I will admit that it is easy to become discouraged. For a lot of people the only thing they see around them is negativity. I am not saying that you see everything as hopeless (maybe you do), but you are not moving forward within anything in your life. Due to our “every day schedule” we begin to let the great things in life drift away and seem impossible. The average goals in life move up the ladder and take the place of those “great” things. To put it in simple terms, a lot of people just go with the flow of life, or become stagnant altogether, and abandon their dreams and goals.
I know what you are thinking. I need to be responsible and focus on getting the bills paid, finish my classes for the quarter, get the children fed, the oil changed in the car, the lawn mowed, the soccer schedule coordinated with the ballet schedule, and find time to go to whatever job it is you may go to every day (yes, if you stay at home and take care of the children you have a job. A very important job). That list can go on and on. It is true; most of us live very busy lives. Some of us have lives that are too busy. I can also assure you of this; in all of your busyness you see life as mundane. You look at your life, as busy as it might be, and consider it boring.
Most people don’t feel as if they have accomplished very much, especially as they reach what they consider to be landmark birthdays. I will agree that most people don’t reach the goals and dreams they once desired. You can use any excuse you want, but the truth is that we have forfeited a great deal of what we believe to be important for something that is in reality a waste of time. Rather that reach excellence we settle for mediocrity and wonder why others have what we want.
Did I offend you with that? Take a deep breath and keep reading. Don’t view what I am telling you as something negative. I am about to put a positive twist on things. Keep reading and let’s take life to a brand new level and do things you thought were impossible.
The economic state of America right now is really affecting a lot of people. Unemployment is on the rise, the housing crisis is still taking homes from families, and the price of everything seems to be climbing. You may be one of the millions of unemployed right now. If you are I can assure you that I know and feel your pain. I know that not having a job can leave a person feeling defeated, worthless, and even hopeless. Dreams and goals have turned to fantasy.
I want to give a bit of encouragement from history. I’m not going to give a lot of boring facts and force you through my research. I am simply going to highlight a few facts about the “Great Depression”.
What we are going through today is being called “The Great Recession”. In truth we are enduring another Depression that is equal to what was experienced in “The Great Depression”. The unemployment rate today is astronomical; it was in the 1930’s also. Stocks were down and the economy was running on fumes just as it is today. During the terrible period of “The Great Depression” America experienced natural disasters that mirror what we have experienced recently. The Mississippi flooded, there were tornadoes of an epic proportion, and to top all of this America experienced “The Dust Bowl”. The 1930’s and early 40’s should have been the end of America, but we climbed from beneath the rubble and rose to a greatness only a few Nations in history have experienced.
In the midst of tragedy, people, individuals like you and me, turned negatives into positives. New businesses that are still thriving today were born out of the “Great Depression” period. Instead of giving up people stood strong. Rather than accepting what seemed to be the inevitable people reached deep and made things happen that seemed impossible.
I Corinthians 9:24-25 Do you not know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Now everyone that competes exercises self control in everything.
Guess what Paul is telling us here? Paul is saying that we shouldn’t be quitters. He is telling us strive to be more than average. God wants us to be more than a statistic, He intends for you to step up and stand out. God doesn’t want you to sit on the bench and watch the Michael Jordans, Lance Armstrongs, Mike Tysons, Hank Aarons, and Babe Ruths of the world do all the work. God expects you to step up to the plate and give your all. You have to devote yourself to putting in the effort needed to succeed in any goal you have in mind.
I know; you still have responsibilities to focus on. Becoming great just doesn’t seem to be in your cards. You are wrong if that is what you’re thinking. The problem is that you don’t have the determination to make your greatest dreams happen (yes, I am stoking the fire and working on your emotions). I can promise you that there are things in your life right now that you can restructure as well as things you can eliminate completely. If you don’t believe me just take a look at how much time you spend watching TV. How much time are you wasting making a million trips per week doing little errands that could be grouped into one big run? Guess what; every great man or woman that ever lived had or has responsibilities. You just have to see the day to day responsibilities as a hurdle and not a roadblock.
