Category Archives: Character

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10 Decisions that will transform your life to make you truly happy

Have you ever gotten ‘fed up’ with the way things are going for you to the point where you finally just said you’ve had it?

Why not take stock today of some things that need to change?

Why not decide today to intentionally work on some personal habits that are guaranteed to make you a happier person?

Are you willing to Stop the self-destructive things to regain your joy?
1. Stop making excuses: If you are really serious about reclaiming your legacy then you have to realize that you’re entering the realm where you know good and well that NO EXCUSES ever fly! Why do we come up with excuses? Because they deceive us into thinking they are easier than actually achieving our goals. But excuses are just a waste of time, and we know it.

What draws us into a negative path? Rather than growing and working on improving ourselves, we get stuck, lying to ourselves.  We use all kind of excuses.  And 99.9% of those excuses are not even real.

2. Stop the blame game: When you blame others for what you don’t have or for what happens to you, you actually give your power away. Life should never be only about what happens to you.  How are you going to handle the situations in your life?  Only you can make the choice to take right actions.

3. Stop your resistance to change: Change is good. Change will help you make improvements in your life.  Working with change you can also help lives of those around you.  Embrace change – don’t resist it. There is a great book:Who Moved my Cheese by Spencer Johnson – read it!

4.  Stop complaining: You are the only person responsible for your attitude and your reactions to things! So stop complaining about people – You can’t change them.  Stop complaining about events – they happen to everyone.  Situations can only make you sad, angry and bitter when YOU allow them to. No one wants to be around someone who constantly complains.

5. Stop trying to impress others: Stop trying so hard to be something or somebody that you’re not… especially if you’re doing it just to make others like you. It doesn’t work anyway. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take off all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.  Not all people… of course.  Just the people who you really want to connect with anyway.

6. Stop being a control freak:  Yeah, sure… I know this is hard, but when you are willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you, miracles seem to happen.  Situations, events, and people – Whether they are loved ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street – all these things are out of your control.  Admit it.  Just allow them to be.  Your stress level decreases tremendously.

7. Stop the criticism:  For some of us who tend to be perfectionists this is hard… but there’s wisdom in the old saying: “If you don’t have anything nice to say about someone, don’t say anything at all.”  Give up your need to criticize things, events or people that are different than you. Everybody wants to be happy.  We all want to love and be loved… and we all want to be understood.  So why not practice the habit of highly effective people that Stephen Covey talks about in his book: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

8: Stop Judging: Stop judging people, things and events just because you don’t understand them. Just because something seems “weird” or different does not mean it is bad or wrong.  If you need to help your kids understand good judgment in a discussion that’s fine, but you don’t need to get into a personal ‘issue’ over what you disagree about.  Let God judge them.  Let go of it and let God handle it.

9: Stop with the need to always be right: There are too many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right.  We do this even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. It’s just not worth it. Whenever you feel the ‘urgent’ need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question: “Would I rather be right, or would I rather be happy?”

10. Stop trying to live your life up to other people’s expectations: Way too many of us are living a life that is not true to our own personal calling and purpose.  When we try to live our life according to what others think is best for us, we develop all sorts of inner tension and frustration. Some people spend their whole life trying to live according to what their parents think is best for them.  What a shame to allow what your friends, or even your enemies think is best for you to control your decisions!  For way too many men and women, the popular media has projected a false reality that they try to live out.

Don’t ignore the inner voice of conscience and the inspiration of your Creator to guide you.  Remember “Desire” and “inspire.”   Remember your inner calling. We are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people’s expectations, that we lose control over our lives and forget what makes us happy, what we really want, what we really need.  We all have just one life to live. Own it.  Don’t let other people’s opinions mislead you.

I can honestly share with you, since I have made a conscious effort to stop all of the behaviors above, I have never been happier. And when I see myself slip – I acknowledge that behavior and work on adjusting my thought process.

Remember we cannot change, fix and improve on what we have not yet acknowledged.

So if you need it (and who doesn’t?), find an accountability partner who has your permission to call you out when you slip. This way you can reflect on what made you say or act in a certain way. The more aware you are of your actions, the easier and faster you can improve them.

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Let’s Teach our Kids the Ant Philosophy

By Dennis Petersen

 

I heard about how Jim Rohn, the well-known business trainer, taught about a very simple yet powerful concept – the ant philosophy.  The Bible teaches the wisdom of observing the humble ant and learning her ways.  Maybe we should all talk with each other from time to time about the characteristic of ants that should apply to our own lives as humans.

Do we value success?  Survival?  Community?  Progress?  Accomplishment?  Overcoming obstacles?  Endurance?  Resourcefulness?

What other values can you think of and why everybody should study ants?

Consider the simplicity of Four Basic Principles seen in the behavior of ants.

Principle Number One: ants never quit.

Can you think of some advantages of this kind of attitude?

If ants are going somewhere and you try to stop them; they’ll find another way, won’t they?  Working together or all alone, have you noticed that ants are determined to do whatever it takes to get where they want to go?  They’ll climb over, they’ll climb under, and they’ll climb around.  Nothing seems to stand in their way of finding the solution to every barricade you can throw at them.  They will find another way. Count on it.

Not a bad core value if you’re an ant or a person with a passion for living… is it?  Do you reckon this kind of persistence is worth brushing off and determining for yourself?  Never quit looking for a way to get where you’re supposed to go.

Principle Number Two: ants think winter all summer.

Now here’s a pretty energizing perspective.

You can’t be so naive to think summer will last forever.

Comfortable climate is no time to relax.  You know winter is coming.  The question is, “are you committed to do what it takes?”  Are you committed to the discipline of preparation?  Working hard in the summers of life will keep you from starving in the slow going winters when resources are sparse and conditions are more challenging.

Resist the temptation to join the partiers in their carefree summer flings.  Take some time for refreshment and pleasure but be careful not to overdo it.  Summer is no time to kick back.  The ants are showing us the way if we’ll only pay attention.

Be reminded that summertime can fool you.  If you’re not thinking ahead you’ll forget that “this doesn’t last.”  Be careful where and how you build your house, your business or your project in the summer when life is going fine.  Think how the landscape around you will look when the storms are upon you.  Be realistic. In the summer, you’ve got to think storm. You’ve got to think rocks as you enjoy the sand and sun. Think ahead.

Principle Number Three: ants think summer all winter.

That too is so important.

During the winter, when it’s cold and windy and wet, when you can hardly leave your cozy corner, you’ve got to remind yourself, “This won’t last long; we’ll soon be out of here.”  Do you think this attitude just might keep us hopeful?

And look what happens when the storm and cold lifts.  When things start warming up on an early day in springtime, the ants are out. If it turns cold again, they’ll dive back down,

but then they come out as soon as the sun rises on a nice warm new day. They can’t wait to get out.

And here’s the last part of the ant philosophy:

Principle Number Four

 — How much will an ant gather during the summer to prepare for the winter?

All he possibly can. What a wonderfully ambitious perspective,

the “all-you-possibly-can” philosophy.

Can you seriously take that mindset and make it your own?

In just about anything you undertake, why not have the attitude that you’re going to DO all you possibly can, ACCOMPLISH all you possibly can, PRODUCE all you possibly can, EARN all you possibly can, SELL all you possibly can, INFLUENCE all you possibly can… in short… whatever opportunities life hands you you’re going to do like scripture says and make the most of every opportunity because the daylight is briefer than you think.  Before you know it, the night time comes when you can’t do much work.

Wow, maybe that is the makings for a great seminar to put on and invite everyone to attend – the ant seminar.  Think of it:  Never give up; Look ahead; Stay positive and Do all you can.