"Our past are the stories that exist only in our minds, but our future are the stories that exist only in our hearts."--Angela Carr Patterson
All of us have these stories swarming around in our minds. Stories of rejection, stories of betrayal, stories of abuse and stories of fear. But are they really real? They become real as long as we continue to give them life. We give them life when we continue to remember them, to talk about them, and to re-experience them. And when we continue to give these stories life, we re-create them in our lives as well.
It's time that we begin to tell a new story. The stories that we carry within our hearts. Those are the stories that each of us want to create in our lives. Stories of forgiveness, stories of hope, stories of renewal, stories of abundance and stories of love. Our love stories.
As a Fatherless Daughter or a woman who grew up without her daddy playing a "real and significant role in her life, it can become difficult to tell new stories. Not having daddy to contribute in our lives can leave a void and an emptiness that we spend a lifetime trying to fill through creating a world of "false power." This false power can come in the form of relationships, career, businesses, clothes, cars, jewelry, money, food, drugs/alcohol and even religion.
We try to fill our lives with these things, thinking they will help us replace the old stories. But as long as we don't learn how to release the old stories, we cannot tell new ones and nothing in our lives will change. The only way to begin telling new stories, the ones that live in our hearts, is to release the stories that still exist in our minds. There are 3 simple steps we can do to begin creating a new story.
1. Change Your Mind.
The stories that remain in our minds are the ones that entered there based on experiences from our past. These experiences have formed beliefs systems that are controlling our current lives. If you want to know what your beliefs are, take a look at your current life’s circumstances. They are all a direct reflections of what you are believing. But at any moment you can begin to change your mind. You don’t have to believe that you will never amount to anything. You don’t have to believe that no one will ever love you. You don’t have to believe that you will never be financially wealthy. You can change your mind by replacing those beliefs with new ones. The ones that live loud in your heart. The ones that say, you are loved and you are lovable. The beliefs that say you can live your dreams and you can have, you can do, and you can be anything you want in life. Begin reading new books, begin taking new courses, begin going to new seminars. Saturate your mind with new beliefs.
2. Change Your Company.
Who do you spending most of your time with? In order to begin telling a new story, you have to surround yourself with people who are telling the same stories. They are people who tell stories of hope, renewal, abundance and joy. It has been proven that who you spend your most time around influences your thoughts, your choices and your actions. It may be time to take a good look at the company you have been keeping and change it now. Begin creating you a new supporting cast of people who will encourage and empower your life.
3.Change Your Talk
Our words shape our lives. What are you saying? Are you talking your life into a continuous rut? Your words have power. But not just any words. The words we speak from our hearts are the ones that have the most power. What does your heart say? Your heart will always speak love and life into existence. Why? Because, your heart is where God lives. Begin speaking from your deeper voice. The Voice of God will fill your mouth with words that bring abundance, joy, and love into your life. Be sensitive to this Voice and only speak that which you hear from Him. As you change your talk and speak “heart words,” your life will begin to take on a new story of its own.
We do have the power to change our stories. It is not an option any longer. It’s time for all of us to tell new stories in order to have a new life and in order to create a new world. We want to hear from you.. Share your new story below by writing a few short sentences. Your story will inspire others, so let’s share.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Create a Space for Love Today....
It's Valentine's Day!
For many people Valentine's Day is a time to show your significant other just how much you really love and care for him. But for many people who do not have a significant other, this can be a very difficult time. And of course the all the retail stores are smiling all the way to the bank.
While this day has become so commercialized and really is designed for a large population of people to make lots of money on people who are in love, it doesn't have to be a day of gloom and doom for those without a mate.
As we celebrate this day, it is the perfect time to focus on love...but not just romantic love. Why not use this day as a time to focus on what love can do for our world?
Of course we all want to be romanced and swept off our feet, showered with wonderful gifts. Yet, we can never ignore the fact that God has called each of us to bring love to the planet. So why not do something different this Valentine's Day? I have come up with 3 unique things you can do to celebrate Valentine's Day differently:
1. The money you would have spent on a gift, use it to purchase some items that are needed for the local battered women's shelter. Many of these women don't even have basics, such as underwear and socks.
