Stop being idle – "Fools fold their idle hands, leading them to ruin" Ecclesiastes 4:5 NLT. Being idle makes you think too much... Some thinking is always a good thing but dwelling is not, you’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place. Evaluate situations and take decisive action yes but stop dwelling on the things you don't like or those things that cause you worry. In the words of Paul the Apostle "... Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise" Philippians 4:8 NLT.
Stop thinking you’re not ready – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. You cannot change what you refuse to confront. Making progress involves risk. Period! You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first. Most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zone, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first and that's great! It's never comfortable to get up, walk across the room to initiate conversation with someone you think would like to start a friendship with but a year down the road when that friend is supporting you through a dark time in your life those first steps taken in spite of fear become worth every second of the "uncomfortable" and more.
Stop Running yourself ragged – The time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it. If you're stressed and tired it's okay, we all feel that way sometimes... So listen, if you have plans tonight delay them by an hour just say "something needs my immediate attention, can we reschedule an hour later?" and take a long bath, sit in a quiet room, nap or eat something ridiculously fattening... Breathe. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting... Worn down and even if you reach your goal you won't be able to enjoy it fully.
Stop overlooking the beauty of small – Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things. We get so overwhelmed and busy at times we forget to notice the masterpiece of a sunset God just finished painting in the sky to remind you of his love or the way a loved one looks past the frazzled hair and tires eyes into the soul of who you are... Don't miss any of it. Just take time to appreciate the sparkle in some one's eye when they look at you, look up at that sunset and see God's love and compassion, you'll be surprised how much better you will feel! The best portion of your life will be in the small, nameless moments you spend appreciating.
Stop trying to make things perfect – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things actually keep trying. Furthermore, nothing is ever perfect... But sometimes the imperfections come together in a way that makes us gasp for breath at the beauty before us.
 |
| Because every step is a step worth taking. |
Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn’t – It’s okay to fall apart for a little while. It's okay to admit you're wrong... It's definitely okay to apologize to someone! You don’t always have to pretend to be strong or right and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well. Cry if you need to, it’s healthier to leak some tears that to pack it all up inside and eventually explode in anger. The sooner you take a minute to be "not okay," the sooner you will be okay again.
Stop worrying – Worry will not strip tomorrow of its burdens, it will strip today of its joy. Why is it when things are going well we have that nagging thought in the back of our mind "nothing lasts forever" but when something seems to be going wrong that thought pattern changes into "things will never be right again?" Don't torture yourself! Someone once told me "if you worry you don't trust God." I hated hearing that, it still rubs me the wrong way because I tend to be an over-analyzer and thus a worry wart... But the thing about that statement I hate most is it's truth. If I ask my friend to order me a burger with extra mayonnaise and pickles but I worry the whole time they are in line that they won't get it right then I don't really trust them to take care of it in the first place... And if I send them a text or two saying "just making sure you don't forget extra mayo & pickles... Thought it would be easier if you have it in front of you!" then they will know I don't trust them and possibly through implication think I believe they are incompetent... And those two conclusions would be perfectly justified. Don't make God question how you feel about His competence with regards to your life, if he can hang the stars in the sky and keep us all walking around on this Earth through the laws of gravity, He's definitely got your life in control.
No comments:
Post a Comment