self improvement resources
Procrastinate No More – Why Put Off For Tomorrow What You Can Do Today?
Procrastinate No More – Why Put Off For Tomorrow What You Can Do Today?
Stop Procrastination and Tap Into Your Enormous God Given Potential!
Procrastination is rarely our friend.
Why do we all have the natural tendency to…
do things tomorrow –
instead of today?
Have you been putting off…
crucial activities…
and decisions in your life?
The Procrastination Trap
Often times we postpone our work and our choices in order to avoid discomfort. Sometimes we stall because of self-doubt or a sense of inadequacy associated with the task at hand. Other times, we simply lack the needed motivation to get started.
Whatever the reason, procrastination usually has negative consequences and simply creates stress as the projects and decisions begin to pile up…
And then there are spiritual consequences when we procrastinate. Important tasks in our church or volunteer organizations may be left undone and we may become a stumbling block to others. Our spiritual growth may slow to a stop, and worse of all, we may miss out on the blessing of God.
This is why we need to move beyond our fears and personal inadequacies and allow God to work in our lives. Once we admit our weaknesses to our heavenly Father, He is faithful to help us overcome them.
Put a Stop to Procrastination
If you find that procrastination is negatively affecting your life, then first confess this problem and turn it over to God. Then, try to identify the areas of your life in which you procrastinate. Ask yourself what feelings accompany your lack of motivation in these areas? Are you afraid, angry, bitter, or resentful?
Once we are ready to submit these emotions to God, He is ready to help us remove them from our lives. Then we have to choose to do today what we know to do, instead of making choices on the basis of feelings. The next time you do not ‘feel’ like working, stop and ask God to provide the godly motivation you need.
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.” — Ecclesiastes 9:10
Tomorrow is never guaranteed, and that helps explain the urgency felt in the above verse. Whatever task we may have at hand, we need to respond by doing it now and doing it well. Take whatever God has put in your hand and use it, without delay and without reserve, for the Lord.
God created us all with enormous potential to do great things. But if we want to tap into the potential that is currently beyond where we are now, we have to take action with the gifts and talents and opportunities God puts in front of us.
The clock is ticking. Don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today. Especially do not procrastinate in serving the Lord; ask Him every morning for his help. Whatever God has put on your heart to do today; do it now with all your might and put a stop to procrastination.
May God give you the motivation to do today, what needs to be done today, so you can tap into your potential and manifest a life of growing prosperity!
Soar higher –
God bless you,
Brenda
Self-Esteem – 10 Empowering Ways to Look Your Best and Live with Confidence!
Self-Esteem – 10 Empowering Ways to Look Your Best and Live with Confidence!
Empower Yourself With Confidence and Look Your Best
Empower yourself with confidence on the inside and you’ll begin to look your best on the outside.
We often spend lots of time and money on dressing up our outward appearance with the latest hair styles, lotions, sprays, make-up, designer clothes, etc.
Yet, there are many things we can do on the inside…
that will help us shine on the outside.
10 Empowering Ways to Look Your Best:
1. Help Others. You’ll Be Glad You Did.
How can helping others make you look good? We are here to serve others and in doing so we build our confidence. The satisfaction of helping others allows us to walk tall with our head up knowing we take time to put others first.
2. Talk and Walk with Happiness. God Created You.
Why walk around feeling sad and talking about yourself like a worthless nobody? The Almighty God of the universe created you with a unique divine purpose for your life on this earth. Be happy knowing your heavenly Father favors you and let your talk and walk show it.
3. Choose Joy No Matter What Happens Today.
How can you choose joy when there is trouble in your life? True joy comes from peace with God and putting your trust in Him. You can live with joy and confidence knowing God is with you even in your days of trouble.
“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.” — Psalm 28:7
4. Be Content With Yourself and Do Not Envy Others.
Why let the stress of jealousy and envy of others make you look your worst? Learn to be content and thankful with who you are and what you have. God made you the unique you for a reason. Ask God to help you change what needs to change in your life and be happy for others when they are blessed.
5. Be Generous to God and the People Around You.
There is nothing like being refreshed to look your best! And God says that those who refresh others will they themselves be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:25) When you are generous with your time and money towards God and others, you will enjoy a refreshing from the inside out that lets you shine and look your best.
6. Speak What is True and With Lots of Kindness.
How do you look at honest, kind people compared to liars and mean people? Those who speak the truth with kindness put their best side forward; and it shows on the outside. Honest people look their best, because they live their best.
