Herein lies the Path…the path to your greatness, divinity, happiness, peace, and transformation. This Path is a choice; a choice that only you can make. Read the concepts below and decide for yourself. If your choice is to lead a meaningful life filled with purpose and joy, then this Path is for YOU.
“Be Great Now”
Too often, we think about great things that we could be doing—for ourselves, for others…and we procrastinate. We make up excuses about why it’s impossible to do those things today, right now. It always seems that something gets in the way: we’re too busy, we’re tired, we don’t feel well, we’re not prepared. Sure, they are good reasons on the surface. Those obstacles do, indeed, exist.
But do we have to let those obstacles dictate how we live our lives? Those of us who believe in and practice the Scriptures in our lives know that the things of the world, that stuff that makes you procrastinate, is temporary, ephemeral:
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” II Corinthians 4:18
Do you want to make changes in your life? Do you want to feel healthier, wealthier, more alive? Do you want to do more good for others, make a difference, be a shining light for Christ? Then the answer is in being great now. Not tomorrow, not next week.
Now.
“And quit being fashioned after this system of things, but be transformed by making YOUR mind over, that YOU may prove to yourselves the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” – Romans 12:2
He rejoices in our taking charge of our lives, making use of all the potential that He has invested within us. Don’t let a moment pass before you take those steps toward making yourself a better person. You can do it! You can overcome those obstacles, excuses and problems, and become great now. There’s no time like the present. After all:
“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13
“Visualize. See who YOU really are.”
Do you ever look at yourself in the mirror and say, “Humph.” Perhaps you don’t look the way you want to look. Maybe you need to lose some weight, tone up, eat better, take some steps to make some positive changes.
Or, perhaps, it’s internal? Some people look at themselves and they love the external…but they’re terribly dissatisfied with the kind of person they are inside, for one reason or another.
It’s all about seeing yourself truthfully. Do you look at yourself, internally and externally, and feel unhappy? Depressed? Or do you look at yourself and feel proud, happy, and joyful? It’s not a sin to be happy with yourself or proud of who you are, because we were made in His image, and we are the vessels of the Holy Spirit!
“What? know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own?” I Corinthians 6:19-20
But we have to be honest with ourselves, because only then can we know what needs to be dealt with. Every part of our lives can be improved, with work and focus, and with a generous application of the help of God.
“Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you.” II Corinthians 13:5
You have to decide what your goals are, what you want to do. Is it physical changes? Is it internal issues? Make a plan. Set it in motion. Don’t put it off until tomorrow—do it today, do it now.
Visualize who and what you want to be, and who you are: you are a beautiful creation of God. Now, you just have to start living like it!
“Be in the Present: Relax Your Mind”
Everyone has been there: you have so many things going on, you get lost in them. You lose your focus, you get so distracted by the minutiae of life that you forget who, what and where you are. You can feel overwhelmed, angry, sad, frustrated, and completely disconnected from what matters. You have no grasp of the here and now, of the present.
The present is where we must exist: the past is gone, and the future is abstract. We can only affect ourselves and others right now, in the present. The present is the only realm we have any control over. If we’re not focused on the here and now, we’re ineffective, useless. The Word tells us what we must do to escape these traps:
“Regarding your former way of life, you were taught to strip off your old nature, which is being ruined by its deceptive desires, instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.” Ephesians 4:22-23
How do you learn to live in the present, and ignore or put aside those clamoring thoughts and chaotic events? By relaxing your mind. By meditating, focusing on calmness, stillness, and peace. This is the nature of God, reflected inside you:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6, 7
There are many practical things that can be done to learn how to relax your mind and live in the present. We will discuss these things, such as yoga, meditation, and more. No, there’s nothing wrong with these practices, especially when used in a Godly way. By using these tools to weed out the negative thoughts and deflect the distractions of the outside world and its problems, we can become more centered, more calm, and open to making positive changes.
So relax your mind. Escape the troubles of the past and the worries of the future by living in the present.
Transformation: Embrace the CHANGE.”
Have you ever watched a butterfly emerge from its cocoon?
First, the cracks appear in the cocoon, as the butterfly fights its way free; then, it emerges, and it looks…kind of…ugly.
Wings are all wrinkled and wet, antennae crooked, and the poor thing is a bit wobbly and unsure, as it tests the air, probably quite amazed and shocked at how vivid and huge the outside world is. It is probably thinking something along the lines of, “Wow, what have I gotten myself into?” It maybe even wonders if it might have been better to never emerge from that cocoon, where it was warm, safe…comfortable.
Yet give it some time. After a few minutes, those wings are dry, those antennae are alert, and that butterfly alights into the sky, carefree and lovely, embarking on a new adventure that can take it thousands of miles away.
We are like that butterfly.
Far too many of us are stuck in our cocoons, where we feel safe and secure. We don’t like being challenged by change; change is uncomfortable, scary, and the process can be a bit ugly. Frequently, once we have set off down the path of major life or lifestyle changes we wish we’d never started, and long for the nice, safe, un-challenging days before we decided we needed a transformation.
We can’t be afraid of transformation. We have to embrace the changes, own them, and keep going. Metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly doesn’t happen overnight, and it’s probably not much fun for the insect—just like with us. But the end result is more than worth it. Think about this:
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.” Hebrews 12:11-13
The “feeble arms and weak knees” can be both literal and figurative in this translation: your physical body can be strengthened and transformed, but so can your mind and spirit. Embrace that change, live your life to the fullest, because that is what God wants of us. We are, after all, the vessels of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, inside and out.
“But those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.” (NIV)
Isaiah 40:31
“The Ripple Effect: Take Control of YOUR Life”
Have you ever heard that old saying, “No man is an island”? No, it’s not talking about a literal land mass, it’s referring to the fact that no one is genuinely, truly alone in this world. No matter how we try to isolate ourselves from others, our actions and attitudes influence the lives of others—not just our own. We aren’t alone.
This is why is it so important to implement positive changes in your life, to live a free-flowing and fulfilled life. That can best be described through this acronym: IDEAL. What does that mean to each person?
- To live a life that has positive IMPACT
- To live with DIVINITY
- To live life EFFORTLESSLY
- To be ATTRACTIVE
- To Love Yourself- to always come from a position of LOVE
When a stone is thrown into a perfectly still pond, you can see the ripples spreading out in concentric circles from where it struck. They radiate out endlessly, touching every point in the pond, even the farthest reaches, ever so slightly. This analogy, this ripple effect, is the same regarding how you affect the lives of others.
How does that work? If you are angry, negative, downtrodden, and feel useless, you cast a pall over all those around you. You hinder them, just as you hinder yourself. If you are positive, happy, joyful, and committed to success and change, you will help others around you. Not only will you provide a good example, it works something like gravity: you bring others along with you.
Remember the parable of the fruit trees? Jesus taught that a good tree bears good fruit, and a bad tree bears bad fruit. Exercise this principle in your life. Purpose to bring forth good fruit in your life. Allow the ripples you cast to be good ones, that sweep others along in your wake of positivity. Exemplify the nature of God, the purity of purpose and love, and you will find that your life is that much more IDEAL.
