If you've not done so, be sure and read part 1 in the last article that I posted. I didn't want to make that article too long and decided to break it up in a couple of posts. You're welcome! :)
What I want to do today is break down some phrases and words that I highlighted in yesterday's article from Philippians 4: 6-8. Here is that passage again:
I want to break down a couple of things from these verses that may help us all understand the importance of what we allow into our mind and, as a result, our mindset and attitude.
1. Stop Worrying! Do you find that you worry a lot? If so, take a moment and write down the things that you tend to worry about most often. Is it your job? Is it finances? Your kids? Your marriage? Whatever it is that you seem to spend a lot of time worrying about, write it down and then take a good hard look at that list. The next question on this is simply, "WHY do you worry so much about these things?" Is there anything that your worrying is going to do to help the situation? Likely not! And, truth be told, the majority of the things you worry about never come to be anyway.
So, I like to look at and label verses 6 and 7 as: "Release and Refill" It's not enough for us to simply remove the things from our mind that worry us. You know what that does? It leave a big ol' hole in our mind that WILL be filled by SOME thought and, more often than not, they will be other negative thoughts. So, first and foremost, RELEASE your worry and, verse 6 tells us all exactly how to do that! "...but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God..." So, go to God in prayer (that's simply spending time talking with him about your life and your needs). "Supplication" simply means to "humbly ask". But here's the kicker - with THANKSGIVING! In other words, take a few moments and take your eyes off of your list of worries and make another list of things that are in your life for which you can be THANKFUL! Take note, this is of GREAT IMPORTANCE in the area of personal development...you MUST develop an attitude of gratitude.
So, RELEASE the worry from your mind. Pay attention and be THANKFUL for the things in your life that are good (friend, no matter what is going on in your life there are more things than you think in this area) and just talk with God and "release" your cares and concerns as you do so. Just do it friend and see what begins to happen with your mind, mindset and attitude. Read a little further and you find a promise from God about the level of PEACE that will enter your life and power that you now have to help GUARD your mind.That's part 1...RELEASE.
Again, remember, it's important to make sure we now fill that VOID that has been left by those things that we have released with something powerful and positive. First of all, get in the habit of being aware of what you have that brings about THANKS in your life. I cannot stress that enough!
Again, so as to be sure that this article does not become too long, I'm going to save the second part of this ("REFILL") for the next article.
Friend, take some time and really consider the things that I have discussed here today. These are things that can literally change the direction of your life and, yes, it IS a part of personal development. I would say that this is actually the FOUNDATION of what we now refer to as "personal development".
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As an added bonus today, here is a great article by Jim Rohn on the importance of personal development...
Since that time I’ve been working on my own personal development. And I must admit that this has been the most challenging assignment of all. This business of personal development lasts a lifetime.
You see, what you become is far more important than what you get. The important question to ask on the job is not, “What am I getting?” Instead, you should ask, “What am I becoming?” Getting and becoming are like Siamese twins: What you become directly influences what you get. Think of it this way: Most of what you have today you have attracted by becoming the person you are today.
I’ve also found that income rarely exceeds personal development. Sometimes income takes a lucky jump, but unless you learn to handle the responsibilities that come with it, it will usually shrink back to the amount you can handle.
If someone hands you a million dollars, you’d better hurry up and become a millionaire. A very rich man once said, “If you took all the money in the world and divided it equally among everybody, it would soon be back in the same pockets it was before.”
It is hard to keep that which has not been obtained through personal development.
So here’s the great axiom of life:
To have more than you’ve got, become more than you are.
This is where you should focus most of your attention. Otherwise, you just might have to contend with the axiom of not changing, which is:
Unless you change how you are, you’ll always have what you’ve got.
Until next time remember, YOU'RE HERE FOR A REASON and, whatever you do, always be sure to...
"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"
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