2. Instead of going out to dinner, donate some items to the local food bank. The number of people they now served has doubled and in some cases trippled in the past two years.
3. The money you would have used to purchased a Valentine's card, why not purchase a "Thinking About You" card for a friend who may be going through a difficult time and need some encouragement.
I can assure you, that if you take your focus off of what you don't have and who you are not spending Valentine's Day with, and place your focus on making a contribution of "Real Agape Love" to the planet, the love you desire will surely begin to make it's way to your doorstep...sooner than you think. Because only what you are not giving in any situation is missing. It just happens to work that way.
For many people Valentine's Day is a time to show your significant other just how much you really love and care for him. But for many people who do not have a significant other, this can be a very difficult time. And of course the all the retail stores are smiling all the way to the bank.
While this day has become so commercialized and really is designed for a large population of people to make lots of money on people who are in love, it doesn't have to be a day of gloom and doom for those without a mate.
As we celebrate this day, it is the perfect time to focus on love...but not just romantic love. Why not use this day as a time to focus on what love can do for our world?
Of course we all want to be romanced and swept off our feet, showered with wonderful gifts. Yet, we can never ignore the fact that God has called each of us to bring love to the planet. So why not do something different this Valentine's Day? I have come up with 3 unique things you can do to celebrate Valentine's Day differently:
1. The money you would have spent on a gift, use it to purchase some items that are needed for the local battered women's shelter. Many of these women don't even have basics, such as underwear and socks.
2. Instead of going out to dinner, donate some items to the local food bank. The number of people they now served has doubled and in some cases trippled in the past two years.
3. The money you would have used to purchased a Valentine's card, why not purchase a "Thinking About You" card for a friend who may be going through a difficult time and need some encouragement.
I can assure you, that if you take your focus off of what you don't have and who you are not spending Valentine's Day with, and place your focus on making a contribution of "Real Agape Love" to the planet, the love you desire will surely begin to make it's way to your doorstep...sooner than you think. Because only what you are not giving in any situation is missing. It just happens to work that way.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Are You a Champion?
How is 2011 working out for you? Are you still excited about making this your best year ever? Or are you starting to lose your momentum because of the challenges and obstacles that are showing up?
If you are starting to slow down, I want to remind you that these challenges are not meant to create failure for you, but they are meant to strengthen you and help you to grow.
Often times, when things begin to get hard or difficult, we start to question whether are not we are doing the right thing. I’m here to tell you that sometimes doing the right thing will be met with challenges.
It takes courage to walk through in the midst of and inspite of the difficulties. That’s how champions are made. Champions are folks who understand their reasons for going for the goal and are steadfast, unmovable in their pursuit.
I want to share with you four distinct traits that separates a champion from everyone else.
1. Champions have a burning desire to succeed.
Champions not only have goals, but they ardently desire them. Robert Collier, summed up the idea of desire beautifully in his 1926 self-help classic Secret of the Ages." He said, "Very few people know how to desire with sufficient intensity. They do not know what it is to feel and manifest that intense, eager, longing, craving, insistent, demanding, ravenous desire which is akin to the persistent, insistent, ardent, overwhelming desire of the drowning man for a breath of air, or a desert-lost man for a drink of water, or the famished man for bread and meat." Champions have burning desire. They want it and they want it badly.
2. Champions are persistent.
Champions never, ever quit. Thomas Edison was the epitome of persistence: He conducted 10,000 experiments before finally finding a filament that would burn in the electric light bulb. Champions approach their goals with the same diligence of an Edison. They know that if they persist long enough, eventually they must succeed.
3. Champions learn from their failures.
Champions don't view losses as failures, they see them as learning experiences. When asked how it felt to fail 10,000 times, Thomas Edison replied, "I didn’t fail, I learned 9,999 ways that wouldn’t work." Champions know that they haven’t failed until they quit; but once they quit, then they have failed. A champion finds a lesson in every apparent loss and finds ways to grow from it.
