bloggingfundamentals

Episode 8: Out of Comfort

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Neale Donald Walsch said “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” That statement seems to be more true today than at any other time in human history. With our faces buried in our phones, consuming a mental diet of electronic brainwashing and manipulation, we can get quite comfortable with our little spot in the world. After all, there isn’t much thinking needed to live a comfortable life. We are told what to think, what to watch, what’s “trending”, even what to eat. …

Episode 7:What Exactly Is This?

The simple answer is: I don’t know! And just as importantly, I don’t need to know!

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First things first… a little background about me. Not too long ago, I had a job that I loved more than anything. I think that was part of the reason I stood there four and a half years ago confused and baffled… devastated. It was more than a job. It was a calling; a mission. I was good at it! People loved me! I was a kids and youth pastor for 12 years. I didn’t know then but I do know now, I put that ministry before everything, even God himself! All in an attempt to feed my ego.

Episode 6: The Screwdriver

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As I glance at the clock in front of me, I see the seconds ticking by. It seems insignificant in the moment. What’s a few seconds? And in the grand plan of life, a few seconds will not change the course of a life. But string together a few seconds and then a few more and then a few more. If you expand this out and follow it logically, you will see that the seconds become minutes; the minutes become hours; hours become days… well I think you get where I’m going with this. If wasting seconds is a constant practice in your life then what eventually happens is that years of life get wasted. Time doesn’t stop. It continues to creep forward no matter what you do or fail to do. It is an impersonal reality that you can either master or serve. Remember this though: The choice is yours!

 

Are you moving with time or are you stuck? Are you stuck in the past with regrets of mistakes or things left undone? Maybe you’re stuck in the future, paralyzed by the “what ifs.’ Is the time that you should be working consumed with fear? Are you stuck in the present without clear direction?  Are you afraid to make a mistake because that biting criticism from the past is still lurking under the surface, waiting to take you down again?.

Make a choice: GET UNSTUCK!. Now! Stop allowing the time to aimlessly drift by while your goals and dreams fade into the sunset of this beautiful life you have been given. You were created to do and be more. Take hold of that truth. Embrace it and learn to recognize the wasted time. And most importantly, Do something about it.

A life of self-sufficient living requires you to become the master of your time. Sometimes it’s good to let the seconds drift by. In fact you should have a time every day where you do absolutely nothing. That is good… and healthy. Remember though what your objective is. You are trying to break free from the chains of a lost and dying world. You are learning to set yourself apart from the masses… those who aimlessly move through life, seeking comfort and pleasure. You are seeking to dismiss society as your source of dependence and turn towards God. The only way to do that is to become an efficient user of the hours in front of you. Get unstuck: Do something now!

Don’t let the next hour pass without you doing something to move you closer to your objective of freedom and independence. Do something no matter how small or unimportant it may seem in the moment. It will help you move in the right direction. I recently had a great experience with this concept and I want to share it with you. I have had trouble in the last few years keeping my garage organized.  I always intend to get it picked up and in order but I never did. I watched the clock tick by, unwilling to take action. I carried this seemingly unimportant burden with me, not realizing what It was doing to my God given destiny. I was very frustrated with my inability to take action.

Then, after listening to a podcast about a relevant topic, I decided to go out to the garage and put a screwdriver away. It felt good. I began to pick two things that I could do in the garage each day to move me closer to the objective. I began to develop momentum and over the course of about two weeks, the garage was organized. That momentum carried over to every single area of my life. All because I decided to stop watching the moments tic by and do something. You can do the same thing.

What will you commit to right now?

Now will be gone before you know it. Your chance to do something will fade into the past: What’s your something? What’s your screwdriver?

Time will continue to creep forward no matter what you do or fail to do. It is an impersonal reality that you can either master or serve. Remember this though: The Choice Is Yours!

Don’t let time pass without you doing something to move you closer to your objective of freedom and independence.

Thanks for joining me at renewed2win. Remember, maybe everything you have ever believed doesn’t actually matter to what is truly real.

