Category Archives: personal growth

affirmation, Blogroll, emotions, Enlightenment, faith, God, Gratitude, Growing, Healing, journey, mindfulness, personal growth, positive, scripture, self help

Gratitude Changed My Life!

Have you ever noticed how we often look at others and envy them because they seem to have it all together? As I think back on my life, I can remember observing certain individuals and thinking: “Man, they’ve got it made!”, but as I lived my life and grew closer to some of these folks, I realized that way too often ”looks” can be very deceiving. I have discovered in my own living and learning that most all of us that are living on this great big spinning ball of blue and green have challenges, frustrations and struggles. I have also discovered that everyone of us have a choice about how we will respond to the things that happen to us, in us and through us.

Often times, when people see me, they think that guy sure is lucky, but they have no idea the roller coaster ride that life has taken this ole boy on. I don’t think I am lucky, but I know I am blessed. Most people look at my life today and think: “This dude is one lucky dog!”, but they don’t know that there was a time that I pretty much lost everything and had to start over from scratch. A lot of folks see my relationship with a beautiful wife of almost thirty years and think: “He certainly out punted his coverage!” And they are right, but most do not realize how many times we wanted to throw up our hands and give up on each other. Looking at the life I live, a lot of people might be tempted to get jealous or envious, thinking that I have it all together, but the truth is: Everyday is a battle, learning experience and often a struggle.

I say all of that to say this: I am not better than anyone else. I am not smarter than anyone else, I am not more blessed than anyone else. If anything, I am just learning how to get out of my own way. I am learning how to let God be God and His will become the guiding force and purpose of my life.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:4-7

One day as I was thinking about how my life got headed in this right direction, it hit me that it was small, consistent changes in my attitude and thinking. As I spent time with God and thought about all that I had been through and was still standing, then I could not help but to be grateful. As I looked back on all the things in my life that should have killed me, but instead made me stronger, I could not help, but to be grateful. The more grateful I became, the more I focused on the reason for my gratitude and the reason was and is God. He loves me and has a plan for my life. He does not get rid of the bad, but He does use it every time to take me some where that I could never take myself, God is growing me at whatever pace I choose and am comfortable with and that makes me very grateful for it all.

Gratitude Changed My Life! Gratitude is a spiritual practice of seeing and celebrating the good in the world around you, regardless of how bad, challenging or tough things may be. One day I realized that worry was doing me no good and decided to replace it with faith in God and His promised plan for blessing. This simple change made me grateful and started me down a path of learning and growth that has changed my life for the better in every way you could ever dream or imagine…

If there is one discipline that I could recommend that would help to get your life headed in the direction it was created for, then it would be to start practicing being grateful. When you want to get good at something, you have to practice, so here are a few ideas to help you get started:

1.) Start A Gratitude List! Take some time to start writing down and thinking about all the things that you are grateful for. Big, small and in between. Actually think about how you feel and why???

2.) Write Down Three Things You Are Grateful For Everyday In Your Journal! In my personal journal, the very first thing I write down at the top of the page is today’s date. I then write out my Scripture verse or verses for the day and then right under that Scripture, I write out 1, 2 and 3. “Thank You for _____________!

3.) Remember This: Perspective Changes Everything – Good Or Bad = The Choice Is Yours??? You are the only person that can change your perspective! The world can mess it up, but you’ve got the power to fix it and making and taking the time to make sure that it is right will change your life.

God loves you and God made you, because He wants to bless you, because you really are something special…

affirmation, Blogroll, change, choices, get er done, git-r-done, Mystery, Life,, personal growth, self help

Git-R-Done!

What do you need to do? We all have that list of things that we need to do. The things that we are eventually going to get around to taking care of when we have a little more time. The reality is, we have time for what we make time for, so if it is really important, then we need to check it off of our to do list by making time for it.

Procrastination is one of the biggest enemies we will ever face in our life time. The bad thing about procrastination is not only the things that are left undone that need doing, but the stress that takes over our lives by thinking about what we need to do that we are not doing.

You know exactly what I am talking about. There is something that you need to do and you have been knowing that you need to do it for the longest time, but you always find other things to do in it’s place and the thing that desperately needs doing continues to go undone! I’ve even discovered that there are times that I procrastinate about what I am procrastinating about.

Napoleon Hill said: “Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.”

For over a year, I have been telling myself that I needed to get my walking and exercise routine started back up. It is actually one of those things that contributes to the growth of the three most important areas of my life and living – physical, mental and spiritual. But while I have told myself I need to get started, it is easier said than done, I find excuses of others things that I have to do and so it’s just another thing on the list of unchecked items on a list that is getting things added to it everyday.

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” -Hebrews 12:11

Here are a few STEPS TO TAKING ON AND TAKING OUT PROCRASTINATION:

1.) The secret to blessing and success in this life is figuring out what needs to be done and doing it. Make a list of all thing things that you have in your heart and head that need to be done.

2.) Now divide that list into things that you are willing to do and things that you don’t really want to do.

3.) Get to work on the list of things that you want to do and you will be amazed at how quickly you get that stuff knocked out.

4.) Pick one thing off of the list of things that you don’t want to do and make a commitment to “just do it” starting today. Make a plan with steps and tackle at least one step a day, until the task is done…

You don’t need to wait for inspiration, because I just gave that to you. You don’t have to feel like doing it to do it, you just have to give yourself a kick in the behind, get out of the lazy boy and get after it. I’ve noticed in my own life that the hardest part is getting started, once started, it’s usually half done.

In the words of a famous red neck theologian: “Git-R-Done!”

affirmation, Blogroll, Enlightenment, Expectation, Growing, Mystery, Life,, personal growth, self help

What’s Just As Important As The Right Answer?

It really is amazing how much time we spend in our lives looking for the right answers, when maybe what we really need to focus on is asking the right questions. The right answers to the wrong questions does not really do a lot for us, but the right answers to the right questions can propel us forward unlike anything else.

The right question can cause a shift in perspective and that is often the one thing that is needed to get us headed to the place where the blessings flow. So lets see if we can find some right questions and good answers that will help us to move into the place of blessing we were created for.

Here is a very good question to start with? “What’s Your Problem?” To find the meaningful answer, then you have to ask the right question and it does not get any more basic, real or to the point than this one. As you look at your life in this very moment – WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?

Now that you have the question, you’ve got to come up with the right answer and the right answer is the real answer, not the answer that you think everyone is expecting you to give. I mean right now, what is the one problem that you have, that if you honestly gave your effort and energy to asking and answering the question, it could start a domino effect of fixing so many things?

Now, not only do you have to ask the right question and answer it, but you have got to be totally real with yourself and others about your answer and what it means. Be honest with yourself about what you are experiencing, feeling, needing and thinking. Be honest about the steps you need to take to get yourself headed in the right direction.

I am learning that if I ask the right questions and get the right answers, then I am much better off that playing that old game of going thru the motions of pretend. What are you facing and dealing with right now and what are you going to do about it? If you will answer the question and then take action on your answer, you will be on your way to a place called success, which is a place that most only dream about…