John Harrell's Blog, page 22

Rebirth

Are you fulfilled in life? If the answer is no, you are not alone. During the course of my life I have met countless people who want more, but fear going after it. The universal truth in each of their stories is that they know they have a greater purpose than they are living.

Here’s some good, no, great news! It’s not too late. You are still living and breathing. It’s time to rewrite your life.

You have been given a good mind with the ability to think. Take some time to consider what you really want from this life. Then decide to go after it. Turn your desire into a white-hot flame that no man can extinguish. Visualize yourself succeeding. Allow nothing to stop you, no matter how hard things get.

Be patient with your progress. Your new life won’t be created in a day. But it will come to fruition if you stay with it.

And remember to thank God along the way. He gave you your purpose as well as the tools to make it happen.

What are you waiting for? Get going…

Sanctimonious

Do you like to be lectured to by someone who feels like they are morally superior to everyone else? I don’t. These self-righteous people are a turnoff.

We learn more when we listen. By rearranging the letters in the word “listen” you get silent. I believe this is on purpose. If we are constantly running our mouth then we must believe we know it all.

Healthy, stimulating conversations require two parties. There should be some give and take. And whether you agree with the counterparty or not, your worldview expands.

Listen more than you speak. And avoid the sanctimonious as best you can. They will suck your energy dry…

Doing The Impossible

Have you ever tried to move a mountain? It’s possible.

How we see things will determine whether or not we will overcome them. Forgiveness is hard. Some people have hurt you, really hurt you. You hold onto the pain because you aren’t sure you can release it. Once you start to believe you can heal, the process of forgiveness has begun.

Jesus told us that “With God, all things are possible.” He didn’t say some things, or even most things. All things are possible. The challenge lies with us. We see things through human eyes. God’s vision is unlimited.

Ask God to allow you to see situations through His eyes. Expand your vision. Deepen your wisdom. And increase your faith.

You can move mountains. Even if it’s one shovel full at a time…

Be Calm

The new week is here. Chaos has started. There are kids to get to school, work deadlines, traffic commutes, plus whatever else hits the fan that you didn’t see coming. Life can feel like a storm with you caught in the middle of it.

Be at peace. Be calm. God is in control and we are not. Focus your attention on that, not the noise coming from the backseat or the negativity the news brings. Not everything is a crisis although your children might see it differently! Stay in the moment and don’t think too far ahead.

Staying calm during the craziness of life is possible. Start your day with a short prayer, asking God to see you through whatever the day brings. Then believe He will fulfill what you asked. Talk to God during the day. He listens.

He will deliver every time. Guaranteed…

Powerless

The power of your mind is unlimited because it is the portal to the spiritual realm. Our only limitations are those we place on ourselves. You must understand this before you read another word: what we believe will come to pass.

Take inventory of your beliefs. Start with yourself. Are you capable of thinking and feeling? Do all five of your senses work? Can you see and hear? If the answer is yes, you are already way ahead. Obviously I’m being facetious. The point is, you are equipped with everything you need to create the life you want. It’s your mind that needs redirection.

Picture yourself succeeding. See yourself living the life you want to live. Be creative and be audacious. Do not allow any negativity to enter your thoughts. You can control your thoughts if you work at it.

You can get everything you want in life. Others are powerless, not you. You just have to believe it’s possible…

Tumbleweeds

If you have ever traveled to the western parts of the United States, you have probably seen a tumbleweed. Tumbleweeds were brought to America by accident in the 1870’s, and we can’t seem to be able to get rid of them!

Tumbleweeds go wherever the wind blows them. They have no direction, no purpose, no plan. Some people are living their lives like a tumbleweed, with no direction, no purpose, and no plan. These people just show up for life and accept what comes their way.

Everyone has a purpose, a reason for being here. God created each of us with His plans in mind. We go off and do our own plans and when they don’t work out, we blame God and give up. What we should do is listen to the voice of God and follow His prompts. He wants us to live fully, doing the work we are uniquely qualified for.

It won’t be easy to accomplish, but it’s not too late to find your purpose. What, you say? If I’m doing what God put me here for, it should be easy. That’s a valid point, but there is an invisible enemy who is trying to stop you.

God remains on our side. He will prevail. Remember this when you are in the middle of the battle…

Interview with Ashley Spence

Every 68 seconds, someone in America is sexually assaulted. Yet, less than 3% of the perpetrators will ever spend time behind bars.

Ashley Spence is doing something about it. At 19, Ashley was the victim of a home invasion rape that nearly took her life. She turned her pain into purpose and is leading the fight to use DNA to catch the criminals before they can harm another person, get justice for victims, and exonerate the innocent. Her first book, “Silent Witness” was recently published. We discuss that and more in the latest episode of The Determined People Podcast.

Be Present

Life moves very fast. Grab all you can or you might miss out, right? Wrong.

Every day presents us with new opportunities. Our world needs us to be fully present, engaged in whatever has our attention. Whether we are working on a project or having a conversation, we must focus on that moment. The responsibilities of our lives must be compartmentalized so we can focus.

Living in the moment gives us presence. All of our energy is concentrated like a laser beam. Successful actors have learned how to harness this energy and bring it into their performances.

Spending too much time thinking about the future can cause us to lose the present. Stay in the moment…

Choices Choices

You have power. You have the right to choose how you want to live your life. Along with this great power we possess comes a responsibility: we must be willing to live with the consequences of our choices.

You can choose faith over fear, love over hate, and light over darkness. No one else rules your life. God is in control, but He gives us the power of choice.

If there are things in your life that aren’t serving you well, make a better choice. Sometimes changing our ways brings some short-term pain, but the pain will pass.

Choose to follow the dreams you have for your life. It’s your choice…

Approach

Timing is everything, especially when you have a difficult message to deliver. As you have experienced, an opportune moment appears when we are patient.

How we approach life’s challenges is one of the most important things that determines our success. If we have a negative attitude, failure is guaranteed. A positive attitude, combined with a mind open to suggestion and collaboration, will usually succeed. We must be humble enough to know that we aren’t the only one with good ideas.

I encourage you to be fearless when trying something new! Read a little bit about what you are about to tackle, then go do it.

Approach life with the belief and confidence of a child learning to walk. Keep trying until you succeed…