Forgetting things can help you go from failure to success. Most people would say it is remembering things that would help you succeed. Although that is true, there are many things we need to forget. What you need to forget are your past sins and bad things others have done to you. If you do not forget these thoughts, they will hold you back and even cause you to live a miserable life.
Paul, one of the outstanding figures in the New Testament says in Philippians 3:13-14 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”.
For Paul, this was an amazing feat. Recall that Paul, before being saved, persecuted Christians and was a major factor in many of their deaths. Just imagine how these memories could have haunted him. But Paul learned how to forget supernaturally. How did he do that? How do we do it?
Paul gives us the answer in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds,) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience…”.
We are guided through life by our thoughts. What you think about will direct what you say. What you say will direct your actions. When you have thoughts that come against you, you need to do what the Bible says to do. Cast down those thoughts and replace them with what God wants you to think about.
To help with this process, here are three things to remember.
First, your sins are none of the devil’s business. The devil will remind you of your past sins and will even try to get you to think it is God reminding you of them. Rebuke the devil, resist him and he will flee from you.
Second, when you confess your sins, God will forgive your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Many times you will confess your sins but you do not feel that you are forgiven. God never lies, so if He says he has forgiven you, then you are forgiven. It is your feelings that are lying to you.
Third, begin to eradicate the memory of it by speaking the Word. Do what Jesus did. Say, “It is written …” and say what God has to say about it. Find verses in the bible that addresses your situation and say those verses out loud. Do not just read them, say them out load. Your words are more powerful than your thoughts.
You have to do this aggressively. You cannot just sit there and let your thoughts control you. You may have to say it and say it and say it. You can rid yourself of the thoughts of past sins and of those old hurts you have had with people, but you must take action.
Train yourself to control your thoughts and take a step toward a more victorious life.
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Have we forgotten how to be grateful? Maybe you are asking, “What do I have to be grateful for?” Be grateful for the small things in life. If you ate breakfast this morning you are better off than the 800 million people worldwide who will go hungry today.
Most of us underestimate the power of gratitude. As we constantly strive to add more and more to our lives it is easy to forget about being grateful for things and talents we already possess. Making gratitude a habit will enrich your whole outlook on life, even in the most turbulent circumstances.
What we focus on grows. The more we focus on what we appreciate, the more we will have to appreciate!
Gratitude is a learned skill that must be practiced daily to develop its full potential. Practicing gratitude does not require elaborate rituals or a huge amount of spiritual awareness; simply taking a few moments to note every time something goes right is enough.
At first this may take a conscious effort, but as the habit takes root, seeing things to be thankful for becomes as natural as breathing.
Although grateful people tend to be happier people, being grateful is not the same as being happy. When life is turning out all wrong, being grateful allows you to focus on that ray of sunshine coming through. It allows you to take an honest look at a situation and say, “even in this there is reason to hope.”
Do not confuse being grateful with settling for less. Gratitude should never interfere with your efforts to improve and grow. Expressing gratitude simply gives you a better outlook on life, making it easier to attract the true happiness you deserve. By focusing attention on what is going right, more things work out for the best.
Be grateful even for the trials in life. Your trials are what made you the person you are today. It is those very same trials that made you strong enough to cope with the difficulties in life.
A big problem in today’s world is that we have been conditioned to think we have to live a certain way, look a certain way and have certain things just to maintain a status quo. If we don’t then we should be dissatisfied. While dissatisfaction can be a great motivator, without action or personal effort it only leads to frustration, anger and bitterness.
Grateful people have a way of looking at the misfortunes and failures in their lives and turning them into opportunities. These opportunities may not be readily apparent at first, but when the pain and frustration have passed, there they are. Every cloud has a silver lining if only we take the time to look.
You don’t have to wait for good things to occur to express gratitude. Gratitude does not mean jumping for joy about everything in your life, but rather, that you see and take note of whatever is put before you. It means taking advantage of every opportunity that comes your way, whether presented as fortune or misfortune.
Enhance your life. Take a few moments right now and actively notice things you can be grateful for.
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Life gives us many opportunities to improve, but whether we do or not depends on our effort. Once a week a person should sit down and examine the progress he/she has made towards achieving a set goal. If goals have not been reached then honest examination must be undertaken to discover the reasons why. This must be followed by extra determination that these goals will be met next time.
Do not worry or become stressed if you do not always achieve your goals, remember you’re only human. However it is imperative that you dissect why you failed, were they genuine reasons beyond your control or simply excuses? If the answer turns out to be excuses then double your resolve and effort that they will not stand in your way the next time.
Always remember that the harder the goal you set yourself the greater the reward, not just in reaching the goal but in personal development and inner belief, making the next goal you set yourself that little bit easier. Do not be afraid of hard goals as these will bring you more reward than half a dozen smaller triumphs.
Too many people who fail when trying to achieve a goal become defeated and believe they just do not have what it takes. Nothing could be further from the truth. What they do not understand, or have not fully grasped, is that all they need is to instill within themselves a little extra determination, an honesty with themselves why they failed, and then to have another go.
The secret to success is to always try to improve yourself - no matter what life may throw in your path. Sure, there will be obstacles, however, do not view them as insurmountable, be gritty and work around or over them. Everyone really wants to do something, but there are few that will put forward the needed effort to make the necessary sacrifice to secure it. There is only one way to accomplish anything and that is to go ahead and do it. A person may accomplish almost anything if they just set their hearts on doing it and let nothing interfere with progress. The “bigger” the person the smaller the obstacle appears. The “smaller” the man the greater the obstacle appears. Always look at the advantages you gain by overcoming obstacles, and it will give you the needed courage for their conquest. Look back at obstacles you have overcome and realize that the present obstacle will soon be added to the list.
Winston Churchill summed up all the above in two sentences:
“Never give in — never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
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Don’t we all want to be successful? In life? As a person? In your career, job, business?
The fundamental law of human achievement is the law of belief. It suggests that you always behave in a manner consistent with your beliefs. If you believe you are a Roman Catholic, then you are. If you believe you are a Buddhist, you are. If you believe you can ride a bicycle, then you can ride a bicycle. Even if you can’t ride a bicycle as long as you believe you can, but if not then you will persist in failing until you can actually ride. Unfortunately, once you decide you can’t ride a bicycle, then you can’t. Even though we are all capable of riding a bicycle, once you believe you can’t, you can’t.
You then suffer from the self-limiting belief that you just cannot do it. Your belief is not based on fact it is just a belief. Even though our self-limiting beliefs are not based on fact, we always behave in a manner consistent with our beliefs. If you believe you can drive a car, be creative, set goals, implement a successful life strategy, or marketing strategy, sell well, negotiate, be a leader, understand the financial implications, manage your time well, etc., then you can master all these skills.
Even if at the present time you have not mastered these skills, as long as you believe you are excellent, then you will make the necessary efforts. You will set goals, design a personal development plan, and set personal and family goals and resolve to pay the necessary price.
Another vitally important aspect of the law of belief is that you can believe anything that you want to believe. You can believe that you are brilliant at marketing, selling, finance, relationships and time management. You can believe that you are successful in business. You can believe that you are a millionaire. As long as you truly believe, then you will hang on to that belief, despite setbacks, until your beliefs become your reality. Without a doubt, your beliefs are your reality.
Make a decision to adopt beliefs which are consistent with achieving your goals. All successful people have beliefs consistent with what they want to achieve. Join them! Make a decision to change your beliefs. The beliefs you hold at the moment are largely responsible for the position you hold at the moment. If you change your beliefs, then you change your reality. Changing your beliefs about yourself means changing your self-concept. Your self-concept is your bundle of beliefs about yourself. Make a decision to adopt the self-concept which is consistent with achieving your goals. We get our beliefs from our culture and what other people tell us. When we are little our most significant others tell us things which describe us. If the parent tells the child he is useless he will grow up believing it and manifesting that uselessness in his life. If the daughter was told she is beautiful and sings like an angel, she will grow up believing it whether it is true or not.
Everything starts with ideas or thoughts. Thoughts and ideas become feelings which eventually become beliefs. Your beliefs have a powerful effect on your expectations. Your expectations have a powerful effect on your attitude. If you believe you are destined to become successful then this has a strong effect on your expectations which in turn become very positive. Your positive expectations are translated into a very positive attitude. Your attitude is the major determinant of your success in achieving your goals.
