Saturday, July 24, 2010

Positive Expectation

Why is it that some people have all the luck? Do you ever notice that the same people win most of the games, contests, lotteries, etc?

It is a fact that some people are luckier than others. But is it really luck? The more I read and learn, the more I realize there may be more. Sometimes it is just good luck. However, I now see it is more because these people EXPECT to win. They KNOW things will go there way. The more they think this way, the more good things happen.

It is a great lesson to be learned. When we expect good things in our lives, they are more likely to happen. The cool thing about this is that we can have something to do with it. By controling the way we think, we can actually bring better circumstances into our lives.

The challenge for me and anyone else reading this is to do our best to control the way we think about things. Let's release any worrisome, anxious thoughts. Instead, lets's expect the best. If we do, we are much more likely to receive the best.

Have an excellent day : )

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

It All Counts

Many of us have big dreams and goals that we want to see realized. Not only do we want them to come true, but we want them NOW!

In many cases, we need to go through a step by step process to see our goals realized. I received an excellent reminder from someone today about that topic. Many times we are not happy until we have completely reached the goal. As a result, we don't enjoy and learn from the process. In many cases, we have many small victories before the big one. The advice given to me was to enjoy those small victories. We celebrate when babies crawl, even though the ultimate goal is for them to walk. Perhaps you lost 5 pounds, but are looking to lose 20. Instead of thinking you only lost 5 pounds, celebrate the fact that you lost some and you are going in the right direction. The same is true for income, or any other goals.

It was also pointed out that the more we feel encouraged by these victories, the more likely we will continue towards our ultimate goal, AND we are more likely to arrive there faster! On the other hand, if we don't enjoy the small victories as we make progress, we are more likely to get discouraged and possibly even give up.

I challenge myself and anyone reading to specifically focus on the small victories during the next few days. I believe it will keep us smiling, and automatically make our days better. I hope it works for you.

Have an excellent day : )

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

As a Man (or a Woman) Thinks

One can read the book of Proverbs anytime, anywhere, and find gold mines of excellent advice. One of my favorites is 23:7 which says, "as a man thinks so is he".

Ok, so what's the big deal about that? Before I answer, I will say that I continually read articles and books that stress the importance of seeing ourselves positively. That does not mean seeing ourselves as better than anyone else. It simply means seeing ourselves as God sees us: unique, beautiful individuals who all have a significant part to play in this world we live in.

Ok, so here's the big deal. If we see ourselves as that unique, beautiful individual... that is what we will be. We shouldn't be overly concerned with how people see us (easier said than done), but this is what they will see if we believe it. I am sure you can think of plenty of examples to back this up. Maybe you looked really good in that new outfit, and you knew it. You felt beautiful. I'm willing to bet many you came in contact with that day thought so too. Maybe you lost a significant amount of weight. You felt legitimately good about yourself. That was a positive change, and I would guess that several more positive changes followed as a result. Ever wonder why some people seem to make all the sales? It's because they see themselves as personable, confident, and able. And so does everyone else.

I will say that this is simply my interpretation of this verse, and I may even be stretching it a bit. The point is that I believe we are as we see ourselves. Even though no one is perfect, hopefully you see yourself as the unique, beautiful individual that you are. God does.

Have an excellent day : )

Monday, July 12, 2010

Defeating the Giants

It's funny how many times I will have some kind of theme on my mind for a few days. Then I go to church and hear the pastor preach about the same topic. It's almost like its meant for me when that happens.

This happened to me on Sunday. Lately I've been feeling like there are obstacles in my life preventing me from accomplishing some of the goals I have. I've mistakenly focused on those obstacles instead of potential solutions.

The pastor shared one of my favorite stories in the Bible. Moses sent 12 spies to "scout" the promised land. Ten of them saw giants, became afraid, and advised against going into this land. Two came back with a positive report about how beautiful the land was and that, with God's help, they could easily take it regardless of giants, obstacles, etc. Unfortunately, the majority vote won, and they did not enter the promised land until years later.

Too many of us today, including myself many times, focus on the obstacles. We see the giants ahead of us and automatically think we can't do it. As a result we miss many potential blessings in life. My goal is to be like the two that returned with positive news. They focused on the blessing. They saw the good. Most importantly, they knew that with God's help they could accomplish anything.

I want to allow myself as much as God's blessing as possible. I believe anyone would agree and want the same. So why not be like the two who focused on God's blessing and had the faith to believe it would happen. With this attitude, I believe we can experience much more blessing than we can ever imagine.

Have an excellent day : )

Friday, July 9, 2010

What If....

The above title is always a common question in our society. We tend to reflect on what could have been, what will be, etc.

One may ask, is a "what if" philosophy good or bad? As I think about the answer, I believe it could be both. Personally, I feel like I've used it for bad recently. I have tended to focus on the "what if" negatives. What if this goes wrong? What if that doesn't happen? What if a person doesn't like what I have to say? What if I fail?

Why not turn it around to the positive? How about..."what if I take this risk and succeed? What if what I have to say really helps someone? What if this new venture really takes off? What if I positively impact those around me?

I have been focusing on the negative lately. What that has done is impeded any progress I could have made for me or someone else. It shows a lack of faith in the God that empowers us to do anything we put our minds to.

Fortunately, I have caught myself. I have asked for (and faithfully received) forgivness for my doubts. I am now ready to press forward. With my positive thoughts and efforts, combined with God's power, I now charge ahead thinking "what if" to the excellent possibilities that lay ahead.

I share this information because, as you can see, it is so easy for us to get caught up in the negative "what ifs". Even us so called optimists can fall into that trap. I share this to encourage myself and anyone reading to have faith in themselves, and especially the God that is always with us. Let us constantly think "what if", and then fill in the blanks with faithful, positive, and powerful thoughts and prayers about what can be. I believe God is waiting for us to think this way and ask for His blessings. Then we can watch the miracles that follow. I look forward to hearing about yours.

Have an excellent day : )

Thursday, July 8, 2010

OMG - Where Have I Been?

It is amazing how fast time goes. I have been off this site for a while. There are two main reasons for that. One is that I have been extremely busy. Besides finishing up another school year, I took on a second job temporarily. I had a very rewarding experience as my school's baseball coach, but it took a lot of my spare time.

Another reason I have been away is that I call this blog "Positive Power". Lately, I feel like I have not been creating positive power in my life and for those around me. I have shared some very helpful advice I have received through reading and conversations. However, I have not been living it. I have not followed this advice myself, so I felt hypocritical throwing it out there for everyone else.

Ok, so after some thorough reflection over the past few days, I believe I am ready to move on. I am further motivated to create positive power for myself, those close to me, and anyone willing to read and learn from this blog. As I frequently mention, I am no expert. I have simply read and heard a great deal on living life positively, and the positive results that follow. As a result, I feel the need to live it out in my own life, and share my new knowledge with anyone curious to learn.

I certainly hope the information presented on this blog helps. I hope to be able to write on a regular basis and present helpful information that you can apply to your life as well. As always, I appreciate any feedback.

Have an excellent day : )