When someone asks what is my secret to always moving forward, this is what I tell them…
If all else fails, try again.
When most of my friends fail, guess what they do? They call me up and talk me through how badly they feel. As a good friend, of course, I listen and give my advice if asked.
Ring ring.
The next day, another call, I answer with optimism, waiting for them to tell me how my advice has changed there life around. Or how better they feel today?
Guess what? Im sure you know what im about to write before I write it.
They tell me the same story again.
A few weeks later. Im sure you get the point.
What’s their mistake? They get lost in the disappointment, the set-back, the worry, the doubt.
We all approach life’s difficulties differently, and who am I to say what is right or wrong but all that I can do is tell you how I deal with set-backs.
For example, you hear a story that it’s not going to rain for a few months, and there will be water shortages.
That person has dealt you some fear.
If you have strong faith, you will say to yourself, that’s not going to happen, “I have faith all will be ok.” And it is.
But if your faith is weak, however, even though you have only read one story, the fear that it has created in you makes you look for another story. Next thing you know you’re searching on YouTube for ways to prepare for such an event….
And guess what?
You find 100s of videos, each recommending different ways to prepare. “Why is the mainstream media not talking about this?” You ask yourself.
Within a few weeks, you’re an expert on the subject. You have even told friends and family, who thought you were crazy in the beginning, but when it hasn’t rained for a couple of weeks, they get a little worried.
Now they too do some research and see there are hundreds of videos all over the internet talking about the same topic.
Molehill to Mountain
This is a story I just made up, but I’m sure you get the idea. One little bit of fear turned into a lot of fear, but not only that, you started to deal that fear to others.
And they, in turn, went on to deal that fear to more people.
With current events, there are 1000s of different stories like this all over the internet. People in their fearful states have created stories of what THEY think is happening. Whether they are right or wrong is not the point, the point is they are dealing fear.
And when you are getting fear from the mainstream news, fear from your friends and family, fear from social media. It will wear you down over time.
I have no way of knowing what position you are in at this time, but I know that you must keep focusing on the positives in your life. Having the faith that everything will work out for the best. A quote that sums up what I’m trying to say here is from Helen Keller, who said, “I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet”.
We have to be thankful for what we have. We have to be faithful, stay informed yes, but don’t get caught up in what some random person or persons is saying on the internet.
The truth is, no one knows what the future holds, except God.
What this crisis has highlighted for me, is just how much we have taken for granted, for far too long. Materialism had all but taken over.
Everyone wanted the latest fashion, cars, smartphones without questioning what maintaining that lifestyle is doing to the planet.
Yes, it is sad what has happened, but is it not sadder that it took an event like this to make people connect with what really matters in life — food family and shelter?
Thanks for reading. 🙂
My book Live Life Without Fear is currently on free promotion on Amazon TODAY! To download simply click on image below.
Are you feeling fearful at this time? If so, you’re not alone.
But if you allow the fearful thoughts to take control then very soon your life will be out of your control.
The what ifs in life, can weaken your faith.
“Yeah, but what if my situation gets worse, what if this happens? And then this? What then?”
What ifs can tear down the trust and knowing that our destiny naturally unfolds, meaning, that doubts will begin to creep in… the feelings that we must take matters into our own hands. Leading to us making decisions that we later regret.
It’s understandable why we struggle with this! We get lost in the anxiety, we get lost in doubts, we get lost in worry.
We play those damaging “what if” thoughts over and over. Not because they are good, but, honestly – because sometimes it feels good to feel sorry for ourselves.
And maybe we somehow feel that thinking on the “what ifs” will bring a bit more control to the chaos we are feeling inside.
But, the more that you focus on the negativity the more familiar the negative thoughts become. Resulting in you walking into your future fearful of every step.
When you allow fearful thoughts to dominate your thought life, any seeds of faith that you sow will not find roots in the shallow soil, making it very difficult to trust in God and be faithful during difficult times.
What are you choosing to focus on at the moment?
And, how is that affecting your ability to trust that all will be ok?
Now that your aware of the thoughts that you have been focusing on, what’s the next step?
Well, if the thoughts you think daily are negative thoughts, thoughts of worry, thoughts of fear, anxiety or doubt. Then you need to, instead, focus your attention on those things that are true, honourable, right, and worthy of praise. As Apostle Paul suggested.
Philippians 4:8-9 “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
Trust is a fundamental foundation for any healthy, loving and functional relationship. Rekindle that unshakeable trust with the Lord, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
We must make an effort daily to strike fear from our heart and submerge our mind in faith.
My book Trust Gods Plan has now been converted to an audiobook. Click the image below to hear an encouraging sample on YouTube, that will help you to feel more faithful, positive and optimistic today, and for the future.