Champions have incredible powers of focus and
concentration.
Champions set goals and then maintain a laser-like focus on them. They have the ability to always keep the long term objective in their sights while focusing 100% on what they are doing at the moment. If you watch a champion train you will notice that they are completely oblivious to their surroundings. 100% of their focus and concentration is on what they are doing. They almost appear to have slipped into a hypnosis-like trance. This peak physiological and psychological state has often been referred to as being in "the zone" or being in "flow." Champions can access this state instantly at will. When it comes time to train they turn everything else off and zero in on what they are doing. Are you focused or do you allow distractions to take you off course. Champions have laser focus.
Remember, Champions are not born, they are made!!
We would love to hear from you about this post. Please leave your comment below.
If you are starting to slow down, I want to remind you that these challenges are not meant to create failure for you, but they are meant to strengthen you and help you to grow.
Often times, when things begin to get hard or difficult, we start to question whether are not we are doing the right thing. I’m here to tell you that sometimes doing the right thing will be met with challenges.
It takes courage to walk through in the midst of and inspite of the difficulties. That’s how champions are made. Champions are folks who understand their reasons for going for the goal and are steadfast, unmovable in their pursuit.
I want to share with you four distinct traits that separates a champion from everyone else.
1. Champions have a burning desire to succeed.
Champions not only have goals, but they ardently desire them. Robert Collier, summed up the idea of desire beautifully in his 1926 self-help classic Secret of the Ages." He said, "Very few people know how to desire with sufficient intensity. They do not know what it is to feel and manifest that intense, eager, longing, craving, insistent, demanding, ravenous desire which is akin to the persistent, insistent, ardent, overwhelming desire of the drowning man for a breath of air, or a desert-lost man for a drink of water, or the famished man for bread and meat." Champions have burning desire. They want it and they want it badly.
2. Champions are persistent.
Champions never, ever quit. Thomas Edison was the epitome of persistence: He conducted 10,000 experiments before finally finding a filament that would burn in the electric light bulb. Champions approach their goals with the same diligence of an Edison. They know that if they persist long enough, eventually they must succeed.
3. Champions learn from their failures.
Champions don't view losses as failures, they see them as learning experiences. When asked how it felt to fail 10,000 times, Thomas Edison replied, "I didn’t fail, I learned 9,999 ways that wouldn’t work." Champions know that they haven’t failed until they quit; but once they quit, then they have failed. A champion finds a lesson in every apparent loss and finds ways to grow from it.
Champions have incredible powers of focus and
concentration.
Champions set goals and then maintain a laser-like focus on them. They have the ability to always keep the long term objective in their sights while focusing 100% on what they are doing at the moment. If you watch a champion train you will notice that they are completely oblivious to their surroundings. 100% of their focus and concentration is on what they are doing. They almost appear to have slipped into a hypnosis-like trance. This peak physiological and psychological state has often been referred to as being in "the zone" or being in "flow." Champions can access this state instantly at will. When it comes time to train they turn everything else off and zero in on what they are doing. Are you focused or do you allow distractions to take you off course. Champions have laser focus.
Remember, Champions are not born, they are made!!
We would love to hear from you about this post. Please leave your comment below.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Why Are You Still Sitting?
I was sitting in church on yesterday and as I listened to my Pastor speak about the story of Jonah, I was compelled to share with you the lesson I learned from his message. His message was taken from the book of "Jonah," in the Bible.
God gave Jonah an assignment to go to a specific place and share a specific message with a specific group of people, who were in a troubled place. In business we call this "your niche and your ideal client:...providing solution for their problems. I like to think of it as "your purpose and vision." Instead of Jonah accepting the assignment on his life and obeying the Voice of God, he ran away to another city called Tarsus and hid.
I began to think back to how many people know somewhere in their deeper parts that God has placed them on the earth with a specific assignment, to share a specific message with a specific group of people? Yet these same people are hiding themselves behind excuses such as, I don't have time because I still work a full time job; I will get started when I get my website up and running; I will do it when I learn how to master social media or I will get started when I get the money.