Everything comes back to beliefs. Successful people have the beliefs of successful people; unsuccessful people have the beliefs of unsuccessful people. Make a decision to adopt the beliefs consistent with being successful. Make a decision to shake off self-limiting beliefs and negative emotions. This drains energy and is time wasting. Replace them with positive beliefs and positive emotions. Start now! And belief in yourself!
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A car can only go in two directions, either forward or backward, and like a car, we can move forward or backward in our lives. Our every thought either takes us toward our goals and desires or away, and has a positive or negative effect on the direction of our lives.
Compare your brain to a computer. If a new PC is loaded up with virus contaminated programs would you expect it to run smoothly? Of course not, because you get out of the computer exactly what you put in - your brain is exactly the same.
Your every thought determines the direction of your life. If you are moving backward then take time to analyze your thoughts. Make a determined effort to recognize negative thoughts and treat them as your worst enemy. Try not to dwell on them. Putty can be molded into any shape or form and so too, your life can be shaped and your destiny set by your thoughts.
Remember, the potential for change is the same for everyone. It only takes acceptance of the idea that change is possible coupled with the determination to follow-through. It’s not always easy to control our thoughts, but certainly not impossible, and the rewards can last a lifetime.
There are many books on the subject of self-help, but remember, you must take action to succeed. Your thoughts will not change simple by reading an article or book. You must apply what you learn to your everyday affairs. Allow what you read to awaken the possibility of change within you, then take action.
One of the most beneficial practices for positive thinking is to look for the “good” in everyone and everything. Remember to encourage others everyday by a kind word or deed and be ready to offer (or receive) compliments.
Find opportunities to put the power of your positive thinking to work. For example, you might be standing in a long line at the supermarket checkout. Rather than get upset, do your utmost to help-out and encourage others with a kind word or compliment. You will be surprised at the positive reaction and at how many people will bless you with a wonderful smile in-return.
Taking the time to notice others and look for the “good” in every situation will not only life your spirits, but will brighten the day for everyone around you - it’s a win-win situation to be sure. There are a 1001 ways to look for the good in others, be they family, friends or those you may only meet once. So, get the lead-out, get rid of those negative thoughts and become a winner.
Begin today to change your thought patterns one step at a time. Set yourself a goal for the week or month and devote full attention to controlling your thoughts. Start with at least one hour each day and increase the time as your confidence and thinking improve. It is a habit that needs nurturing and a habit you’ll come to cherish.
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Depression is believed by the medical profession to be the most prevalent disease of our time. The fear of developing heart problems or cancer alone is enough to cause tremendous stress and accompanying depression. There is a tremendous malaise circulating our world today. Both the medical profession and the media are constantly “warning” us of the dangers and probabilities of different diseases, some of which seem more than likely to shorten our life span. For instance, if there is cancer in your family, you’re most likely going to get it! And of course, if cancer is not threat enough there is always the West Nile virus, Bird flu, AIDs and a host of other diseases to frighten us…
One thing is for sure, we will never hear the end of calamities that are likely to beset us, whether from disease or some other form of challenge we may face. It seems inevitable that there will always be “something” that will get our blood pressure soaring.
So, what is the answer to this problem? How can we carry-on with our lives without being constantly afraid of what lies around the next corner? Here are several suggestions about how to effectively deal with life’s challenging situations:
1) Seek interpersonal support
People need other people, and there are many good and practical ways to relieve stress and anxiety. Exercise, good nutrition and positive thinking are great antidotes. These not only help relieve the angst; they actually give us a sense of empowerment over our lives.
2) Seek spiritual guidance about spoken words
The Bible tells us that the power of life and death are in the tongue. Words can both bless and curse (James 3). Negative words can evoke fear, anxiety and actually produce negative effects in a person’s life.
Whenever a word is heard - any word - the mind paints a picture of it. For instance, when someone says “black cow” immediately you will see that cow in your mind’s eye. Although words are not tangible, they have the power to bring about emotional and physical change! Remember - The Bible teaches that the earth was created by the Word of God! Now that’s real word power!
We all have a choice when it comes to listening and what we hear. We can choose to empower ourselves by listening to positive words and encouraging thoughts or we can do otherwise. Think about the last time you listening to some of your favorite music…Did your feet start tapping? Did you start to hum the melody? Didn’t your mood lighten-up a bit as a result of hearing the melody and the words? Negative words almost always produce negative results, whether seen or unseen. On the other hand, positive words instill a sense of well-being. A mere smile and a quick, happy-sounding, “Have a great day!” can instantly produce good feelings and joy.
