Common to every man, fear in its most powerful manifestation is still fictitious and futuristic. It is a thief and a paralyzing destroyer of hopes, dreams, plans and goals. If we allow it, fear will feed on and devour our future by creating destructive scenarios in our thoughts. Lying patiently within our imagination, it awaits the perfect opportunity to make its presentation -
“But what if . . . ?” Fear has the ability to beat its victims into submission, and then hold them captive with circumstance.
As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he . . . (PROVERBS 23:7)
Einstein was quoted as saying, “The problems of today can only be solved at a higher level of thinking than that which created them.” When we become concious of any destructive negative thought, we can take that thought captive and replace it with a thought of our own choosing. That is one of the privileges of belonging to the human race, and having a brain.
The capacity to think is not only a gift, it is a skill. And although we humans have been given the ability to think and reason, we may occassionally find ourselves in the valley of decision once again, unable to discern right choices. One thing is for certain in that valley – if something isn’t working, we need to make some changes. Another of Einstein’s famous quotes was his definition of insanity. That is, doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results.
Where there is no vision, the people perish . . . (PROVERBS 29:18)
With change comes challenge, and with challenge, sometimes insecurity and fear. These two things work together and may cause us to accept our circumstance as the “norm” for our life. They offer a compromising lifestyle that prevents us from reaching our full potential, and living the lifestyle of our dreams. We may even find ourselves in some “comfort zone” that is anything but comfortable.
The good news is, that we as individuals “DO” have the power to change the way we think. And in so doing, we create change that not only affects our own life, but the lives of all those within our sphere of influence. We can absolutely change the world with our thoughts and decisions. The truth is, it’s the only way we will.
Thanks for reading. Have a blessed day,
Gene
![[Post to Twitter]](http://geneboyd.com/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter.png){kind=icon}
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well The
animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried
to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the
animal was old and the well needed to be covered up
any way, it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the
donkey.
He invited all his neighbors to come over and help
him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel
dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized
what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to
everyone’s amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel
loads later, the farmer finally looked down the
well and was astonished at what he saw. With every
shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing
something amazing. He would shake it off and take a
step up.
As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on
top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a
step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the
donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and
trotted off!
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of
dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake
it off and take a step up. Each of our challenges
is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest
wells by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off
and take a step up! Five simple rules to being happy:
1. Stay in reverence
2. Fill your heart with love
3. Fill your mind with positive thoughts
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.
!!! And remember to:
SHAKE IT OFF
Great post Steve! Thanks!