If You Try

If You Try

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Ruler of Much When Faithful With Little (The Ant Principle)




A wise man once told me that the little things you do have the biggest impact in life. Doing the little things speaks of integrity and character. The grandiose things are the result of several successful little things leading up to that point. I myself procrastinate when it comes to doing the little things. Actions such as finishing up "additional" paperwork, ironing out the "little" details of a deal I'm working on, making phone calls, returning phone calls (hmmm...), picking up this little thing, and doing this little task, etc. Today I actually took the time to complete some of the little tasks that I needed to get done. And maaaaan, let me tell you, just that little bit of effort that I exerted led to some big results. Those big results are the things that I love doing, yet those results could not take place without the little ones. In honor of the NBA playoffs, I'll use a basketball analogy. It is that player that spent a little extra time after practice working on his game that shows up biggest in the actual game. Therefore we need to view the little things in our life as the preparation, practice, and foundation for our all star performance in life. I'll end this post with one of my favorite proverbs:

"Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest."

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Identity Theft: Don't Let Others Define You

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Many people find themselves living life according to the way other people feel they should. This leaves us depressed, unfulfilled, dependent, and weak. People will always try to define who you are in order for them to fit you into their little boxes so they can manage you better. It is up to you to paint the internal picture of who you are and stay true to it even when others try to attack and mold your person into something else. Who you are created to be is a lifelong discovery process that belongs to only you and God. There may be a select few who are chosen to embark on the journey with you, but you are the captain of the ship and their affirmation should only be confirmations of who you already know you are. If you let others define you, you are giving up the power of pursuing your own destiny. It is tough not to buy into what family members, friends, bosses, pastors, teachers, spouses, and the media say about you. But you must develop an internal strength that resolves to be all you were made to be regardless of peoples opinions.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Take Charge of Your Life (Or It Will Take Charge of You)



Opinion: I am a person who believes that a lot of what happens to a person in their life is the result of decisions that they have made.
-Philip "Sharp Skills" Jacobs

Your locus of control level, meaning the degree to which you agree with the opinion above, will shade how you interpret this blog post. With that said, lets begin.

Life is full of external circumstances that are out of our control. Yet we can control how we react to these circumstances and what we let them shape us into. Notice I said "control", we do have a great degree of power in how our lives turn out. Whether disadvantaged or privileged, black or white, tall or short, rich or poor, this is a common gift that the Almighty has blessed us with,the gift of pro activity. We can be the catalyst in our own lives that helps us to experience all life has to offer, better yet all we have to offer (potential wise). But we must make a conscience effort to be this (day in and day out). Life can be full of hardships, turmoil, pain, and suffering. Yet we do not have to be the victim of it. I personally believe and have become convinced that through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, persistence, and dedication we can all have a high quality of life. Your definition of a high quality of life may differ from mine, but that is irrelevant. As long as you are in a place where you are at peace, you have achieved the high life.

Therefore, it is up to the individual to decide to take life by the horns and produce all that they were created to produce. Indecisiveness, too much partying, lack of focus, laziness, being irresponsible, and letting others think for us will lead to deep sorrow in the long run (though it may bring temporary pleasure now). People that have the greatest joy and fulfillment are those that take active roles in charting the course for their lives (though this may bring temporary pain now).