3) Develop a “thankful” attitude.
Thankfulness is one of the greatest virtues. A wise man once said that if we divided a page in two and wrote all our setbacks on one side and all our blessings on the other, we would find that the blessings far outweigh the negatives. The Bible teaches us to give thanks with a grateful heart for all things. Don’t look back on past hurts, nor fret about tomorrow. Live “today” to the fullest…choose joy and thankfulness.
In conclusion, remember that our thoughts respond to what we feed the mind through our senses. Therefore, it naturally follows that happiness is a choice. This may be a foreign concept to many of us at first, but when applied, the results can be truly amazing! Break the habit of feeling trapped in a world of negative thoughts and decide to switch-on the power of positive thoughts, today.
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There are many stories in the news about terrorism, school killings, biological warfare and nuclear weapons, causing many people to be in a constant state of fear.
Is it alright to have some fear? Some have said it is good to have fear. They say fear can be useful if you harness it and use it correctly. Do not believe this for a second.
Fear needs to be resisted at all cost. This also includes worry. In our society it is a common thing to accept worry as OK, but it is not.
So, what is fear? Let’s first talk about faith. Faith is belief in a particular outcome and is usually based on what someone has said would happen. When God says something good will happen to you, and you believe it, that is faith. When the devil says something bad will happen to you, and you believe it, that is fear.
In Hebrews 11:6 it states that without faith it is impossible to please God. When you are in fear, you are not in faith and this may be part of the problem.
Is it really possible not to fear? If you have not accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, fear is a natural thing. If you have been reborn, through what Jesus did, you have power to overcome fear. It is not automatic, though. You need to know what to do and that is where reading the bible will help.
In the Bible, you will discover that God is Love and that he rewards those who diligently seek him. In 1 John 4:18 it says, there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.
Following is the great commandment. Jesus said unto him, thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. This is found in Matthew 22:37-39.
As noted earlier, being free from fear is not automatic. When fear attacks you, you need to resist it. You do this with words. Quote verses that talk about fear just like Jesus quoted scripture to Satan when he was tempted. A good verse to start with is 2 Timothy 1:7. For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Refuse to fear!
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Something that we all seem to have in common is problems. Some see problems and give up immediately. Others thrash about or throw money at their problems with the predictable results that they continue without resolution, often getting worse. I have watched people carp, duck and hide, pull their hair, cry, lash out, etc. None of these produces the desired effect of solving the problem. Certainly, it never solves the problem in ways that are good for all parties involved.
People who aim to truly solve problems seem to have several traits in common. Here’s my top 10 list of these traits.
#10 - Problem-solvers get a good fix on reality. They do not spend a lot of time in dreamland, wondering about what coulda been or woulda been if things were different. Things are NOT different - problem-solvers know this and act accordingly.
#9 - Problem-solvers do not gripe and do not make trouble for others.
#8 - Problem-solvers are self-starters. They do not wait for someone else to point out that there is something wrong. And they don’t wait for someone else to tell them how to fix it.
#7 - Problem-solvers do not keep lists of grievances. Problem-solvers may keep a few objective examples of a problem to use as evidence when problem-solving discussions arise.
#6 - Problem-solvers engage their imaginations to come up with new solutions that they can try out, and they have the guts to go forward as they test their solutions.
#5 - Problem-solvers do not look to others for assurances that cannot be delivered. They know who does and does not make decisions, and try to work with those who do.
#4 - Problem-solvers are nimble-minded, tough-love optimists who work tenaciously to solve the problems facing them.
#3 - Problem-solvers are capable of allying themselves with others so that if a problem goes beyond their personal abilities, they can make use of the talents of others.
#2 - Problem-solvers effectively juggle their entire load of problems so that they all get resolved. They don’t let any one problem so dominate their attention (except in emergencies), that they can’t multitask. Here they attend to one problem. A few minutes later they’re busy solving another. They don’t make everything else wait until something is solved completely. They work on multiple fronts as best they can.
And the number one attribute of Problem-solvers:
#1 - Problem-solvers go the extra mile to solve problems and to help others solve their problems. They value win-win solutions whenever they are possible.
Are you a problem-solver?
