The Battle Tested

"The only easy day was yesterday." -Navy Seals

One of the world's most respected and elite military divisions, the Navy Seals, has to undergo intense training before the candidates are allowed to wear that honorable distinction. They must train as if lives are at stake so that they will know what to do when lives really are at stake. The candidates must endure simulations that test every fiber of their being and many are unable to pass these very difficult "exams." I think the pressure that some of God's people undergo is along the same lines, though different in nature. God allows us to go through many trials and tribulations in order to refine our character, skills, and abilities. The biggest test of all is being able to hold on to our faith when life delivers devastating blows to us. Are we able to keep our head, remember our training, and continue to advance? Or will we fold under the weight like so many? The answer to that question separates the grown ups from kids in God's spiritual military.

Take Your Time

I've recently come to understand that I am one of those people who tends to rush life. I am super goal oriented so when I set my mind on something I want to try to find the quickest route possible. That's just not how life works in certain areas though. There are some aspects of living that require taking one's time and being patient to see it through. Sometimes the waiting game can be very frustrating, but that's when we have to choose to enjoy our moments even if we are not at the destination that we desire to be. Sometimes we just have to literally stop and smell the roses.

Those Who Have Will Have More

Sleeping on our talents is something that is very easy to succeed at. It doesn't take much to not produce anything. The strain comes when we begin to exert the effort required to create something with the tools God has graciously given us. When we get over all the excuses why we are unable to do something and begin to take the first steps to make it happen, we then begin to unlock even more potential and resources that we didn't know were available to us. Go to work with what you have and new streams of resources will reveal themselves to you as you keep moving. This is an eternal law.

What Really Makes You Happy?

Lately, I've been really thinking about what makes me happy. Maybe it's because I'm getting older and becoming more reflective, but I think it is is an important question answer. I think King Solomon found himself in a similar space. He had everything the world could offer and found that it did not give him the fulfillment he was looking for. I believe that his dilemma was the same that we all face today. Having nice things and a lot of money is great. Being popular is fun and accomplishing great things is an amazing feeling. But at the end of the day, I think most people just simply want to be loved and accepted (and appreciated) for who they are. When we are able to truly be ourselves around people that we care about dearly, I think that brings a happiness that no other material thing can provide. Last but not least, a deep sense of God's love is what enables the human heart to be happy. Without that, all of our efforts don't have much meaning. They are a mere chasing after the wind.

Seize Your Moment

I've noticed that when people get closer to a particular finish line in life they tend to run out of gas before they reach it. It's weird how we can be so close to one of our intended destinations and fail to give our all to apprehend it. I see the same perplexity in myself. It makes me think back to the time when I was going after my bachelor's degree. I worked very hard all the way up until the final quarter and for some reason I just got really lax and did not give all the effort I knew that I could. I still graduated, but I was disappointed in myself for not taking care of business the same way I did in previous quarters. I really believe that there is a mental shift that takes place in us when we realize that we are close to finishing something. We have to fight against the natural tendency to stop short of our intended target. Also, we must realize when we have grasped what we are after and capitalize off of what we have gained, rather than mismanaging the accomplishment and losing everything we worked so hard for. Seize your moments!

New Excerpt From My Upcoming Book

Excerpt:

The relationship that one has with his or her community is often a key indicator of what impact and legacy he/she will leave behind. Community is a loaded term, but in this book it can be defined as the groups of people that you find yourself interacting with that are not family or people who work for the same employer as you do (business owners and entrepreneurs included). Your community can include your church, organizations that you are a part of, school, the city you live in,your social media outlets, or wherever you interact with a group of people who have a common interest.

A person who lives an accurate life will often ask and reevaluate the reason why they are a part of the community they are in. They seek to better their communities and are proactive about forging strong relationships with and within them. Those on the path of accuracy often rise to become role models and leaders in their communities with or without a title.

Moving Under Fire

The times in life when we are making the most progress can prove to be the most challenging as well.    
Progress doesn't necessarily equate to ease and sometimes it is downright hard. Even though things get difficult, we should not stop doing what we know we ought. If we allow ourselves to give way because our process is not a bed of roses, we will be robbing ourselves of the rewards that come from sticking it out. Anything worth having will take hard work to gain and maintain. It is a worthy aim, worth our blood, sweat, and tears. We will be much happier after the fact, once we have accomplished what we have set out to do, as oppose to letting the opportunity pass us by. Sometimes you have to keep moving, no matter how difficult it gets, until you find yourself on the other side where the sun is shining and the sky is blue.