7. Keep Your Heart Free of Wrong Desires.
Keep your heart full of healthy, positive, godly desires. The desires of our heart are the things we are going to think on and speak on. And these are the things that are going to come to pass in our life. So look your best by letting godly desires manifest in your life.
8. Take Care of Your Appearance.
Okay. So we weren’t all born looking like Barbie and Ken. But we still need to do the best with what we have and learn to ‘accentuate the positive.’ Taking care of your outward appearance increases your confidence, and greater confidence helps you look even better on the outside; a nice little cycle to get started.
9. Be Real. No Need to Fake It.
Can’t you usually spot a fake a mile away? No need to be one. No need to try and be someone else, because you are not. You are you. So just be real and be you. Again, learn to do the best with what you have and be confident in you who you are. The real you looks much better than the fake you!
10. Wear a Smile. Smile God Loves You!
Who can deny a smile to look your best? And who can deny the power of love to put a smile on your face? Even if you don’t have a special sweetheart in your life, you always have a God who loves you. And when you have the love of God in your life, you can’t help but smile and look your best.
Start Today. Begin to put these ten empowering ways into practice, and walk confident and look your best.
May you be empowered on the inside so you can look your best on the outside and enjoy a life of growing prosperity!
God bless you –
Cheers,
Brenda
Empowerment – Do Not Be a Wimp in the Valley of Decision Making!
Empowerment – Do Not Be a Wimp in the Valley of Decision Making!
Discover How the Power of Decisiveness and Quality Choices Can Lead to Success!
Empowerment comes from acknowledging and
developing the weak areas in our lives.
We all have our strengths and weaknesses.
At some point in life…
a lack of success and/or balance
will shed light on those areas that need to be better
developed and strengthened.
Are You a Decision Making Wimp?
A primary trait that we all should develop as soon as possible is the ability to make quality decisions. Every person is born with a God-given capacity and right to choose. The ability to choose is our free moral agency, and it is also one of the main ways in which we are made in the image of God.
We are born into a world where everything operates by decisions.
“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.”
— Joel 3:14
God respects our right to choose and make decisions, even if it results in a bad outcome. Truly we live in the valley of decision and we see man’s right to choose as a theme repeated throughout the Bible. Different aspects of the power of choice are emphasized from Genesis to Revelation.
“I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live.”
— Deuteronomy 30:19
Let the Almighty God ‘Have Your Back’
Choosing to live by faith in God is the most important quality decision you can make in life. When you make a determined decision to trust God and His Word over any circumstance, you open the door to receive His promises.
The Almighty God is ready and willing to back you up with all of heaven’s power. He will move mighty on behalf of someone who has purposed to do things by the Book. You make the decision and God will back you up!
It is no secret; those who are half-hearted and wishy-washy about their decision making, never reach the level of success they desire. Why? Because the people that are double minded, and waver in their choices, are unstable and lack the commitment and resolve needed to win.
“Ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
— James 1:6-8
Many people are wise enough to make a quality decision to do things God’s way early on in life. However, for others it may take finally getting fed up with where they are at…
If that is you, are you going to continue to live with problems that are trying to defeat you, or are you going to make a determined, unwavering decision to overcome by doing things God’s way?
Start to practice making conscious choices to do things God’s way in the little things, and over time it will become a habit and easier to choose His way in the big things.
Guess what? All of heaven is waiting for your quality decision, made of your own free will, to operate according to God’s Word. It is an essential step in the divine order of faith and opens the door to the blessings and power of God. Begin now to empower yourself by making regular, intentional, committed decisions.
May you empower yourself with decisiveness and live in growing prosperity!
Be blessed to be a blessing –
Cheers,
Brenda
P.S. Christianity is really nothing more than a series of decisions…
Think about it. Jesus died on the cross so that you might have forgiveness of sins and inherit eternal life. But that fact alone does you no good unless you make a decision to receive what He provided for you. God respects your right to choose (even if that means letting you spend eternity in hell).
Please CHOOSE LIFE! 🙂
Affirmation Power – How to Overcome Fear and Strengthen Your Courage with Affirmations
Affirmation Power – How to Overcome Fear and Strengthen Your Courage with Affirmations
Why Not Put the Power of Affirmations to Work for Your Benefit?
Affirmations are a powerful force in helping direct our lives.
If you are lacking in any quality…
you can strengthen it with regular affirmations.
They will make your brain clearer…
and your thoughts more effective.
“An affirmation is a statement of Truth consciously used so as to become the directing power of Life’s expression.”