Michael at R2W

Episode 5: Success

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We learn to walk by the time we are one; we learn to ride a bike by the time we’re six, about the same time, we are starting school. We learn to drive by the time we are sixteen.  We get married, have kids and then retire.  We do this, most of us anyway, without learning about success.  I’m talking about real success. Most of us have learned society’s version of success and that is precisely why we are unhappy and unfulfilled.  Of true success, we know very little or even nothing at all.  Many of us never learn what success is and what it isn’t.  We don’t understand what failure is or what it isn’t. 

Episode 3: Random Thoughts on Health

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I was out early this morning walking the dog. While out, I was thinking of what the next episode was going to be about. I came up with four random thoughts on health which if applied in your life will help to lift your life to a new level of success. So here they are:

Some of these ideas may seem like common sense to you, some of them you may not have thought of.  I throw them out to you now, as ideas you can use and work on, to help you in your pursuit of physical health and success.     

The first one is to avoid drugs and alcohol.  At their worst they cause broken families, broken lives and much pain.  At their best they cause drowsiness and lack of ambition.  “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints?  Who has needless bruises?  Who has bloodshot eyes?  Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.  Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly!  In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper.  Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind will imagine confusing things.  You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging.  ‘They hit me,’ you will say, ‘but I’m not hurt!  They beat me, but I don’t feel it!  When will I wake up so I can find another drink?'”xcii 

Episode 2: How To Bring Out The Best In Others 

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As every successful person understands, achieving one’s own objective is simply not enough. Sooner or later, you realize that there is more to life than just achieving your own objectives. One of life’s greatest challenges and most rewarding responsibilities is to continually encourage others to live up to their potential! Regardless of if you are a business leader, friend, parent or spouse, one of the most important obligations you have is to lift others to new levels of success and help them live to their potential. If done properly, this can be made into a winning situation for all involved.   

The High Standards Required of Spiritual Warriors

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The standards required of spiritual warriors are much different than the standards of ordinary people. The common practice among Christians today is to drag yourself to church on Sunday morning and then live in turmoil the rest of the week. For the spiritual warrior, though it is different. We know that the chosen life is about much more than going to church for an hour a week and then walking out the door and forgetting about it for another week.

Communication with Yourself 

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This is a very important aspect of communication that most people rarely think of, or tend to miss altogether, but you need to take care of you! When you take care of you, it becomes much easier to take care of and help the other people around you. You begin to value yourself and therefore begin to value those around you more. If you have ever been on an airplane, during the pre-flight safety demonstrations, there is a reason they tell you that if the oxygen masks are deployed, that you should put yours on first. If you start by putting on your children’s mask, or trying to help others around you, there’s a good chance that you will get panicky or lose control.  By not taking care of yourself first, you become useless to everyone and won’t be able to help anyone. On the other hand, if you put your mask on first, you will remain calm and relaxed; therefore, you will be better able to serve and help those around you. This is not an invitation to be selfish and neglectful of others, using the excuse that you have to take care of yourself first; but if you are practicing the rest of this program, that will not be an issue, you will instinctively know what to do.

Things To Remember While Pursuing Success 

There are several things I ask you to keep in mind as you are learning to grasp this new concept of success.  These tips will help you to thoroughly evaluate where you stand with regards to real success in your life.  Some of them have been mentioned already and all of them will be mentioned again.   

The first thing to remember is that “experts” complicate things.  This is not to say that you shouldn’t seek help or ask for guidance when you need it.  I think seeking advice is very important.  Plans are established by seeking advice…”ix  I am saying you should ask people who are getting the results you are seeking.  Don’t ask someone simply because they are an “expert.”  Also, don’t avoid asking someone, simply because they are not formally educated on a topic. I remember when I used to pay hundreds of dollars to have the brakes done on my car.  The mechanic would make the procedure sound difficult and complicated.  Then one day, without enough money to get a much-needed brake job, I decided to do some research.  What I found was how amazingly simple doing a brake job is.  If you can change a tire you can fix your brakes.x  I have since saved thousands of dollars because I stopped relying on “the experts.”