GETTING THINGS DONE

You always have a choice. You can either get things done or let things happen. You can take the easy way out and just let things happen, with absolutely no effort from you.  No effort means no input.  When you just let things happen they will almost never be to your liking. But there is nothing you can do because you chose to let it happen.

The other choice is to get things done. That requires your active involvement. It takes effort, as well as focus, commitment, discipline and persistence. Those things may sound difficult, and they are. But just because these things are difficult, doesn’t mean they’re to be avoided.  Anything worth having requires work and effort.

When you do what it takes to get things done, you’ll get the results you want. The only way you can get what you want out of life, is to put in what you have. That is done through your own efforts and actions.

Sure, you can take your chances and just let things happen. You might even get lucky, there are a few that do. Or, you can step forward, put all you have into every day and everything you do, and get things done. That is the only reliable way to build the life you desire.  You always have a choice.

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX...

Each morning that God allows you to awake is a gift.  But the gift is what you make it.  The new day arrives like an empty box, waiting to be filled. The choice becomes yours as to what your day or box will hold.  You can pack the box with treasures, or you can load it down with troubles. Think about it, many things that you do are by habit, without thinking, just because it is easy and comfortable. Those things you repeatedly put into your box, day after day.  Often you leave little room for anything else. 

Just imagine if you were to open today’s box a year from now.  Will there be things of true and lasting value inside? Would you be able to distinguish today’s box from all the rest? Would there be something worth passing on to your children inside?

Once the box for today is packed, that’s it. You can’t take anything out, nor put anything else back in. Once the day is done, the treasures you could have had are either yours or they are not. There is nothing you can do to change the contents of your today once it becomes your yesterday.  Yet tomorrow dawns early, bringing you another box that’s empty... yet full.  How can that be?  It is full of new possibilities, new opportunities, new dreams, and new hopes.  So it awaits you to pack it.

Remember, each day comes fresh and new.  It delivers a empty box to your door.  I dare you to choose to make them all special. I dare you to stuff them full of life and living. I dare you to fill each day with things that a year from now, you will be proud to share with everyone. So open up your mind and your heart as you receive the treasures that can be yours.

Angelic-1

YOU CAN BE CONFIDENT

Today I encourage you to be confident.  I want you to be confident in everything you say and do today. Confidence succeeds like nothing else. Confidence radiates from you like sunlight, and attracts success to you like a magnet.  So as you strive to be successful, strive to be confident.  

You do know that confidence is more than an attitude, right? It comes from knowing.   Knowing exactly where you’re going, and exactly how you’re going to get there. It comes from acting with integrity. It comes from a strong sense of purpose. It comes from a commitment to take responsibility, rather than just let life happen.

Confidence is you being compassionate and understanding. It is not you being arrogant.  Arrogance is not cute.  Who wants to be around an arrogant person all the time? Arrogance is born out of fear and insecurity.  Both of which are not Kingdom minded traits.  So tap into your strengths.  Tap into your integrity.  You will be amazed at just how confident you become.

Confidence is not just believing you can do it. Confidence is KNOWING you can do it. I know that you are capable of accomplishing anything you want, and living your life with confidence.  So now, it is your time to know it, live it, be it.  Today I encourage you to be confident.

SHED THOSE SUBSTITUTES

Arrogance is a poor substitute for confidence. 

Taking is a poor substitute for creating. 

Possessing is a poor substitute for appreciating.

Staying busy is a poor substitute for accomplishing something. 

Anger is a poor substitute for discipline. 

Rudeness is a poor substitute for eloquence. 

Aloofness is a poor substitute for joy. 

Envy is a poor substitute for effort.

Rationalization is a poor substitute for truth. 

Artful deceit is a poor substitute for integrity. 

Promises are a poor substitute for commitment. 

Gluttony is a poor substitute for nourishment. 

Stylishness is a poor substitute for courtesy.

I encourage you not to settle for a substitute when you can have the real thing.   Explore beyond the outward appearances so that you can truly enjoy the genuine substance of life.  I dare you to choose today to get real. Make the effort to be true to your best values. You are here to live, so why live the real thing. I guarantee you it’s worth it.  So shed those substitutes today and stand tall in you.  That's what you were created to be anyway....YOU!!!

WHO'S IN YOUR CIRCLE...

What kind of people do I keep in my circle?  Those that don’t ask for any attention, or praise, or special recognition. Those that simply get busy and do what needs to be done. When something goes wrong, they don’t complain or become mired in frustration. Instead, they do whatever is necessary to make it right.  That is true not just or themselves, but for me as well.

When they say they will do something, they follow through and take whatever actions are necessary to get it done. They don’t feel that the world owes them anything. They are truly thankful for the opportunity to make a positive difference and to create real value.

Thinking about it now, I realize that I sometimes forget how many good they really are. But by taking that brief mental inventory I am instantly reminded just how great they are to me.

Some of life’s greatest blessings come through the people with whom I am privileged to be surrounded by.  I love my circle of family and friends.  

PEACE

As you go through your day today make it a priority to step back from the noise and confusion that you may find surrounds you. If you are not a part of it, you definitely don't want to be consumed by it.  

There is strength in Peace. Staying calm, when confusion and chaos surround you, keeps you firmly in control.  In times of chaos, control is not an element.  

Many things can trigger an impulse to react, an urgent desire to do something immediately. Hurried reactions, though, are usually not the most effective and they definitely are the least controlled.  

By staying calm, you are able to respond with much more power and positive focus. By staying calm, you control the way that events attempt to scatter your attention in a thousand different directions.  There is Peace in being in control of yourself.  

Staying calm does not mean that you’re doing nothing. It means that you’re responding with purpose, rather than with panic.

So when chaos, noise and turmoil come knocking at your day, meet them with serenity, peace and calm.  You’ll find that you put yourself in a position of real power.  After all, there is strength in Peace.

Positive Frustrations...

Did you know that frustrations can be good for you?  Think about it.  Some of your greatest achievements come from your biggest frustrations. Frustration is full of energy. Energy that is directed and focused in negative ways, but it certainly does not have to be. It is up to you to choose to turn all that energy into something positive.

Often we use frustration as an excuse to be destructive. That is understandable, but it doesn’t do anything to improve your situation. In all actuality, the gratification of any “revenge” is quickly replaced by an even bigger and more desperate frustration.  It can become a never ending cycle.  

When you get frustrated, often you have every right to be, but so what? The challenge is can you take all the negative energy and make a positive difference. The energy of frustration is a powerful resource which can propel you to new heights if you channel it properly. Don’t waste it by trying to bring someone else down to your level.  Instead, use it to raise you to the next level.

That abundant energy in your frustration, it is yours to use for whatever purpose you desire. You have the power to choose which direct it will take you.  So decide today to choose to funnel your frustrations in a positive direction and make the very most of it.  After all, your greatest achievements come from your biggest frustrations.