Author: admin

 

We always feel that we need a reason for everything. We want to set the record straight and explain ourselves away.  And since we like to do that we think everyone else should do it as well.  When you don’t hear from someone after a certain period of time you wonder what’s wrong.  Why haven’t they called or texted?  You make a post on social media that you know one of your friends will recognize, and read between the lines and make a comment.  But then, NOTHING!  It’s not that you were referring to a situation about them, but you did share the situation with them, so they know what you’re talking about.  Why didn’t they at least hit “like” or say something to acknowledge that they had seen the post?

And then we have the situations where you bend over backwards to be a good, professional person and something comes along that rubs you the wrong way. After you have made a few attempts at resolving the issue and have decided that it’s not worth the fight, you see something that reminds you of what took place.  At that very moment, the silence between you and your situation gets thicker.  You assume that that person is thinking about you as well as you are thinking about them.  Because we all know that silence is a choice.  That’s why sometimes the best answer to silence is silence! And like my nephew told me several years ago, “Everything is not about you.  A lot of stuff that goes on in your head is only in your head.”  So don’t waste your time trying to figure out how to fill the silent space between you and another.  The silence is there for a reason whether you like it or not.  Move on!

Don’t rehearse your troubles!  I remember some time back when I had a financial need and all my attempts at finding an income resource were flying out the window.  The more I focused on the lack of funds, the more circumstances which needed financing, kept coming my way.  The moment I decided to stop stressing over what I did NOT have and started looking at what I had in my hands, that’s when the window of opportunity opened wide.  I recall sharing this particular situation with my youngest daughter and having her tell me, “Mom, the more you look to money for your happiness the less happy you will be.  You have so much to be thankful for even without money in the bank.  Do not allow this moment to dictate your happiness and spoil your whole day or week.  Nothing should have that much control over you!”

What a wakeup call that conversation was for me. I immediately changed my attitude about money and how I acquire it.  I refused to allow one day to pass without being thankful for what I have.  On those days when I did not have funds, I stopped seeing my life as lacking, but instead I focused on the one thing that could bring me joy in that particular moment.  In doing that I was amazed at the ideas that God gave me for securing income, one day at a time.  Rather than look at my situation from a weekly or monthly perspective of what I needed to make ends meet, I started to focus on one financial goal at the time.  This change in strategy took away the overwhelming feeling of not having enough.  We all have heard the question, “How do you eat an elephant?”  Well, the answer is one bite at a time.  Use that same analogy to conquer any elephant that shows up in your life, whether it’s finances, relationships, or career.  Inch by inch, it’s a cinch! Don’t rehearse your troubles! You are meant to go through them only when they occur.

So many of us are stuck in the same place mentally, physically, and professionally because we have convinced ourselves that certain things are not attainable. We won’t go to the car lot and check out the latest vehicle because it’s out of our price range.  We fail to apply for the promotion because we are not ready for the challenge yet.  We overlook the guy in the three-piece suit who owns the business because we feel like he is out of our league.  Well, let me tell you something!  You will never get that new car if you could never see yourself driving it.  You will never get that promotion if you are afraid of the challenge that comes with it.  You will never catch the eye of the business owner if you feel that you are beneath him.  As long as you think small then you will continue to play small.  I want everything that God has for me and then some.  You should always believe that what you have to offer is valuable.  Everyone at the top started somewhere below where they are now.  There are successful careers and marriages that were built on struggle alone.  What we see on the surface does not show the steps that were taken to get there.  You could be sitting at the table with millionaires and not know their struggles to maintain what they have.  You don’t know whether or not they sleep at night or stay awake wondering if they might lose it all.  We all think that we want to walk in another person’s shoes, until we learn about the strength and tenacity that it took to get those shoes.  You don’t know how many doors were slammed in someone’s face before they finally got the job.  You don’t know how many times their car broke down on the side of the road before they were able to afford a new one.  What about all the failed marriages before they finally met the right person and was able to make it last.  We really don’t know what it takes to be another person.  All we know is what it takes to be ourselves, and most of the time we limit that because we are afraid to test drive outside our price range!

I was watching a live video a few days ago with advice on how to move forward and get what belongs to you in life. Although I wrote down all six of the steps that were mentioned, that last one really struck with me and resonated in my soul. Hate that thing! She talked about how we hate our job but we show up every day.  Obviously we don’t hate it enough to find another one or do what we love on the side until we can turn that into a viable source of income.  We hate our relationships and marriages, but we don’t hate it enough to seek help or try to correct what is wrong.  We’d rather be in a bad relationship rather than be alone.  Oh my God!  Just stepped on somebody’s toes!  We hate the house we live in and our neighborhood, but we must not hate it enough because we are not doing anything to change our circumstances.  We are not saving money so that we can get out and make a better life for ourselves and our families.  So, I guess we really don’t hate that thing, do we?

The above is a compilation of what I heard on the video and my interpretation of it.

 

 

Do the next thing!  In my daily reading I ran across those words and they really set the tone for my day and my week.  On many occasions we find ourselves stuck on solving a problem that is right in front of us.  We don’t think that we can accomplish another thing until we move this item off our plate.  But that’s not true.  Do the next thing and watch how your level of stress drops and eventually the problem almost solves itself.

I remember a few weeks ago I was looking for my business license to determine the exact renewal date.  I knew it had to be renewed in August, but I wasn’t sure if it was early, mid or late August.  I tore my office up looking until I finally said, “Well, I have no idea where it is.”  The next day I was doing my morning meditation and God said check the copier.  To my surprise there was the business license right where I had put it when I made a copy to send to someone earlier.  You will be shocked at how easy it is to find something when you stop looking for it.