— Orison Swett Marden
Fearful Thoughts Versus Courageous Thinking
Would you like to overcome fear in your life? If you are a coward anywhere in your nature, which most people are, you can put the power of affirmations to work for your benefit.
Strengthen your courage by regularly affirming that you are absolutely fearless, that you are courageous, and that nothing can harm you. Consider that fear is simply the sense of danger. But when you have perfect confidence in the great Creator and His purpose for your life, when you trust in Him completely, there will be no cause for fear.
God has a plan for your life and He says it is not to harm you, but to prosper you and give you a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) Once you convince yourself that there is a good plan for your life, and that the opposing thoughts must be a delusion, you will gradually lose the sense of fear and gain the courage you desire.
“Nerve us with incessant affirmation. Don’t bark against the bad, but chant the beauties of the good.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
Affirmations Create Power
Determine today not to harbor anything in your mind which you do not wish to become real in your life. Every time you feel a sense of fear coming over you, replace it by saying something such as the following affirmation:
‘I am absolutely fearless; I am strong and courageous because the Lord is my God and my helper; I am more than a conqueror and always triumph in Christ.’
Do not entertain a weak or fearful thought. Instead replace them with confident, hopeful, optimistic thoughts. If you form the habit of affirming to yourself bold and courageous thoughts, as soon as a sense of fear arises, you will be surprised to see how quickly you can change the whole course of your thoughts. And when this is changed, the feeling will change also.
You will begin to increase your courage and confidence, and this is half the battle. You will soon find that your environment will begin to change. Hope will increase and you will have a healthier outlook on life. Your thoughts, instead of depressing your mind, will be a perpetual encouragement of courage and confidence that drives out fear.
Now what? Discover the wonderful advantage available to you by starting out every morning with the mindset of affirming the confident and courageous person God created you to be. Let affirmations create a powerful force that make it difficult for any discouraging and fearful thoughts to take over. Overcome fear and strengthen your courage with powerful affirmations.
May your mind be filled with courageous, confident affirmations and your life full of growing prosperity!
God bless you –
Cheers,
Brenda
Christian Parenting – Stop Using Negative Verbal Attacks and Start Parenting with Words that Prosper!
Christian Parenting – Stop Using Negative Verbal Attacks and Start Parenting with Words that Prosper!
Parenting With the Power to Help Our Children Prosper
Parenting with a healthy pattern of communication is possible.
Do you want to help your children prosper?
Just as the world around us has harmful elements, so do our homes; even our Christian homes.
As unfortunate as it is, we often hurt each other, especially our children, with our words.
Did you grow up with parents who used words as verbal attacks?
If you did, I’m sure you hoped you wouldn’t do the same with your children. But the truth is, you will probably repeat the pattern unless you purpose to take action and stop it.
Stop the Negative Communication Pattern of Parenting
Changing your parenting communication pattern from one that uses negative verbal attacks is possible. Developing healthy patterns of communication, which reflect the presence of Jesus Christ, is key!
I’m sure you would agree that the cruel, degrading, judgmental, hurtful words we use to communicate with our children must stop. It is like verbal poison that wounds and destroys our children emotionally. Our words are often negative attacks at a child’s behavior, intelligence, appearance, or value as a person.
Verbal attacks can be direct or indirect. The following statements are some common examples:
- You’re worthless and will never amount to anything.
- Don’t act so stupid. Can’t you do anything right?
- You are no good. Why can’t you be like your brother?
Just because we can’t see the inner damage that verbal attacks cause in our children, does not mean a negative impact still isn’t left lingering in them.
Parenting With Words That Prosper
How do we change a negative parenting communication pattern to one that is positive and helps develop our children into prosperous individuals?
Acknowledging the need to change is the first step. The next step is identifying abusive words we use. Then we need to begin exchanging the destructive, hurtful words with constructive, guiding, nurturing, and encouraging words.
James said the tongue is full of deadly poison and out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. (James 3:8-10) We need to lean on God’s help to keep our words, words of blessing and encouragement.
When our words are full of nurture and encouragement, our children know we are standing with them and not against them. Children need their parents to believe in their potential as they guide and discipline them.
Believe in your children. Help your children see themselves the way God sees them. Help them find their unique, gifted potential and you’ll also find they begin to respond in ways you desire. Once they discover you are standing with them, a healthier communication develops.
Yes. Our children try our patience, irritate us and sometimes humiliate us in ways we never thought possible. Problems, difficulties, disappointments, heartaches and failures are an unavoidable part of parenting. But we can choose to respond with words that heal instead of words that wound.
