Realize You are in Charge
No matter where you are in life, you are in charge.Your daily decisions determine your future. As my youngest son said to me a few years back,
"Mom, you are driving the bus."
"Wow," I thought. "He is absolutely right. I am driving the bus."
When we realize this truth, it empowers us to take action, instead of letting things ride, having a defeatist attitude, or settling for less than our best life.
Only You know what is best for you
The Effort is Worth it
That being said, we have to put forth effort to fashion a life we will be happy with, and to change what needs to be changed in order to see our goals and dreams come true. I studied hard in high school so I could get scholarships to go to college. I sold my car so I could go to France to study. I faced an ugly divorce so I would have more peace in my life. I worked hard at a demanding career so I could support my two sons as a single mom. I got up at 5 am every morning to get my run in before work to stay in shape. Effort is required if we want to see progress. This goes for every area of our lives: our health, our relationships, our finances, and our futures.
Each day presents us with opportunities to move forward and it is up to us to take advantage of them. If we want to see progress, we need to work dutifully and diligently towards our goals and dreams. You know the old saying "Slow and steady wins the race." We need to be clear about what we want our life to look like down the road. If we don't have a clear vision, five - ten years from now we will still be where we are today and that is not progress.
The fourth step to igniting the power within is a 3-pronged approach which involves the biblical principle of learning to ask, seek, and knock.
1. Overcome the fear of asking
Some of us have a bit of trouble asking for what we want, be it from God or some human being. The first part of this process is to overcome the fear of asking. For many years, it was hard for me to ask for what I wanted. I was afraid to speak up. Then I realized timidity was not working for me. I needed to be more assertive and ask for what I wanted and needed both from people and from God.
Singles, in particular, struggle with this. How many times does a guy pass up an opportunity to go out on a date with a pretty girl simply because he's afraid to ask her out? Or a relationship breaks up because one person doesn't speak up for their needs? If we are unhappy in a relationship, we expect the other person to be a mind-reader. If we are unfulfilled in our job, we expect our boss to promote us. We have to learn to ask.
Our spouse is not a mind-reader nor is our boss. The pretty girl is not a mind-reader either. If we are unhappy with our lives, it us up to us to take the first step and ask ourselves what we need and then ask others and God for what we want.
2. Make the effort to seek.
We all have problems. Some of them are hard to resolve, but this step encourages us to put the effort to try to resolve things. We need to be really deliberate in finding the correct solution. I have found that difficult problems require a lot of research to find the root cause. We can't just ask the doctor, pop the pill, or expect things to resolve on their own or worse, sweep them under the rug and pretend there is no problem.
If you're having relationship problems, go to a counselor or two or three, till you find one that helps. If you want to buy a house, go house hunting on your free time and save money for a down payment. Get out of debt. Same thing goes for finding a spouse. We might have to kiss quite a few frogs before we find Prince or Princess Charming. If you need income, go look for a job. We in America live in the land of opportunity. If you want to write a book, start writing. If we have a health issue, we need to do our own research. We know our bodies better than anyone else. Don't make the mistake of trusting doctors who are only trained in certain areas and don't have the time to go into much depth with their patients.
3. Keep knocking.
This step is related to step two and means exploring different options till we find the right one. This applies to relationships, jobs, and our health. People in sales know this. Job-seekers know this. Successful people know this. If one approach does not work, try something new. We learn that each closed door brings us one step closer but eventually a door will open to new opportunities, new ways of thinking, and answers to prayer.
This 3-pronged approach is a fundamental process to igniting the power we each have to move forward in life. When we master this process, we will move past obstacles that have kept us stuck often for years.
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of implementing this principle on a daily basis. Too many people try for while and then give up. No! We have to keep at it. This practice develops perseverance and determination. It strengthens our character as well as well as our backbone. If we want to see changes in our lives, we must be willing to persevere, even when we don't see anything happening.
For Reflection:
If you enjoyed this post, please share with a friend. If you'd like to join our community and receive my weekly posts, enter your email address in the box provided. You'll also receive a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path".
Come follow me on these social media platforms each designed to enlighten, encourage and inspire you.
Stay tuned to learn more on how to ignite the power within and discover your DESTINY!
Until next time, keep looking up!
Ariel Paz
For much of my younger life, I let other people drive my bus. Big mistake. I let my mother dictate who I married. I let my spouse dictate what type of career to pursue. After the divorce, I let the boyfriends influence my activities and time.
