I attended
a seminar last week with Andy Andrews.
The thoughts expressed here are sparked by things he shared. Mr. Andrews has written some books you would
find worth reading. One book called The
Traveler's Gift is a motivating allegory presenting
these seven principles of success:
1. The buck stops here. I am
responsible for my past and my future.
2. I will seek wisdom. I
will be a servant to others.
3. I am a person of action.
I seize this moment. I choose now.
4. I
have a decided heart. My destiny is
assured.
5. Today I will choose to be happy.
I am the possessor of a grateful spirit.
6. I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive myself.
7. I will persist without exception. I am a person of great faith.
Much of what Andy shared centered around the theme that
anything worth experiencing in life must be based on truth. There is great truth in each of these seven
dynamic principles, but in order to find it, we must be transparent and completely
honest with self. We all have garnered
belief systems that get in the way of truth.
Our ability to change inaccurate beliefs is limited because we don't
know what we don't know. And, what we
don't know, CAN hurt us!
Sometimes our application of what we believe to be true,
gets in the way of the real truth. For
example, it is very true that diligence and hard work lead to success. However, work-o-holism or working to extreme
without proper rest will lead to burnout and perhaps blowout. As another example, it is true that
compassion and empathy are necessary in your relationships, but the truth is
that any relationship without proper boundaries will lead to disappointment for
one or both parties. A good question to ask ourselves sometimes is, "Am I
falling short of the truth, by holding on too tightly to something partly
true?”
Another false assumption is that more knowledge makes
things better. Knowledge and wisdom are
quite different. Truth may be attained
through knowledge, but truth can only be applied with wisdom. Wisdom exercises discernment which comes
through a process of transforming the way we think and feel about things that
shape our core belief systems. That
explains why some people who are well-informed and educated can make serious
errors of judgment. Education does not
always translate into positive transformation.
Success is something we all desire, but few are willing
and able to submit to the process to attain it. Truth is always true whether you believe it or not. Your reality is based on your perception of
truth which is shaped by your beliefs.
But your beliefs never become reality unless you act on
them. In that sense, you are in control
of your own destiny. You can choose to
be happy, to forgive, and to have faith by persisting even when success seems
to have eluded you for the moment.
I'll wrap
up with a few more questions. If the
truth sets us free from ignorance, error, and pain, why don't more of us want
more truth in our lives more of the time? If you are believing something that is not true, it may be
limiting your path and faith for future success. If something you believe is obstructing the truth, do you really
want to know what it is, and how to get past it? Sometimes finding misbeliefs and falsehoods take you on what
seems like a detour, but there are people ready to help you along the way. We all carry baggage that makes it harder to
seek the truth.
Are you
ready to take responsibility for clearing a path for truth to reveal itself in
your life? Are you ready to apply the
seven principles above to keep you moving in the right direction? Since human nature is rarely able to be
honest with self, "Are you willing and able to truly hear what other
people perceive in your speech and actions?
I ask you these questions because they are some of the ones I used to
try to keep my own journey on track. I
wrestle with the challenges to be truthful with self, and I don't always win,
but success is very rewarding. Give it
a try. The truth is; only YOU can do
what is true to the purpose for which you were created by the God who defines
Truth. May truth be a blessing for
your success today!
Note: A book
I authored Escaping the Pain of Offense: Empowered to Forgive from the Heart
discusses truth for dealing with disappointments, offense and finding freedom
through forgiveness. See more info. by
clicking here: http://bluerockbnb.com/healing/book_main.htm .
by Ed Hersh, Blue Rock BnB Healing Ministry
