|
Be a happy human
Impress yourself. - Use your gifts. You will be most happy
when you totally immerse yourself in a challenge that is closely matched to your
abilities. In other words, you must set goals for yourself that you
are not truly sure whether or not you can achieve. You must point yourself
towards
places where you're not sure you can go, and then you must work hard and push to get
there. Whether you get there or not, you will still be able to walk away
the winner if you can truly say you are proud of your effort. With these
victories will come self confidence, and with each subsequent goal achieved,
that self confidence will continue to grow in a snowball like fashion, until you
have found the confidence and developed the tools you'll need to maximize the abilities and gifts you were
given. Self confidence has no equal, and you can not be truly happy
without it.
Swallow your pride - In your inter-personal relationships,
seek to do things to make the other person happy. Remember that
it's more important to do the right thing than to be right. Do
your best to defuse any argument by deciding if your position is really
worth fighting for. Be perfectly willing to admit that you're
wrong if that's the case. The words "I'm sorry" are some
of the most powerful in any language. Many relationships have suffered
needlessly because two people were unable to find the fortitude to utter those
two little words. Don't be foolish. Don't be prideful. A
sincere apology will make you a stronger person.
Be honest - every time - even when it's uncomfortable!
Especially in your dealings with others. So many times, when there
are hard feelings or a falling out between two parties, the whole thing
could have been avoided by being very honest and upfront at the
beginning of the interaction. Integrate this advice into all parts
of your life, and you'll very quickly see how much easier life will be -
at home - at work - everywhere.
Do the right thing - every time - even when it hurts, is uncomfortable,
or not in your best interests. Life is much easier when you aren't
constantly looking over your shoulder for the consequences of a bad or
dishonest decision. A clear conscience is something that you can't
get any other way.
Be kind to others - Do things for other people to let them know
that you're thinking about them. Even the smallest acts of
kindness have far reaching effects. Always keep your heart open and
be willing to take advantage of an opportunity to spread a little good
will. Good karma is a good thing.
Don't get burned over and over again by the same problem - When you experience a
difficulty in your life, work very hard to eliminate the problem from your
life once and for all. A good analogy would be - the first time you see an enemy aircraft, SHOOT IT DOWN!!!! Don't let
it keep flying over your head and dropping bombs. Far too many people live
their lives dealing with the same problems over and over because they
are too lazy or lack the fortitude to successfully eliminate the
recurring cause of the problems.
Don't be selfish - In the World today, it seems that an increasing
number of societal problems stem from the absolute selfishness and greed
that is so rampant today. This repulsive trend is actively
promoted and advocated by the media. -- TV, magazines, radio, etc... exist only to
convince you that the most important thing in life is to make money and accumulate
possessions. Parents spend very little quality time with their
children because they're too busy working to maintain and elevate their
societal status. Don't fall into the trap of having to live in the
poshest neighborhoods, drive the trendiest cars, wear the most
fashionable clothes, and send your kids to the right schools. That
kind of thinking is a form of enslavement.
Simplify and live below your means - Take the pressure off.
Live in a smaller house. Drive a paid for car. Get rid of
all your debt. Cook at home. Wear simple, practical
clothes. Don't even think of trying to keep up with the Jones'!
The feeling of freedom that will come is undeniable.
The fastest road to true misery is - Caring what other people think.
-- When you live your life worried about what others think, you make
yourself a servant to "group think". You are a slave, and your
happiness will always be dependant on the approval of others - therefore, you
are not in control. Live your own life, and have confidence in your
decisions. Throw off the weight of impressing others, and be truly happy.
Financially support God's work. Everything you have (talents,
possessions, gifts, etc...) is not yours, it was given to you by God, and your
possession of it should be used to glorify Him. By giving back
some of the resources that are so valuable to you, you're making an
affirmative statement to yourself and to God that you are committed to a
life based on the principles of Christianity.
Be a confident follower of God
Believe in God. Find the confidence - find the proof that
convinces you.
For each person, that proof may be something very different. Perhaps
for some people, it is the beauty and complexity of nature that convince them of
the existence of an unimaginably powerful Designer and Creator. Perhaps
others have taken all the proof they need from an event in their lives that defy
logic and all attempts at explanation by coincidence.
The power and purpose of God's Creation is on display all around you, day and
night, and to believe, all you have to do is look at this magnificent World with un-jaded eyes - eyes that
have stopped pretending to know everything - eyes that have realized that
mankind's confidence in the breadth and completeness of its' wisdom is
foolishness in itself, and has been repeatedly proven to be so - eyes that have
stopped looking around to see what other people think of you, and have started
looking inside you to ask why you don't feel complete - eyes that look to the
future for inspiration and not to the past for excuses - Courage is your friend,
and the status quo is your enemy.
Talk to God. - Pray. Thank God for your gifts, and try to use
them to the best of your ability - Realize everyday that the great things
in your life are on loan from God to be used by you to glorify Him. Your
intelligence? Your street smarts? Your supportive family? Your
financial resources? Your creative talents? Your wisdom? They
are all gifts to you, and you should constantly give thanks for those things, and
consistently use those things to bring you and others closer to God's
principles.
Pray aloud with your family - It is very important to take the
time and give God the respect that He deserves, and it is very important
in a family environment that children see a great importance is given to
praying. Make a point to pray before every meal, and don't be
afraid to let others see you do it. You have nothing to be ashamed
of, and besides, why do you care what they think?
Be a happy and successful Christian that influences
others
Many of us have had an experience where we've
encountered and listened to a "sidewalk preacher", who stands
on a corner or in a public square, waving his Bible and proclaiming that anyone who doesn't listen to him and believe what he says
will be going straight to Hell!
It is likely that this Christian stereotype has
done more to turn people off to the belief in God than any other.
For those who have decided to never seriously think
about whether or not they believe in God, it is highly unlikely that
they would choose to identify themselves with a group of people who seem
to them to be fanatical and just plain CRAZY.
Organized religion has done just as much to deter
regular people from a belief in God. Scandals of hypocrisy and
criminality have plagued organized religion since the beginning.
Human nature is a difficult thing to constrain - especially in an
environment where many members of the church seem to compete for the
highest level of piousness, and where money is controlled by men who are
revered as the "closest link to God".
We are all, however, human, and we all will make
mistakes. We all have innate desires to do things that we shouldn't.
Christians will sin, and this should not be seen as hypocrisy, but most of those
who prefer to not believe in God will see it as that.
What the World needs are examples of the Christian
life that they relate to. They need to see individuals and
families that remind them a little of themselves, living a confident and
fulfilled life, centered around the principles of God. In this
way, those who are seeking answers about a belief in God have a much
shorter journey of the mind to take, and are very likely to be more
comfortable about the idea of believing in God.
By living a life in which you are confident and
successful in your relationships, your occupation, your recreation, and
your religion, you can serve as a truly powerful example of the many
benefits of a life based on the principles of the Bible. Your
belief in God serves as an emotional, mental and spiritual anchor in a
World that seems to be working very hard to dislodge you from your
beliefs.
Others will see this, and they will want to
experience the peace and happiness that you have, through God.
If you are successful, you will certainly be much
more of a positive influence than the sidewalk preacher at convincing others that God
is real.
May God bless you all,
Mike and Kate
P.S. Impress Yourself !
|