Yes, I was a people-pleaser. Not any more. I have learned to listen to myself, my feelings, my desires and pursue what brings me joy and fulfillment. It took a tremendous amount of courage to leave a stable job and a good salary, but I took a leap of faith and am I ever glad I did. This is our destiny - to dream BIG and to follow our dreams, to pursue a better life for ourselves and our families no matter where we are in life. It is never too late to start on a new journey.
The Effort is Worth it
That being said, we have to put forth effort to fashion a life we will be happy with, and to change what needs to be changed in order to see our goals and dreams come true. I studied hard in high school so I could get scholarships to go to college. I sold my car so I could go to France to study. I faced an ugly divorce so I would have more peace in my life. I worked hard at a demanding career so I could support my two sons as a single mom. I got up at 5 am every morning to get my run in before work to stay in shape. Effort is required if we want to see progress. This goes for every area of our lives: our health, our relationships, our finances, and our futures.
Each day presents us with opportunities to move forward and it is up to us to take advantage of them. If we want to see progress, we need to work dutifully and diligently towards our goals and dreams. You know the old saying "Slow and steady wins the race." We need to be clear about what we want our life to look like down the road. If we don't have a clear vision, five - ten years from now we will still be where we are today and that is not progress.
The fourth step to igniting the power within is a 3-pronged approach which involves the biblical principle of learning to ask, seek, and knock.
Some of us have a bit of trouble asking for what we want, be it from God or some human being. The first part of this process is to overcome the fear of asking. For many years, it was hard for me to ask for what I wanted. I was afraid to speak up. Then I realized timidity was not working for me. I needed to be more assertive and ask for what I wanted and needed both from people and from God.
Singles, in particular, struggle with this. How many times does a guy pass up an opportunity to go out on a date with a pretty girl simply because he's afraid to ask her out? Or a relationship breaks up because one person doesn't speak up for their needs? If we are unhappy in a relationship, we expect the other person to be a mind-reader. If we are unfulfilled in our job, we expect our boss to promote us. We have to learn to ask.
Our spouse is not a mind-reader nor is our boss. The pretty girl is not a mind-reader either. If we are unhappy with our lives, it us up to us to take the first step and ask ourselves what we need and then ask others and God for what we want.
2. Make the effort to seek.
We all have problems. Some of them are hard to resolve, but this step encourages us to put the effort to try to resolve things. We need to be really deliberate in finding the correct solution. I have found that difficult problems require a lot of research to find the root cause. We can't just ask the doctor, pop the pill, or expect things to resolve on their own or worse, sweep them under the rug and pretend there is no problem.
If you're having relationship problems, go to a counselor or two or three, till you find one that helps. If you want to buy a house, go house hunting on your free time and save money for a down payment. Get out of debt. Same thing goes for finding a spouse. We might have to kiss quite a few frogs before we find Prince or Princess Charming. If you need income, go look for a job. We in America live in the land of opportunity. If you want to write a book, start writing. If we have a health issue, we need to do our own research. We know our bodies better than anyone else. Don't make the mistake of trusting doctors who are only trained in certain areas and don't have the time to go into much depth with their patients.
3. Keep knocking.
This step is related to step two and means exploring different options till we find the right one. This applies to relationships, jobs, and our health. People in sales know this. Job-seekers know this. Successful people know this. If one approach does not work, try something new. We learn that each closed door brings us one step closer but eventually a door will open to new opportunities, new ways of thinking, and answers to prayer.
This 3-pronged approach is a fundamental process to igniting the power we each have to move forward in life. When we master this process, we will move past obstacles that have kept us stuck often for years.
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of implementing this principle on a daily basis. Too many people try for while and then give up. No! We have to keep at it. This practice develops perseverance and determination. It strengthens our character as well as well as our backbone. If we want to see changes in our lives, we must be willing to persevere, even when we don't see anything happening.
For Reflection:
What goal have you been trying to achieve? Which of these principles can you apply to move forward? What goal have you given up on that you would like to see become a reality?
If you enjoyed this post, please share with a friend. If you'd like to join our community and receive my weekly posts, enter your email address in the box provided. You'll also receive a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path".
Come follow me on these social media platforms each designed to enlighten, encourage and inspire you.
Pinterest @ArielPaz
Twitter @ArielPaz08
Instagram ArielPaz08
Facebook @ArielPaz08
Check out my books here and
Stay tuned to learn more on how to ignite the power within and discover your DESTINY!
Until next time, keep looking up!
Ariel Paz
Just a quick thank you for always providing such excellent encouragement as you provide ways to persevere through life and it's interesting twists and turns.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. I needed that! Sometimes I feel like I am writing out into the ether.... Glad you were encouraged. We all need it especially in this negative society we live in. Be well and keep looking up!
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