Now is a difficult time for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you own a business, are an employee, unemployed, a student, a child or even in retirement. Current events are affecting us all.
Now more than ever, we need to have faith that everything will work out.
If you are doubtful, I completely understand, but history is a great predictor of future events.
In world war 2, millions of Jews were murdered in Germany by Hitler. We can only imagine the fear the Jewish people in Europe felt at that time. I’m sure they probably felt like there was no hope for the future.
Fast forward to 2020, and the Jewish people are the most powerful people on the planet. They are by far the richest and the most influential in every area of business, finance, music and arts.
So if you are fearful at this time, know that the future will be better, for all of us.
Humanity will learn from this. We will value our freedom so much more; we will appreciate our family and friends more, putting greater value on our health and our jobs.
As you are probably fully aware, walking into supermarkets and crowded spaces now involve wearing a face covering, so I had an idea of turning a negative into a positive. So, working with a graphic designer, I have designed a face covering to send a message of faith to others.
They are made and delivered by a company called Redbubble. All masks are sold at cost. (10% off available when you sign up the Redbubble.)
I firmly believe that we all have been given a divine destiny; a special gift that is unique to us. Happiness and fulfilment come when we use that gift to help others; which results in making this world a better place.
People work so hard to be successful, to maintain their fitness; doing the best they can to keep healthy. Faith is no different; it needs constant work and maintenance.
When you see someone that never seems to get into difficulty or never seems to be stressed, this is not by chance. This person has very little fear in his or her life.
Too often we step back in fear, with the attitude that we are not worthy of the new relationship, the new job, the new career.
I would like you to know that you are worthy; you have a light within you that you must allow to shine into the world.
If you feel held back in fear at this present moment, my book Power of Choice – Choose faith, not fear, can help you rekindle your faith. It is currently free on Amazon.
My main aim as a writer is to inspire others to fulfil their full potential, one sentence, one verse, one story, is all that it takes to open the door to the next level of your destiny.
Today, we are going to get started on the subject of happiness.
Usually, when someone asks me what is the #1 secret to being happy, I tell them they should get involved in whatever excites them the most.
This is good advice.
Happiness, in my opinion, especially happiness that lasts, is most often a by-product of enthusiasm. If a person, secretly in his heart, wants to be a fireman, he shouldn’t go into installing fire alarms, for example, just because he has heard that that is where the money is.
Happiness Is Where the Enthusiasm Is.
Please remember this!
Remember it also, if you ever need to hire someone. Always look for the most enthusiastic person, not necessarily the most qualified.
When you are enthusiastic about life, opportunities open as if by magic. And the more you appreciate Life, the more Life rewards you. The more you appreciate and are grateful for what you have, the more Life offers you.
Most people are unexcited about life, so they gossip or belittle others. These type of people are rarely happy. The reason, they don’t like themselves, so keep the focus on others. These people may seem happy, they may seem to be popular but secretly they are the saddest and most insecure of all.
There is a famous saying, don’t watch what people say, watch what they do.
The people around you might give you the illusion on social media that they are living this amazing life, they are always in new clothes, always seem to be going on holidays, always having fun.
But don’t watch what they say, watch what they do…
So, if they are giving the impression of having an amazing life much superior to yours, but work the same job as you, let that be a red flag. They could well be in massive debt! With pressures you couldn’t even imagine.
Trying to live up to their standards will ultimately lead to unhappiness.
Instead, be inspired by those that are sharing their gifts and talents with the world, those that are creating and helping others. Maybe inspiring people with a podcast, a YouTube channel, or a blog.
Very often these are the people that are creating imagining and innovating. These are the people that will share their wisdom with you, if you ask…
Growing up I didn’t have social media, but I still looked up to the people that were going to all the parties and seemed to be having all the fun. For many years I put all my energy into trying to be like them, taking my mind off my abilities.
What I discovered was, the people I was looking up to where very often self-centred, and arrogant. They were not excellent communicators like I thought, they just run others down and made fun of everyone for their amusement
It’s so easy to judge yourself based on others, resulting in you never being happy with who you are. Leading to thoughts that you’re not good enough, feelings that you have nothing to offer.
This is the type of thinking that can lead to depression and anxiety.
From an early age I had the ability to make people feel better about themselves, the gift to make people smile. But for most of my life I took this gift for granted, which led to a lot of unhappiness.
By nature, I am quiet and reserved, so when I was surrounded by loud and extroverted people, I felt out of place. All my energy was being directed at trying to fit in with people that I had nothing much in common with.
