This blog post has been turned into a podcast which can be accessed here.
Have you ever been online and saw a photo that made you wish you could switch places with that person? Be honest. Everyone at some point in time has felt this way. I used to feel like this all the time whenever I look at photos of travel bloggers.
However, as soon as I felt that green eyed monster attempting to dampen my mood, I would think back to my mother’s warnings. Oftentimes, we’re not willing to undergo the ordeal that this person went through to get that (i.e. insert object, situation, etc.) that you wish to obtain.
There’s nothing wrong with gathering information to get inspiration to achieve your goals. The key is to have a balance. You must have a balance when viewing the work of others. In doing so, you will take the good and leave the bad. This state of mind will help us to remember that God created you to be an original–not an imitation. We are all unique beings. God wants us to create our own path to success. True success can only be achieved when you let Him lead you. The only way you can achieve this goal is by doing the following:
1.) Make a conscientious effort to cleanse your soul.
Below are my favorite Christian books. They helped me realize that I needed to completely overhaul changing my mindset. I learned when you are changing your mindset, you don’t have time to look at other people. You’re too busy working on a never ending project…yourself. Cleansing your soul is something that you will have to battle on a continuous basis.
2.) Keep a checklist.
You can’t see how far you have come if you don’t have a benchmark. I created a spiritual checklist that I use everyday to track my progress. It helps me to easily identify areas where I need to improve.
For example, you may have a problem with being patient. If you don’t fix this issue, it will manifest in other areas of your life, such as your finances, your health, etc. Being impatient, causes you not to see the value in waiting on God. Thus, leading you to get involved in a get rich quick scheme. Impatience can also have a detrimental impact on your health. Instead of losing weight the natural way (i.e. changing your diet and exercise), you may decide to have an unnecessary risky surgery.
Certain emotions can lead you down a destructive path. You must use a checklist to keep you from going down the wrong path. This checklist combined with a disciplined routine and my grateful notes makes sure that I’m not taking God’s love for granted.
3.) Limit your time on social media and watching TV.
Have you ever been feeling really good then you go online to “see what everyone else is up to” only to leave feeling sad, angry, or a variety of other negative emotions? Satan was setting you up fora pity party.
Oftentimes, these mediums can be used as a “trigger” (objects, situations, people, etc.) that will bring you down. Don’t put yourself in a situation where you will be tempted to revert backing to your old ways.
4.) Exercise.
You would be amazed at how much clarity you will receive when you exercise! Not only will you feel better about yourself, but you’re going to look and feel different about your appearance as well.
5.) Keep a journal.
You don’t have to start a blog, but it is important to write down your daily experiences. This will help you easily identify “triggers” that cause you to experience negative emotions. God cannot operate within an environment that is filled with negativity (Matt 13:58). He can only help you if you believe that He can do so.
6.) Be prepared to lose some folks along the way.
When you decided to improve your life, please realize that you won’t see a lot of your “friends” rooting for you. These people were never really your friends in the first place. They were there for their own selfish reasons.
Your decision to improve your way of life exposes their hypocrisy. We have enough obstacles to overcome as is is so there’s no need to allow someone to go around setting up unnecessary ones.It may be hard, but it you don’t cut these people out of your life, you won’t have enough space for those who were meant to be there. Remember, you can’t take everyone with you on your journey. The quicker you identify the folks you need to leave behind will reduce the time it takes for you to arrive to your destination—success.
There’s a lot of good that can come from focusing on you. Are you willing to invest in yourself and put forth the effort to gain the blessings God has in store for you?
Feel free to download your copy of my Grateful Notes.
Be sure to subscribe to Hustle in Faith’s podcast on iTunes or on Google Play Music.
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