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Napoleon Hill, one of the first great self help gurus, thought that persistence was so important that he devoted a chapter to it in his landmark book “Think And Grow Rich.” Chapter IX refers to persistence as “The sustained effort necessary to induce faith.” He called persistence the eighth step toward riches. However, another sentence on page one of this chapter really defines how important persistence is. That sentence is: “There may be no heroic connotation to the word “persistence,” but the quality is to the character of man what carbon is to steel.” Persistence strengthens the character of a person so much that he can do whatever it takes to reach his goal or complete the task he has undertaken.
Throughout history, there have been many examples of this. Dr. Jonas Salk, who found the vaccine for polio, persisted with his research even though he failed 200 times before he found a vaccine that worked. Thomas Edison kept working at creating a light bulb even though he failed more than 10,000 times. His persistence paid off and we use his invention every night to light our homes after the sun goes down.
If you read autobiographies, you will learn that most famous and wealthy individuals failed numerous times before they were successful. Each time their persistence allowed them to gain what they were striving for. The power of persistence is that all individuals who persist long enough will eventually reach their goal. No other characteristic has that power. A persistent trickle of water running slowly over the same place on a rock for a long period of time will wear away the rock. Even though water is not as hard as stone, through persistence, water will always win. That is the power of persistence. Persistence at something will always win.
So, how can you make persistence a habit that you always use? These four little steps will create this valuable habit:
1. Have a specific goal and support it with a burning desire for fulfillment.
2. Have a definite plan you follow and take continual action on that plan.
3. Do not listen to any negative or discouraging suggestions. Also, do not let any negative occurrences dissuade you from continuing your action.
4. Find a mentor who will encourage you in your endeavors and who will push you when you slow down.
It doesn’t matter what it is you are trying to do, if you follow these four steps you will be successful in everything you do. These steps are what you can use to improve your wealth and obtain power, fame, recognition and freedom of thought. These steps will change your dreams into reality.
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Think back to when you were a child and you watched a friend or an older sibling ride a bicycle. You felt a desire start to build in you to be able to do that too. The more you saw them having fun riding their bicycle, the more desire you had to have one also. Finally you were able to persuade your parents to get you a bicycle.
With the help of a parent or older sibling, you learned to ride it. As your proficiency at riding a bicycle grew, your belief in your ability to do so became stronger. When your belief became very strong, you developed faith that you could do it any time you wanted to.
Once you had faith that you could ride a bicycle, you did so without much conscious thought. The same thing happens with everything that you believe you can do. When your belief in your abilities to do it becomes strong, you develop faith that you can do it whenever you want to.
The power of faith is greater than the power of knowledge, just as the CEO of an organization has more power than a junior manager. The power of faith is so superior to any technology that we presently have, that it is an injustice to equate faith with technology. When the power of faith is placed into action, the amount of work that we can accomplish becomes greater and greater, and whatever our purpose may be, we will positively scale the heights.
The power of our faith changes how we perceive the value of our abilities. If our belief in our capabilities is strong, we know that our ability will allow us to accomplish whatever we decide to undertake.
The power of faith is like the mystery of love. You know it is there, but you cannot see it. You feel it working and guiding you, but like the air that you breathe to sustain your life, it is not visible. Only the results of its presence prove its existence.
We think of faith as having the ability to move mountains (which it can), but the power of faith is as subtle as it is dynamic. The power of faith is relative to how much one truly believes something is possible. If you truly believe with every fiber of your being that you can do something, your mind will find a way to accomplish it.
A good example of this was Terry Fox, the one legged Canadian Hero who ran a marathon a day to raise money for the Cancer Society. Even professional marathon runners cannot run a marathon a day. However, this young man had faith that he could do it, and in all kinds of weather he ran a marathon a day for weeks, running from the east coast of Canada nearly to Thunder Bay where cancer over took him.
The power of faith is what miracles are made of. The power of faith is not seen in spectacular healing miracles or in getting people to laugh or make animal noises. It is seen in the everyday accomplishments of people who do things that no one expects them to be able to accomplish. However, they have so much faith in their capabilities that they confound their critics and accomplish something that seems to be impossible, like the blind man who climbed Mount Everest and the young university lad who was allowed to play the last few minutes of a basketball game and scored 27 points.
You too can do anything that you want to do if you develop faith in yourself. Do not let anyone tell you that you cannot and do not doubt yourself for a minute.
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