Small shifts in perspective

It’s easy to focus on the wrong thing. 

Most of the time, it’s not intentional. You simply haven’t paused to think about it any other way. 

That means there’s a whole host of opportunities waiting for you if only you’ll change your perspective. 

Take your work for instance. How often do you focus on the process? Or do you instead focus on success? 

It’s easy to think of the next promotion or bonus check. It’s another thing altogether to think about the process. 

Focusing on the process means you focus on creating the right thoughts, habits, and priorities, with the understanding that those are the things that lead to success.  

Think of all the benefits that could arise from this small change in perspective. 

They’re staggering. 

Yet too many continue to focus on the wrong things.

December is the perfect month for reflection. Look back over your year, and pick one or two areas you want to take ground in next year. Ask yourself, “How could a small shift in my perspective in this area change everything. and what would that look like day to day?” 

Do this and you’ll be well on your way to achieving something special next year. Something that won’t be special because it results in immediate success, but something that’s special because it leads to your becoming a better version of yourself no matter the outcome. 

The freedom truth affords

How you think, and what you focus on is vitally important. 

Few things shape the outcome of your life like your thought life. 

The ideas floating around in your head are valuable. 

But what you choose to believe is even more so. 

Not every thought that passes through your mind is true or accurate. 

Many are flat out wrong. 

Take the idea that you’ve only got one shot, so you better not blow it. 

Many choose to believe this nonsense and pay the cost every day. 

It’s not only a limiting belief, it’s a lie.

Opportunity is constantly "knocking at your door" and there is plenty of it to go around. 

The sooner you stop paying attention to silly notions and lies swirling around in your head, and focus on the truth, the better. 

The truth will set your free like nothing else. 

It will set you free to pursue new paths, take new risks, and improve your life each and every day. 

Discipline your mind. Train it to focus on the right things. 

Sift every thought that comes to mind like wheat. Compare them to that which is unchanging—thuth. 

When a thought doesn’t adhere to reality and wisdom, discard it. 

To do this you have to keep truth ever before you. You have to study it and become so acquainted with it that even the wiliest imposter is easily identified. 

What you focus on expands in your life. So set your focus in the right direction. 

Setting Goals

This time of year, it’s natural to start thinking about the next year. 

Your mind drifts to all you’d like to do and accomplish. 

You make goals and set resolutions to guide you. 

Most people, however, stop right there. Nothing more comes of their goals, they remain dreams and unfulfilled hopes.

Setting goals is easy, execution is where it gets hard. 

The goals you set each new year don’t matter if you never take action on them. 

Take action on your goals.

Break them down to the most granular level possible. 

Boil your goals down to something you do daily and the likelihood of your reaching them will dramatically increase.

Setting goals is important, but while your thinking through 2018, think about the daily actions you’ll need to change as well.

Black Friday

Today is the day many of us stand in lines and rush from store to store to get an early start on Christmas shopping. 

Ultimately, it’s a day too many put their lack of discipline and self-control on full display. 

Thankfully Amazon has changed all that. 

Rather than rushing to the store in a heard like fashion, you can stay home and get more done. 

You can exercise control and plan out your Christmas season in an orderly fashion. 

Being generous is a good thing, but you don’t have to brave the overcrowded stores to buy the right gift to show others how much they mean to you. 

Let discipline help you this season. Let it nudge you in a new direction. 

Allow discipline to lead your search with thought and care.

You can get it all done without losing control or frantically fighting the lines in the process. 

Discipline can help. You only have to ask. 

Thanksgiving 2017

I'm always on the hunt for a good piece of writing that encapsulates what I'm thinking and feeling at any given moment. While reading On Writing Well, last year, I came across this beautiful bit of wordsmithing from Governor Wilbur Cross. His Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1936 is a masterpiece of fine writing and expression of gratitude to God for His goodness and grace to us. 

“Time out of mind at this turn of the seasons when the hardy oak leaves rustle in the wind and the frost gives a tang to the air and the dusk falls early and the friendly evenings lengthen under the heel of Orion, it has seemed good to our people to join together in praising our Creator and Preserver, who has brought us by a way that we did not know to the end of another year. In observance of this custom, I appoint Thursday, the 26th of November, as a day of Public Thanksgiving for the blessings that have been our common lot and have placed our beloved state with the favored regions of earth—for all the creature comforts: the yeild of the soil that has fed us and the richer yield from labor of every kind that has sustained our lives—and for all those things, as dear as breath to the body, that quicken man’s faith in his manhood, that nourish and strengthen his word and act; for honor held above price; for steadfast courage and zeal in the long, log search after truth; for liberty and for justice freely granted by each to his fellow and so as freely enjoyed; and for the crowning glory and mercy of peace upon our land—that we may humbly take heart of these blessings as we gather once again with solemn and festive rites to keep our Harvest Home.” 

— Governor Wilbur Cross, Thanksgiving Proclamation 1936

I pray that you enjoy this day with those you hold most dear, but also that you'll pause to give thanks to the Lord for His many blessings. He has sustained and provided far beyond what we deserve. May we rightly express our humble gratitude to Him this and every day.