But the moment I removed myself from that environment, embracing my gifts, my levels of happiness soared.
Happiness that lasts doesn’t come from others it comes from within. It comes from sharing your gifts and talents with the world. Sharing your enthusiasm with others.
It could be a passion for art, music, cars, technology, decorating, listening, or organising. No matter what your passion is when you focus on that area you will excel, and with that success will come unmeasurable happiness.
As I look outside my window at 9.00am, the sun is rising into a complete blue sky with sparse clouds at the horizon.
The sun rays make everything look so alive and vibrant.
The sun has a way of brightening up our day.
There are moments in life when we become separated from any worry, stress, or anxiety we might be feeling. Looking out of the window this morning was one of those moments for me. The connection to nature replaced all other thoughts in my mind. And each and every one of us has this capability.
The capability to separate ourselves from any negativity we might be feeling.
There was a time in my life where I was worried and anxious most of the time. About everything. And an exercise that helped me greatly was to set little reminders during the day, to just pause, and connect to the world around me.
Connect to the magnificence of God’s creation.
A good starting point is to set a reminder on your phone once, twice—ten times a day. where you stop what you are doing and connect with the world around you.
And when that timer goes off— you might be worrying about a problem, or be having doubts about the future, or maybe even deep in thought about an old memory. But when that timer or alert goes off if you make it a point to connect with the world around you, connect with the room, connect with nature. Notice the vibrant colours, listen to all the sounds that surround you, in a new way.
Or it could be that you are in the middle of traffic, you become aware of the car in front of you. The car behind you. The pedestrians on the side walk. The many sounds of the engines and horns.
You will realise that you were driving but you were not truly aware of the world around you— you were on autopilot.
And a lot of us go through life like this, we are on autopilot, our emotions— of worry, doubt, fear, guilt, shame— joy, hope, love, and happiness, are all pulling us through life.
So, the first step to reprogramming your mind, is creating moments that you connect with the world around you, so that you’re no longer carried along by the thoughts and emotions that you feel inside.
And the more of these moments that you create the deeper you become connected to the present moment— the only place that God resides. The only place that you can make a connection with the divine. The source of all peace, creativity, ideas, and inspiration.
Now once you start doing this don’t beat yourself up for the moments of worry, doubt, unhappiness, or any lack of trust.
None of us are perfect.
We all have weaknesses, we have all went through dramatic events in our lives, but when we practise becoming detached from them negative feelings and emotions, they will no longer have the same control over us.
We can become more connected to the world around us, a beautiful feeling, that is worth investing time and energy.
A True Awakening
We can go through hours, days, weeks, even years lost within our thoughts—not connected to the world around us, at all.
You may know people in your community, or maybe personally, that are consumed by un-forgiveness, consumed by fear, by guilt, by shame, by regret.
Every time you speak to them, they tell you stories of the past, how someone hurt them, a neighbour, a friend, a colleague, even a family member, and they can’t forget.
They can never forget the hurt, the betrayal, or the pain.
So, they keep replaying the memory in their minds.
And every time they tell you that story, or you tell someone your story of what happened to you. What you are doing is removing yourself from the present moment. You are living in the past, replaying old memories that will only bring up past feelings of — anger, hatred, jealousy, and pain.
Which hurts no one only YOU.
Now, everyone does this. So what can we do?
The only thing that you can do is that you become aware that you are doing it. That is the first step. Awareness.
Becoming aware of the habit of replaying the hurts of the past. And what awareness does is it creates a gap… so rather than you caught up in the thought or emotion, letting it transport you into the past, you notice how the memory has changed your mood. How the memory has made you connect to feelings of worry, connect to feelings of doubt, connect to feelings of anger, of hurt, of regret.
The hurts of the past can almost feel like they are part of you.
Now, if the timer goes off, and you feel resistance— feelings that you don’t want to stop worrying, feelings that you don’t want to stop feelings stressed, anxious, fearful etc., that’s ok, just become aware of the resistance.
That might be the first step for you…realising that the worry, doubt, stress or pain has become part of you.Becoming aware that you have that deep embedded worry, you have that deep embedded anxiety— deep embedded doubt, guilt, un-forgiveness, or regret.
Just become aware of the feelings, saying, “these are the feelings that are blocking me.”These are the feelings that I need to work through, let go off. Before I can spiritually grow into the fullness of who I AM.
And the more that you do this practise, taking time each day to connect with nature, to the present moment, the deeper and deeper this awareness will become… meaning, the deeper, your connection to God.
In time, all the worry, doubt, anxiety, pain will fade away as you realise that all the negative feelings from the past are what is blocking your connection to the present moment…
…the only place that God resides.