When Jonah went to Tarsus and hid, there were consequences for his disobedience to God. He found himself in the belly of a fish. He was in a place of deep dark despair. Nothing changed for Jonah, until he relinquished his own agenda and took on God's agenda for his life.
Just like nothing will change for you until you discover that thing God has called and assigned you to do in life. Nothing will change for you until you stop hiding and take action.
There were people in Nineveh who were heading for destruction and God called Jonah to go and speak to them. There are people whose lives are filled with despair and it will not change until you go to share with them what God has given to you. God will fill your mouth with wisdom and witty inventions, programs, products, services and ideas. These talents and gifts that you possess will change lives. But they can't change lives until you take action.
Not only will nothing change for you, think of the many peoples whose lives will not get better because you refuse to take action. God has an assignment for you. Your assignment can keep others from being destroyed...so why are you still sitting?
God gave Jonah an assignment to go to a specific place and share a specific message with a specific group of people, who were in a troubled place. In business we call this "your niche and your ideal client:...providing solution for their problems. I like to think of it as "your purpose and vision." Instead of Jonah accepting the assignment on his life and obeying the Voice of God, he ran away to another city called Tarsus and hid.
I began to think back to how many people know somewhere in their deeper parts that God has placed them on the earth with a specific assignment, to share a specific message with a specific group of people? Yet these same people are hiding themselves behind excuses such as, I don't have time because I still work a full time job; I will get started when I get my website up and running; I will do it when I learn how to master social media or I will get started when I get the money.
When Jonah went to Tarsus and hid, there were consequences for his disobedience to God. He found himself in the belly of a fish. He was in a place of deep dark despair. Nothing changed for Jonah, until he relinquished his own agenda and took on God's agenda for his life.
Just like nothing will change for you until you discover that thing God has called and assigned you to do in life. Nothing will change for you until you stop hiding and take action.
There were people in Nineveh who were heading for destruction and God called Jonah to go and speak to them. There are people whose lives are filled with despair and it will not change until you go to share with them what God has given to you. God will fill your mouth with wisdom and witty inventions, programs, products, services and ideas. These talents and gifts that you possess will change lives. But they can't change lives until you take action.
Not only will nothing change for you, think of the many peoples whose lives will not get better because you refuse to take action. God has an assignment for you. Your assignment can keep others from being destroyed...so why are you still sitting?
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
When Life Gets Distracted.
How are your New Year’s resolutions going? Often times we make New Year’s resolutions and before the end of January we become distracted. Something usually shows up in our lives to get us off track and move us away from our desired journey.
It's a fact that our lives will be interrupted by distractions, yet we do not have to allow the distractions to move us away from our goals and dreams. So how do we stay on track and not allow distractions to get us off course? I want to share with you 3 things you can do to manage the distractions in your life.
1. Take ownership of your time. You are the only who can allow distractions to get you off course. When all is said and done, you own your time. You can decide not to take that call, you can decide to turn the television off, and you can choose to turn the computer off. You can also choose to exercise everyday and you can choose to write that book for 30 minutes each day. We give into outside distractions because we have not made taken ownership of our time.
Perhaps your girlfriend needs you to do a favor, but you have already scheduled that time for your daily walk. If you cannot schedule your walk before you render the favor, then you have no choice but to say “no.” “No” is not a bad word and for many of you it will become a necessary word to use during this time. Remember, you are the only one who has the power to change your life. Take ownership of your time and exercise your power to choose.
2. Raise Your Level of Happiness. Happiness is a mood or a feeling. But this feeling has proven to help us become more productive, more giving and offers us a sense of overall well being. What are the things that make you happy? Begin adding those things into your life on a daily basis and you will find it easier to remain focused and stay on track. Raising your level of happiness will also serve as an inspiration to you personally, as you take on new tasks that may not be comfortable for you. For example, one of your new year’s resolutions is to exercise more. When your level of happiness is up, you will tackle that treadmill with no problem and perhaps do even more time on it. Each morning when you awaken, you want to purpose to be happy. Find something to do first thing in the morning that raises your level of happiness and then throughout your day, reflect back there to keep your happiness level up. You will find that doing this simple exercise will make staying on track easy.