It is time to break through the ordinary and become extraordinary. It is time to move forward and stop making excuses that are keeping you stagnant. Don’t let your life waste away, live your life in such a way that you leave a legacy.
Will reaching your goals be easy? I highly doubt it. It has been said that nothing great comes easy. That holds a lot of truth. Anything worth having requires effort. The effort you place into getting what you want gives the end product its value.
Will you begin to see immediate results? It is possible, but I wouldn’t bet on it. Take your big dreams and goals and break them apart into smaller goals that you can achieve. Then you will become encouraged when you accomplish each step rather than discouraged when you don’t conquer everything you were aiming at in an unrealistic timeframe. For example, if you want to lose 100lbs set smalls goals of 10lbs increments. As you drop each pound you will become eager to lose even more. If you want to get out of debt set a goal to pay off the small bills and when they are paid in full apply the payment you were making on the smaller bill to the next one in line. Before you know it you will be debt free, saving money, and paying cash for your next car and maybe your next home.
Don’t give up because something takes too long. Don’t let the status quo tell you how to live. If extra effort is required dig a little deeper into yourself and focus. Become determined and move forward.
You will encounter negatives along the way. There is no way around it. People will judge you, criticize you, and some will even get in your way. Unforeseen obstacles will pop up out of nowhere. Things will break, and not everything will work in unison with what you are envisioning. Don’t be discouraged and DO NOT allow the negatives control you. Use the negatives as a springboard that will launch you forward. Learn from your mistakes and from the mistakes of others. If you focus on the negatives you will find yourself depressed, overwhelmed, and defeated. Don’t become a slave to the negatives in life. Push for freedom.
By the way; whining, complaining, and making excuses is not moving forward. If you are whining and complaining you are looking for ways to make your lack of success acceptable. You are trying to get others to buy into your lack of accomplishment.
I am not telling you to keep your problems to yourself. Seek advice and learn from what others have to say when you have a problem. You will find both good and bad advice along the way. Pray for wisdom and keep moving. By the way, advice is not siding with you and encouraging more whining and complaints. Advice is constructive, not destructive. Advice directs you away from trouble and gives encouragement, it does not help you make your case that things are too difficult.
Right now you may be having a hard time with self confidence. I will agree that it is hard to believe in yourself when you feel beat down by whatever stands in your way. I want you to know, you are not a disposable person. God created you on purpose. You are someone special with amazing abilities. You are God’s greatest creation, a creation God personally sacrificed for in Jesus. Yes, you have weaknesses, but in your weakness lean on God and trust Him. Pray for direction and wisdom. Take time to read through the Bible and get to know the people in the book. Take time to watch God turn the impossible into impressive in people’s lives just like you and I. David, Moses, Paul, Peter, Abraham, Joseph, and so on were all people like you. What made them great was their faith in God coupled with a determination to move forward with a goal. They didn’t give up because things were tough, they leaned on God.
Your hope and future isn’t dependent upon the next President to take office. Your future is decided by you and only you. The direction the Country moves in depends on the choices of individual, regular, everyday people, not politicians. Don’t wait until tomorrow to get moving, move now!
If your goal is to lose weight, put down the ice cream and decide on an exercise regime and stick with it. If you want to write a book, start right now by writing down your ideas and do a little brainstorming. Before you know it you will have an outline. Do you want a college degree? The same thing applies, start looking for a school right now and research everything from the school’s structure to financial aid then choose what fits you right now. College is attainable for everyone with today’s technology. Are you unemployed? I am not going to tell you to just find a job. It isn’t that easy, if it were millions would be working. Don’t give up, keep applying. Look past your comfort zone in terms of relocating, and change professions if need be. While you are looking consider what is available that will bring income in. You never know, you may end up with a home based business that ends up becoming the next Fortune 500 Company.
The great things, the big goals and dreams, they may not appear to be a world changer. However, your goals can and will change your life.
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