The Source of All Peace, Creativity, Ideas, And Inspiration. And as A Result, You Will Become, Happier, Healthier and More Successful.
Do you have problems with your health? Or suffer from pain?
Many people do, and most blame it on old age. But this is rarely the real reason…
The truth is, we all tend to hold onto the hurts of the past. The memories can feel like a heavy burden— that you’re unable to let down.
A burden that gets heavier, and heavier as time goes by.
Until one day, the hurts of the past become part of you, affecting your mental and physical health. What happened was unfair, but holding on to the anger, the hate or the sadness has resulted in issues like, high blood pressure, joint pain and heart concerns.
The weight of unforgiveness has beat even the strongest of men.
When you hold on to negative feelings, you are unable to grow to your full potential. As moving forward is difficult when you have one foot in the past.
You may feel that it’s too late for your life to change.
This is not the case.
From today you can enjoy healthier relationships and improve your mental and physical health. Experience less anxiety, and stress. You can strengthen your immune system so that you have lower blood pressure and fewer symptoms of depression. All resulting in you obtaining higher levels of self-esteem.
What if you could free yourself from the heavy burden of the past? How much better would you feel?
Let God repay you for all that you have lost. Regain your health and your peace of mind.
Let the spirit of forgiveness…Illuminate your life.
There is a healing in forgiving eBook is available Free on Amazon.
Recently I was watching an old western. There was a man in prison, he was going to get hanged the following day, and he was praying hard.
I’m sure I would be too.. if I was in that position.
Anyways, when he finally settled and accepted his fate, the guard fell asleep. The camera zoomed in on the table, and there were the keys. The man paced up and down his cell without speaking, but you knew what was going through his mind.
“How can I get the keys, and get out of here?”
He looked up to the heavens for a few seconds, and when he lowered his head, he swiftly put a plan into place, taking the sheet off his bed and swirling it around until it formed a long thick type rope—proceeding to use the sheet to try to get the keys off the table. After several attempts, the keys fell on the floor… almost waking the guard.
Who to the relief of the prisoner went back to sleep.
He kept looking up at the clock, showing ten minutes to 12, which didn’t make much sense at first but then the film cut to the replacement guard drinking in the local saloon also looking at the clock on the wall.
It became clear the change over happened at midnight.
When the film cut back, the prisoner’s face was covered in sweat knowing that the guard was coming soon, and his chance to escape would be gone.
Within a few minutes, he got the keys and opened the cell door. Cleverly, he put the sheet back on the bed, using the pillow and blanket to make it look like he was sleeping.
He locked the cell door behind him, quietly leaving the keys on the table, and ran out the back entrance into the night.
When the replacement guard came on duty, with the dimly lit cell, it looked like the prisoner was asleep. So the guard put his feet up, tilted his hat over his face and relaxed.
They didn’t notice the prisoner gone until the morning. The prisoner got a great start on them, but soon there was a price on his head, $1000 dead or alive.
Now, no matter where he went, he lived with the fear of being caught. So even though he had escaped from prison, he was still in the prison of fear.
The film reminded me of the current situation in the world. Most of the world is free, but they still live in the prison of fear. Living unhappy as they never fulfil their dreams.
The Only Thing That Can Stop Your Divine Destiny is Fear— As fear stops the natural unfoldment of life
Until we get rid of all the negative chatter going on in our heads, we will always be a prisoner of fear. Fear will keep gnawing away at our faith.
However, a true believer believes that God is in control, and their destiny is laid out for them. There is no need to worry. There is no need to doubt. If something is destined to happen, it will happen. No amount of worry or doubt will change that fact.
When you’re in the grips of fear and not facing the world with faith, it’s like taking a plant and putting it in a dark room. If you leave the plant there for too long, it will die.
When you live in constant states of worry, doubt and fear, you won’t die, but without divine light, your spirit will get weaker and weaker until fear has complete control. Meaning you will live a very limited life.
If you’re feeling fear at this time, that is perfectly natural, but please don’t feed that fear by watching more news, or reading more stories on social media.
Instead, can I encourage you to take your mind back into faith?
Now there are many ways to do this, praying daily, reading from scripture, taking walks, connecting with the great power of mother nature.
Now, don’t get the wrong idea, you have to be careful, and take all recommended precautions, wear a mask on public transport, wash your hands regularly, limit travel to essential journeys. But please don’t let fear stop you from living your life.
Move forward with expectancy that all will be ok. You might not realise it, but your faith will instil faith into the people around you.
Be a leader for your family, a leader for your friends, and a leader to your children.
Don’t be a prisoner of fear; walk forward in faith and fulfil your destiny.
Live Today With Faith 