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Be a happy human
Impress yourself !
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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 diffuse 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 identify, and 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 Believer 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 ! |
