphold the definition of integrity.
A man who decides to go green for a cause, displays a tremendous amount of integrity. He may recycle every piece of paper and plastic at work, pick up every aluminum can on the street, and car-pool his way home. However, if he goes home and leaves on every light in every room, throws paper and plastic goods out in the trash, and burns leaves out back is a man who sacrifices his morals and values.
Sometimes we make choices based on a greater cause but we should ask ourselves- is our heart is in the things that we do? Are we going about certain daily tasks and routines simply because we’re advised to do so? Are we doing things just to be seen as someone with moral characteristics?
A wise man once said, “You are only what you are when no one is looking.” Your character should be consistent all around the clock.
Integrity gives us a sense of fulfillment and empowerment in that our actions are based on sincerity and truth. We should aspire to live a meaningful life that displays character, morals, and integrity. Try to live a life that gives you a sense of fulfillment. Live in such a way that you empower yourself and others along the way. Allow your actions to reflect truth and sincerity and notice the added value that you feel as you charge forth on your journey of life.
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.
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→
Eighteen Wheeler or Porsche, Which is Better?
Posted by: | CommentsThe eighteen wheeler is unique in many ways. Once the light signal turns green, the eighteen wheeler has the hardest time out of all of the vehicles on the road to get up to speed. It has so much cargo that even the design and mechanics built into it is different than that of the typical car.
Once the eighteen wheeler builds up speed and momentum you better watch out because there can be no sudden stops. In fact it takes just as much effort to stop an eighteen wheeler as it does to get it up to speed.
One benefit about an eighteen wheeler is that it has the strongest momentum on the road. If we shifted all cars into neutral during the drive in an effort to see which could last longer before stopping on its own, we can be certain that the eighteen wheeler will go the furthest before coming to a stop.
Another benefit of the eighteen wheeler is that it can carry the most cargo on the road. They’re responsible for our oil, groceries, and outlet store merchandise. They most certainly have their place on the roadways.
The Porsche Philosophy
The Porsche is known for it’s ability to reach high speeds in the shortest amount of time. They are also easier to come to a stop because of their compact build and the fact that they sit lower to the ground. Although they have lots of power, the Porsche isn’t made for a lot of merchandise. In fact the average Porsche can’t sit any more than 2 people with little to no Read More→