3. Find Your Supporting Cast. It doesn’t matter how small your New Year’s resolution is, you will need an accountability partner to help you stay on track and eliminate distractions. I will always have life coaches/mentors because they help me eliminate distractions and remain on course. An accountability partner can see things that you may not be aware of and show you a different perspective.
Remember you were not created to be alone. You were created for connection. Be sure this person is committed to helping you on this journey and that they also are not hindered by distractions. They cannot help you do something they have not mastered.
I know life can sometimes be fraught with difficulties and distractions. This happens to all of us. But you don't have to allow these distractions to take you off course or to steal your dreams. Don't allow your distractions to become the dream snatchers in your life. Remember, you own your time, and you can at any moment choose to be happy and know that someone is ready to help you and support you on your journey. Live You’re Dreams…Now!!
Leave us a comment below, we want to hear how this blog has helped you.
It's a fact that our lives will be interrupted by distractions, yet we do not have to allow the distractions to move us away from our goals and dreams. So how do we stay on track and not allow distractions to get us off course? I want to share with you 3 things you can do to manage the distractions in your life.
1. Take ownership of your time. You are the only who can allow distractions to get you off course. When all is said and done, you own your time. You can decide not to take that call, you can decide to turn the television off, and you can choose to turn the computer off. You can also choose to exercise everyday and you can choose to write that book for 30 minutes each day. We give into outside distractions because we have not made taken ownership of our time.
Perhaps your girlfriend needs you to do a favor, but you have already scheduled that time for your daily walk. If you cannot schedule your walk before you render the favor, then you have no choice but to say “no.” “No” is not a bad word and for many of you it will become a necessary word to use during this time. Remember, you are the only one who has the power to change your life. Take ownership of your time and exercise your power to choose.
2. Raise Your Level of Happiness. Happiness is a mood or a feeling. But this feeling has proven to help us become more productive, more giving and offers us a sense of overall well being. What are the things that make you happy? Begin adding those things into your life on a daily basis and you will find it easier to remain focused and stay on track. Raising your level of happiness will also serve as an inspiration to you personally, as you take on new tasks that may not be comfortable for you. For example, one of your new year’s resolutions is to exercise more. When your level of happiness is up, you will tackle that treadmill with no problem and perhaps do even more time on it. Each morning when you awaken, you want to purpose to be happy. Find something to do first thing in the morning that raises your level of happiness and then throughout your day, reflect back there to keep your happiness level up. You will find that doing this simple exercise will make staying on track easy.
3. Find Your Supporting Cast. It doesn’t matter how small your New Year’s resolution is, you will need an accountability partner to help you stay on track and eliminate distractions. I will always have life coaches/mentors because they help me eliminate distractions and remain on course. An accountability partner can see things that you may not be aware of and show you a different perspective.
Remember you were not created to be alone. You were created for connection. Be sure this person is committed to helping you on this journey and that they also are not hindered by distractions. They cannot help you do something they have not mastered.
I know life can sometimes be fraught with difficulties and distractions. This happens to all of us. But you don't have to allow these distractions to take you off course or to steal your dreams. Don't allow your distractions to become the dream snatchers in your life. Remember, you own your time, and you can at any moment choose to be happy and know that someone is ready to help you and support you on your journey. Live You’re Dreams…Now!!
Leave us a comment below, we want to hear how this blog has helped you.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Reposition Yourself for The Game of Life
My husband was glued to the television this past weekend watching the football and basketball games. It was a weekend of sheer joy for him and my father. They are both huge sports fans and I have learned to go with the flow. During one of the football games, I watched as the quarterback passed the ball to the running back in one of the plays. Now the goal of football is to move this ball into the end zone for a touch down. But there were a lot of things that had to take place before repositioning this ball into the end zone.
1. There had to be a coach that would help the players come up with plays to run in order to move the ball into the end zone.