Bottom line: A parents words have power. We can make our children feel worthless or we can choose to learn how to parent with a healthy pattern of communication; one that helps them think as highly of themselves as God does, and helps them prosper.
May you parent your children with words of love and enjoy a family blessed with growing prosperity!
God bless you always,
Brenda
P.S. Feel free to share your comments…
Leadership – How Can the Power of Loyalty in a Leader Result in the Blessings of Success?
Leadership – How Can the Power of Loyalty in a Leader Result in the Blessings of Success?
Loyalty is Required to Reap the Full Reward
Leadership is a powerful directing force for any nation, group, or family.
The quality of a leader greatly impacts the followers and where they end up.
And the power of loyalty is a core element that results in leading the people into success.
Loyalty is a Key Qualification for Leaders
It is often thought, when someone is looking to step into a position, that in order to qualify they need to be the most talented or gifted person for the position. However, it is the loyal and faithful who are the most qualified to be leaders.
It is also thought that the friendly, flashy, outgoing person might be the best one for the job. But do not make the mistake in thinking that. A core requirement for leadership is loyalty and faithfulness and not anything else. A loyal person can be taught the skills needed for the job.
“It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
— 1 Corinthians 4:2
Loyalty is Required to Reap the Full Reward
Success comes to the loyal and faithful ones. One day we all hope to hear those famous words: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
In the good times everyone seems loyal. Those who remain supportive through the difficult times are different from those who come in when everything is working well. No doubt, loyalty is most appreciated in hard times.
Loyalty Needed for a Successful Team of People
One person can only do so much. Growing success requires building a loyal team of people. In fact, no team will be strong and effective if they are not loyal.
It would actually be better to work alone than with a team of disloyal, disgruntled, and disunited people. One disloyal person breeds strife, hatred, and murmuring like smoke that quickly fills the whole house. Whenever there is distrust and disloyalty, the people are on guard and stray away.
Effective leaders exhibit loyalty and faithfulness. People are attracted by genuine love and commitment and repelled by disunity and discord. Loyal leaders influence their followers to be an effective and loyal team of people, who in turn create loyal successors.
Bottom line: Those who benefit from the blessings of success are the faithful and loyal ones. Without loyalty every organization constantly undergoes disintegration. Loyal leaders build loyal teams that remain committed in the good times and bad so that all can benefit from the blessings of success.
May you be a loyal and faithful leader and enjoy a life of growing prosperity!
Be blessed to be a blessing –
Cheers,
Brenda
Top 5 Proven Techniques for Living a Truly Happy and Joyful Life Inside and Out!
Top 5 Proven Techniques for Living a Truly Happy and Joyful Life Inside and Out!
Learn to Be Happy by Adjusting Your Thinking and Living Habits!
True happiness can be experienced by all who apply ‘happiness habits’ to their day. There are some who are simply born with a happy disposition. But the truth is; most people have to learn to be happy by thinking and living in a particular way.
Often people are happy in life when everything is going just right. Yet those who have learned how to be truly happy aren’t always the ones who ‘have it all.’ External circumstances do not control their level of happiness. They have discovered the secret of being able to experience an underlying peace and well-being; which is the essence of true happiness.
Happy people live their lives differently. And when acquiring any new skill, it pays to learn from the pro.
“We can think of happiness as a skill no different from learning to play a musical instrument…it is possible to train our minds to be happy.” – Richard Davidson, Ph.D. UW-Madison
So if you are ready to let some joy shine through you from the inside out, then take a look at these five key skills.
Top 5 Proven Techniques for True Happiness
1) Notice and Give Thanks for the Happy Things in Your Life
Learn to take note of everything good and positive in your life, regardless of how small. What are the things that you see, feel, taste, hear, or smell that bring pleasure?
Intention activates a part of the brain, the reticular activating system (RAS), which is responsible for turning on our memory and allowing it to bring anything important to our attention. When you decide to look for the positive, your RAS makes sure that is what you see.
We tend to feed the unhappy, negative side of life. Make it a game to see how many good things you notice during the day. Take a few moments to savor the positive things and make it a habit to feed your happiness.
2) Do Not Believe Everything You Think
Do not believe everything you think. Our thoughts are not always true.
For example, you may give a presentation and focus in on the one person with a frown on their face, and think you’re doing a terrible job. Yet the fact is you are really doing a great job, but you do not notice the rest of the group that is smiling and nodding.
It is said that we average one thought per second during our waking hours and the vast majority are habitual, negative thoughts. This whirlwind of automatic negative thoughts can stimulate parts of the brain that involve depression and anxiety.
