Choices, Choices!

I feel "stuck"! 

If I stay the same, I won't ever get anywhere, but if I try to change, then I feel alone. I don't like feeling alone. Is anyone with me on this one?

We all say or think things like "I wish things were different", or "I hope things turn out", or "I hope I get a raise this next year," etc. We believe the problem lies in our situation, and that if our situation were to change, then things would be better.  Maybe so, but maybe not!

Jeff and I are beginning to realize that if we want our situation to change, then we have to first begin the painful process of changing ourselves from the inside-out.  

So, we knew that the decision to change had to result in some form of action. Here are some assessments we made that motivated us to make a change:

•  We were spending a good bit of time watching movies and TV shows in the evenings and on weekends. Not  necessarily a bad thing, but it certainly was not profiting us anything either.

•  We (mostly me) tended to be negative and complain (I am sad to admit this).

•  We did very little reading outside of our devotions and we felt like we were loosing our ability to study and retain information (it's crazy how fast it happens even though college wasn't that long ago for us). We were stagnant. 

•  We were not being the type of examples that we wanted to be.

We have replaced a lot of our TV time with reading and listening to CD's. We help keep each other accountable and set goals for ourselves. For instance, after reading 3 books, we get to rent a movie.

Vince Poscente in his book "The Ant and the Elephant" makes a great point: "Frustration will lead to negative thoughts. Negative thoughts add fuel to more negativity. This negativity can be a pattern that destroys confidence. No two thoughts can occupy the mind at the same time. Replace negativity with positive, confident thoughts."

In order for me to make a change in my negative outlook on life, I need to replace those destructive thoughts with positive ones. Progress starts with first realizing that we can change! 
I could make a conscious decision to put positive things into my head or just let whatever media I watched/listen to "program" me.  

I would never push our decisions on anyone else. Nor would I look down on anyone who decided not to grow with us. Everyone has to come to that point themselves. It has taken a lot more strength and determination than I ever thought it would, and I would never have stuck it out even this far if it wasn't something I believed in 100%. Our journey has just begun, and I'm excited to see where God leads us!

Maybe you have recently made a hard decision, or maybe you are on the brink of one. Sometimes our hesitation to change stems not so much from fear of personal discipline, but more from our fear of what others will think. 

If you are experiencing growing pains, do not give up! It does not matter if no one else understands the choices you are making. If you want average results, listen to average people. If you want great results, listen to those who have great results.

Change is painful. It stretches our resolve every day.

 Be in God's Word daily. 

Pray over every decision.

Ignore the "nay-sayers". People may want you to get ahead in life, as long as you don't get ahead of them.

All of us need encouragement from time to time.

I would love to hear from any of my readers (who have made it this far!) who have made a hard decision and stuck with it. What kind of opposition did you face? Are you glad you stuck with it? Or maybe you're going through some things right now. Leave a comment or email me! I look forward to hearing from you.