2. There were certain players that needed to be in position before the play could be executed and they also needed to know when and how to change their positions as the ball got closer to the end zone.
3. But throughout the game, the players had to communicate constantly with their coach and with each other in order to know when to execute certain moves.
After observing this, the Lord began show me how this relates to the game of life and what we must know in order to win.
What We Must Know!!
If we are going to win in 2011, we must have a game plan. We must know how and when to move toward our goals. It is important that we spend some time in prayer and sometime writing out our dream plan for 2011. When we pray to God for the plan for our life, we cannot go wrong, because God knows the plan He has for our lives. When you receive this plan, you must write it out in detail. You cannot hit a target you can't see. This dream plan serves as a road map to help us stay on track and on task as we move through the year.
We must have a coach/mentor to help us create this game plan and to be with us to walk us through each play and hold us accountable to reaching the goal. The Ultimate Coach is God. God knows exactly how to open doors and create unlimited opportunities for you. But you must be in the right position to hear and to know what actions to take next. That's why it is very important to remain in constant prayer in order to know what to do and how to do it.
We must have players as our supporting cast to help us carry out the plan, to run interference for us and to protect us. You cannot play the game of life as a loner. You will need help. Whatever you do, find yourself a supporting cast of trusted people to help you carry out the plan. I would highly recommend a mentor or life coach as one of your supporting cast members. These folks can help you see things that you would not ordinary be able to see. They will be there to support you on your journey.
In summary, the game could not be won if the ball had not been moved into the end zone enough times to out score the other team. It took the entire offensive and defensive teams working together, repositioning themselves in order to take the ball to the end zone. Just as it took the entire team, it will take all of the above in order to score in the game of life. If one of these elements are missing, we could lose in this game.
I want to encourage you to began repositioning yourself for success today. Call upon the Ultimate Coach, get your plan and write it out, assemble your supporting cast and move into the zone...the zone of success and abundance today!!
We want to hear your thoughts on the above blog. Please post your comments below.
I
1. There had to be a coach that would help the players come up with plays to run in order to move the ball into the end zone.
2. There were certain players that needed to be in position before the play could be executed and they also needed to know when and how to change their positions as the ball got closer to the end zone.
3. But throughout the game, the players had to communicate constantly with their coach and with each other in order to know when to execute certain moves.
After observing this, the Lord began show me how this relates to the game of life and what we must know in order to win.
What We Must Know!!
If we are going to win in 2011, we must have a game plan. We must know how and when to move toward our goals. It is important that we spend some time in prayer and sometime writing out our dream plan for 2011. When we pray to God for the plan for our life, we cannot go wrong, because God knows the plan He has for our lives. When you receive this plan, you must write it out in detail. You cannot hit a target you can't see. This dream plan serves as a road map to help us stay on track and on task as we move through the year.
We must have a coach/mentor to help us create this game plan and to be with us to walk us through each play and hold us accountable to reaching the goal. The Ultimate Coach is God. God knows exactly how to open doors and create unlimited opportunities for you. But you must be in the right position to hear and to know what actions to take next. That's why it is very important to remain in constant prayer in order to know what to do and how to do it.
We must have players as our supporting cast to help us carry out the plan, to run interference for us and to protect us. You cannot play the game of life as a loner. You will need help. Whatever you do, find yourself a supporting cast of trusted people to help you carry out the plan. I would highly recommend a mentor or life coach as one of your supporting cast members. These folks can help you see things that you would not ordinary be able to see. They will be there to support you on your journey.
In summary, the game could not be won if the ball had not been moved into the end zone enough times to out score the other team. It took the entire offensive and defensive teams working together, repositioning themselves in order to take the ball to the end zone. Just as it took the entire team, it will take all of the above in order to score in the game of life. If one of these elements are missing, we could lose in this game.
I want to encourage you to began repositioning yourself for success today. Call upon the Ultimate Coach, get your plan and write it out, assemble your supporting cast and move into the zone...the zone of success and abundance today!!
We want to hear your thoughts on the above blog. Please post your comments below.
I
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