Learn not to believe every negative thought that wants to hijack your happiness, and instead focus in on the positive compliments. It is important to break the natural tendency to register the negative thoughts, feelings, and experiences more deeply than the positive happy ones.
3) Exchange the Bad Thought for the Happy Thought
When challenged with negative, unhappy thoughts and feelings in a situation, learn to exchange them for equally true, positive, happy thoughts.
For example, have you ever faced a deadline and thought it was going to be impossible to finish on time? Why not exchange that self-defeating thought by searching your mind for an equally true positive thought such as: I regularly manage to get things done on time and I can ask for help.
Learn to be more optimistic and see the glass half full. Pay more attention to the positive part of the truth in a given situation and lean into those thoughts. Let the joy of the Lord be your strength.
4) Appreciate the People in Your Life
People with good social relationships tend to be happy. Under times of stress we need the support of friends and family. And the best way to keep relationships happy and healthy is through appreciation.
“One of the most important things a person can do to raise his or her happiness level is to acknowledge those around them.” – Judith W. Umlas (author of The Power of Acknowledgement)
By showing appreciation to others for the support they give us, we reinforce that behavior; which in turn deepens our relationship with them. Engaging and communicating with others during times of stress has a calming effect and keeps us on the road to happiness.
5) Live with a Passion and a Purpose
Bringing a sense of purpose and passion to your routine activities will boost your happiness. Think about the activities in your life that you are passionate about. What is it about those things that make you happy?
One person may feel like an underpaid janitor, but another may passionately do their job the best they can with a purpose to make the building a beautiful place for others.
Learn to incorporate purpose and passion in your daily life at work and at home. Do all things gladly from the heart as unto the Lord.
The truth is: You do not have to let life just toss you around in unhappy waters. You can choose to learn new skills, live your life differently, and raise your level of happiness. 🙂
May your happiness increase daily and your life be filled with growing prosperity!
God bless you –
Cheers,
Brenda
Dad, If You Only Knew by Josh Weidmann
Dad, If You Only Knew by Josh Weidmann
Dad, If You Only Knew: Eight Things Teens Want to Tell Their Fathers (but Don’t)
In honor of the upcoming Father’s Day, I was looking for a video to celebrate all dads out there.
In the process I ran across this video and book and decided to do a separate post. For anyone who had, or currently has a Father who is an active part of your life; you know how important your dad is. And for those who don’t, you also know the great struggle that loss can cause in life.
The book: “Dad, If You Only Knew: Eight Things Teens Want to Tell Their Fathers (but Don’t)” by Josh Weidmann and coauthored by his dad James Weidmann, sounds like an excellent resource for helping dads connect with their children.
Someone on Amazon commented that it is a great resource for both parents, and not just dads. The older I get, the more I also appreciate the positive influence of friends and family when it comes to raising children. Especially with so many single parent families. Raising healthy children is a job that requires utilizing all the help that is available.
Here is the description for the book “Dad, If You Only Knew”:
Listen Up, Dads! Your Teen Is Talking to You!
As exasperating as parenting can be during these volatile years, your teen is depending on you for steady faithfulness, love, and guidance. And because teens often find words elusive and expression difficult, they probably haven’t told you the things they wish you somehow automatically knew. So let Dad, If You Only Knew… be your guide. Josh Weidmann, just out of the teen years himself, joins his father, James, to help dads understand where their kids are coming from. It’s a messy world they live in, and meeting them in it is no simple task. But knowing these essentials now makes fatherhood eight times easier!
Welcome to Your Teen’s World
It doesn’t matter if you have the most picture-perfect, ideal-in-every-way teen or one who’s in full-swing rebellion. That teen you love is a “riddle wrapped in a mystery.” No father can know what his teen is really thinking.
That’s why youth communicator Josh Weidmann teamed with his father, Jim, to help you bridge the gap. In Dad, If You Only Knew…you’ll get an open, honest glimpse inside the teen mind. Josh’s extensive research, combined with pointed direction from a father’s heart, provide you with the practical guidance you need to establish a healthy, thriving father-teen relationship. It’s one you desire, your teen needs, and you both can’t afford to miss.
Story Behind the Book
“The resounding cry of teens for their fathers rings in my ear. I have been speaking to youth for five years and the greatest void I see in teens’ lives is the one left by their dad. I am only twenty-three years old myself, and to this day I can say that my dad is the most influential man in my life. Because of his impact, I have asked him share in this book. We have written this message in hopes of helping dads reengage in the vital father-teen relationship.”
— Josh Weidmann
God bless you –
Cheers,
Brenda