Getting Your Head Right about Life

Do the bugs on your windshield keep you from seeing the horizon?

I hear it every week in my work as a counselor...”I want to do better.” I want to feel better.” “I want to have more for my family.” “I am sick and tired of my past tripping me up.”

Why is it that so many people seem to be stuck? Could part of it be the fact that we, as a culture don’t want to take personal responsibility. Are we looking for just the right pill, the right therapist, book, church or job? Or, could it be that we have become encased in the negativity of the culture.

Did you know that there are four ingredients for success in any endeavor. Four simple principles that can change the course of your life. Dr. Tom Barrett, author of Dare to Dream, Work to Win, does an exceptional job of expanding on these basic ideas.

Ingredient # 1 - Determine what you want. Be very specific about what you want out of your business/ministry before you decide what you will put in it.

Measurable goals create focus, energy, and passion
A clear dream does at least two things:
It creates perspective
It develops perseverance

Ingredient # 2 - Decide what you are willing to reschedule or give up in order to get what you want. It is so important to be clear about what you want out of your business/ministry before you decide what you will put into it.

Ingredient # 3 - Associate with people who will help you get what you want.

Ingredient # 4 - Have a plan that works, then work the plan.
Now that we have the key ingredients lets mix them together. How do you blend these ingredients in a way that will product a positive impact in your life?

Learn what you need to do next!

Hug the Monster: Manage Your Fear

Dr. Charles Lowery, speaker and psychologist was doing a talk on overcoming fear a few years ago and in his talk he used the acrostic F.E.A.R.

F - Forget
E - Everything
A - And
R - Run

So true. When we experience fear a little almond shape part of our brain, the amygdala, fires up and gives is a couple of options. The first is to run, the second is to freeze.

In his book, The Survivor's Club, author Ben Sherwood investigates how humans survive various traumatic events. On page 227, the author gives a wonderful word picture.

"Without a doubt, fear is the most ancient, efficient, and effective security system in the world. Over many thousands of years, our magnificently wired brains have sensed, reacted, and then acted upon every imaginable threat. Practically speaking, when you manage fear, your chances improve in almost every situation. But if your alarm goes haywire, your odds plummet. For survival, then, here is the bottom line. If you are scared out of your mind, try to remember the Air Force Survival Schools mantra: Hug the Monster. Wrap your arms around fear, wrestle it under control, and turn it into a driving force in your plan of attack.

"Ours is not a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind."