Tag: Reality

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Three secrets to keeping hope alive

 

Three Secrets to keeping hope alive

Why is having hope so crucial to a healthy outlook on life?

ron-smith – Unsplash

Three secrets to keeping hope alive in my life are in my concluding eleven statements for a better life. These eleven statements I wrote several years ago to refocus my energies towards a better life for myself. Having an optimistic outlook on life requires us to invest in hope. Have you lost all expectation for a better tomorrow in your life?

I am an optimist by nature. Even though optimism is natural to me, I must hone it to a sharper edge to guide my steps.

My last three statements of the eleven contain the three secrets to keeping hope alive in me.

9.  Aspire to reach beyond what I think of as unreachable. Hope directs my ambition toward achieving something initially thought not possible. My aspirations have played out exceptionally in my life. Fran, my wife, and I have taught the word of God in over 14 nations of the world. We kept hope alive, and the improbable became a reality!

“Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp~or what’s a heaven for?” Robert Browning.

10. Achieve a secure and firm foundation in what I believe and know why I think my belief is real.  A daily Bible reading and prayer time will help me in making and keeping my belief system unshakable.

“The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense.” – Thomas Edison

11.  Arrest my fears, subjugating my anxieties to the belief that God is more significant than all the complexities of life. Anxiety captured me with fear when I walked to the podium in India to present Bible truth to the assembled students. But the tension drained from me when I reminded myself that God had not given me a spirit of fear but of a sound mind to deliver my lesson on the first day of classes. Wow, God is good.

“The last of all human freedoms is the ability to choose one’s own attitude in any set of circumstances.” – Victor Frankl, Nazi Concentration Camp Survivor

Why is having hope so crucial to a healthy outlook on life? Here is why.

These three statements, 9, 10 and 11 have guided me to experiences beyond my expectations.

I’ll quickly explain, just keep reading.

Hope is, the expectation of something good happening in our life. In this life, without good health, we are sick; lacking money, we are broke; no friends, we are lonely; but without hope, we’rd done. Keeping hope alive in us brightens even the dreariest of days.

We read in Proverbs 13:12; Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. When we keep putting off reaching for something hoped for, it leads to heartbreak.

Here is the good news, when we reach beyond our present abilities it leads to fulfillment! 

To those having a personal relationship with Jesus, it gets even better.

“And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Romans 5:5

“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.”– Albert Einstein

I suppose we are all wise enough to make changes, am I correct on that?

Are you ready to build hope? Use my three secrets to keeping hope alive to guide you to unexpected heights in your life.

Thank you for reading. Leave a comment; I want to hear from you with observations, questions, and insights.

Be sure to sign up to keep receiving my posts.

Richard

 

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3 Life lessons for Emotional Stability

3 Life Lessons for Emotional Stability

Can greater emotional stability in your life be achieved?
My 3 life lessons for emotional stability brought a greater focus on how I interact with my spouse, family, and friends.

I’m sure most of us desire stronger relationships with others; correct?

Improving stronger bonds with others begins with how we control our emotions. These three steps towards emotional stability provided a path for me to a more composed response when in troubled waters. I am sure it can do the same for you. There is an assessment tool I have used and it is free which provides a good overview of the five factors pointing to better emotional stability. Click here for the free online assessment for insight into the makeup of your personality. I desire to be of a sound mind, able to face adverse circumstances with my dignity in check.
You can read my last post on this subject here.

 

This post is a continuation of the eleven statements I wrote several years ago to improve my outlook on life.

Read on for my 3 life lessons for emotional stability that I continue to work out in my life.

6. Alternatives; which means that I should always be open to other choices. I will make better decisions when I do my research on what choice I should make in any given situation. I should not pretend to ‘know it all’ but be open to counsel.
7. Adjust to my present stresses
. When I’m in a stressful situation I must evaluate my habits, my attitude, and my behaviors, perhaps the pressure I’m feeling is self-inflicted.
8. Analyze by putting in careful thought
 before taking action. I should question if my thought patterns are determined by my upbringing, and by my social connections? Part of analyzing my current position understands past relationships may not play an important role where I am today.

It is so important to realize our emotions can be governed by keeping an open mind to different choices. Choosing to recognize where my stress originates and knowing the current season of life I now am living.

“Two natures beat within my breast. The one is foul; the one is blessed. The one I love, the one I hate. The one I feed will dominate.” Anonymous

john-mark-kuznietsov- Unsplash

The above quote and the scripture works in harmony to keep my emotions in check.
“A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back.” (Proverbs 29:11 NKJV)

My quest continues for emotional stability even in adverse situations. How about you?

Did you find this article helpful? Please leave a comment in the comment box provided below.

Be sure to give your name and e-mail address in the opt-in box. That way you will not miss my next post.

Thank you,

Richard

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Two Statements for Lifestyle Improvement

Two statements for lifestyle improvement

Colin Maynard – Unsplash

I do not want to keep living on circle street by just going round and round in circles. I’m sure, most of us want to plot a more sure road toward fulfillment.

Am I correct on that?

You see I wanted to move forward with my life, having more purpose for growth continues to be my goal. Several years ago I developed a list of eleven statements making me more intentional in pursuit of a life with meaning. Herewith I’m detailing two more of my assertions for lifestyle improvement.

In the last post, I wrote about my ‘three questions for lifestyle improvement,’ of my eleven statements, the first three were the three prerequisites prompting me into action.You can check out the first three of my eleven here.

To a person, we want to stop going in circles, I believe, forever ending up the same place we started, but to go forward is our goal in life. Am I correct in this assumption? These two statements I’m detailing here are about my journey for improvement. Just maybe opening up my walk will help you who read this to make changes needed for your development.

I call these two statements for lifestyle improvement:  The Influencers

These are two of my original eleven statements I penned for my life to get off of “circle street.”

I look at these two statements for lifestyle improvement as having the most influence on improving my distinctive personality. These two declarations are where I bring stability to my character and strength to my walk as a Christian man.

4. Apprehend a passion for life.

Apprehended passion lifts my level of enthusiasm for life. I must stop the drifting! Replace it with an intentional, deliberate plan to reach new goals. The key word is; intentional! Pastor David Jeremiah said; “no one drifts towards holiness.” I agree whole heartily, but this statement is correct in my personal life as well. If I want to become a better person, I must stop the drift, and get intentional about what I desire to accomplish with my life. I must lift the lid on my passion and discover what causes me to continue to act the way I do. That is not an easy project to pursue, but pursue it I must. 

Ben White – Unsplash

5. Assure others of my trust.

Assure trust with the reliability of actions that line up with my words. What builds trust is stable relationships. The higher the confidence, the more engaged the connection. Coner Neill, a blogger I follow, wrote an interesting post on building trust.  The equation he sights is Trust = Credibility – Reliability – Intimacy over Self-orientation. Take a look at it here.

My trust I have built with others is a highly valued asset. Therefore I must guard it appropriately.

I have made my choice always to be a learner. I take my cue from this Bible verse and accompanying quote.

A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, (Proverbs 1:5 NKJV)

“The future belongs to the learners—not the knowers.” – Eric Hoffer

My aim with disclosing the two above statements is to add value to your life. I wrote my eleven statements for me because I needed to evaluate where I was and where I would receive the most satisfaction for my life moving forward.

What change do you need to make in your life for improvement? Has my material interested you in attaining a more fulfilled lifestyle?

I invite you to write a comment or a question in the comment box. Don’t forget to sign up to continue receiving my posts.

Thank you,

Richard

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Three questions for Lifestyle improvement

 Three decisions I made for a better life.

We all want to live better. 

Am I correct in that assumption?

However, the thinking that occupies our mind is we cannot let go of the past. It is possible to release ourselves from the grip our history has on us. I looked at these three questions for lifestyle improvement, and I want you to know them. Making three choices for a positive turnaround freed me from my past mistakes. However, it continues as an intentional persistence on my part, but the journey produced a tremendously rewarding future. This life journey going from recent missteps into the present and to a brighter future was and is a spiritual and mental challenge for me. When I know what to do and do not do what I should do it puts me in a losing situation.

“Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.’ James 4:17

I’m sure we all desire to go from drifting through life to a more fulfilling lifestyle, am I right on that?

Toa Heftibe – Unsplash

Then, stay with me on this, keep reading.

Three questions for Lifestyle improvement

A couple of years ago I wrote out eleven choices I wanted to incorporate into my life for growth. I made this list for myself because it is in these eleven areas I needed the most help. Today I am sharing the first three decisions I made for a better life. To know more about me, click here.

 “When you’re through changing, you’re through.”  Bruce Barth
I do not want to be through at this stage of my life, but a continual work in progress!

A look at the first three of my eleven decisions I made to improve my life.

 

1. Admit my mistakes

2. Accept reality as my friend     

Nathan Lemon – Unsplash

3. Acquire margin in my life

Here is more insight on each of my three questions for lifestyle improvement 

1.  Admit mistakes and correct as soon as reasonable. If not admitted, they will tie me to my past. I must take time to understand why I made mistakes, but I do not continue to live there. Not admitting errors might be a ‘man thing’ but should not be my excuse for admitting I am wrong.

2.  Accept reality as my friend. The sooner I realize where I am at this stage of life, the quicker my problem will be resolved.

“Face reality as it is, not as you wish it to be.” Peter Koestenbaum

3.  Acquiring margin in my life breathes freshness into each day. A book without margins is unreadable, so my existence without margin is unlivable. The margin I need is quiet time alone, money in the bank, time spent with my family and friends. There is a tendency to crowd my schedule with appointments and meetings, but I need some alone time. I’m not talking about ‘loneliness,’ no this is not idle time, but something very different and necessary for me to develop margin in my life. In Richard J. Foster’s book, ‘Celebration of Discipline,’ he writes; “Loneliness is inner emptiness, solitude in inner fulfillment.” It will be necessary for me to withdraw a few times a year to experience an inner peace that only solitude can deliver. 

My hope for anyone reading this is for you to enhance your insights about lifestyle improvements by me sharing the three questions I faced on my journey in life. I will share more from my eleven questions in posts to come.

Write a comment on this post. I’d love to hear from you. What have you discovered about moving into a different season of life? Write your questions; this will help me in determining future posts. Please sign up to keep receiving these posts. I’ll appreciate that very much.

Thank you,

Richard

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Choices made, make us!

Choices made, make us!

Life’s pleasures take second place behind securing your base. 

Do you have a secure foundation for your life, family, and finances? Remember, choices made, make us. Even small seemingly insignificant decisions eventually make us who we become in life. It is essential to secure our base; remember, choices made, make us.

Are you teetering on the brink of disaster in social relations, financial solvency, and marriage?

Mark Duffel – Unsplash

You must be wondering, what do I need to do.

Here’s the simple answer.

Focus on securing your base first. Do the necessary action first in all these areas to ensure your success.

What is the most crucial part of building a successful marriage? A successful single lifestyle? To make positive relationships with your family? Begin meeting your financial goals?

The choices we make, even the little ones, mold our future.

What do I mean by securing your base in all these areas?

‘Made choices, make us’, may be simple to understand but challenging to implement.

Stay with me here.

I’ll list a few of the simple to understand parts first; then I will briefly describe tools of implementation.

These four areas demand your attention for securing your base.

  • Marriage; consider words of affirmation, use politeness instead of abruptness in conversations.
  • Single lifestyle; practice thankfulness, focus on good hygiene, affirm friends often.
  • Family relationships; support ambitions of family members and congratulate each one for their achievements, Be kind to one another.
  • Meeting financial goals; spend less than you make, always save a portion of your weekly income, give some away.

“ what are you prepared to change to make it better?” – from Homer’s book, The Odyssey

Five questions for implementing a secure base in the above areas.

  1. Take a long hard look internally at yourself. Am I the kind of person I’d like the other person to be? The only person you can change is yourself.
  2. Do I love others more than myself? Is my focus always on me?
  3. Have I said these words to others today? “I love you” – “Thank you” – “You are welcome” – “What can I do for you today?” Simple words make an enormous impact!
  4. Practice gratitude for what you have. Eliminate lust for things. Control spending
  5. Pray more. Give the first part of your day to the scriptures. Pray out loud with your spouse or find a friend to pray over the phone with you.

You surely will need the wisdom to make the choices which will make you. The best starting point is the scriptures. Don’t hesitate, do not delay for surely God will answer the prayer of the one who asks Him.

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5 

Kiwihug – Unsplash

Something we can all agree on is the following:

Change is inevitable, so why not be the one in charge of making the difference you want it to become?

It is your choice.

You become the end product of the choices you make. I encourage you to secure your base which will lead to more of life’s pleasures.

How is your journey going at the beginning of this year? Tell me about it. Leave a comment and be sure to sign up to continue receiving my posts.

Thank you,

Richard

Be sure to subscribe to wheelsaroundtown.com in the subscription form, that way you will not miss any of my posts. Please leave a comment or suggestion in the comment box. I want to hear your questions about making a firm foundation from which to live our lives. Your input is valuable to me. 

 

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Ready, Set, Go in twenty-eighteen

Ready, Set, Go in Twenty-eighteen

Nicolas-tissot Unsplash

Are you ready for the new year? Have you set your sights on improvement in specific areas? Will you go into this new year with renewed vigor.” Twenty-eighteen is now! What will you do differently in twenty-eighteen?

I know what you’re thinking.

Twenty-eighteen is going to be the year, right! We will make positive choices. Success will be ours. Things will improve.

But how will this happen?

Let me break this down for you. These three words just might be the springboard for a better reality this year.

Ready – Set -Go

Read on to pick up insights on how these three words can make the difference you desire to make in twenty-eighteen.

quino-al Unspash

  1. Ready. Being prepared is the first item for success.

Let me tell you a little story from my childhood. On school mornings at the break of dawn, I’d throw back the covers, run down the steps to the kitchen for breakfast. My mother would say; “go ‘red-up’ your room, then you can have breakfast”. (‘Red-up’ is a local saying here in Lancaster County, meaning, make your bed, tidy up your room.), You see, some things have to be finished before we go forward. Here’s the point.  Unfinished “business” lingering from 2017 should be put in good order.

  1. Set. Here’s the scoop. Your priorities need to be set when planning for a successful year. What is the most important item for you to accomplish this year? Set your prime concern to be honest in all your dealings, to be faithful to God, your spouse, your friends and to work each day as you would for the improvement. These are essential issues to set you on attaining new highs for 2018.

    Have you ever experienced a defining moment in your life? Well, I did.

I’ll give you one personal insight on when I set my priorities straight. February 1968, this was at my lowest point in my life. My thought on that day was, I had lost everything that mattered to me. There I stood by my mother’s grave, not to talk to her but to God. I chose to follow God where He wanted me to go. The place of the dead became my turning point for a gratifying life.

  1. Go. Are you sure the past is past! Does your history keep nagging you, holding you in its clutches? 

Keep reading because I have great news for you.

The Apostle Paul put it this way in the book of Philippians:

“…but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach…”

Read on for the crucial part of your ‘GO.’ 

 One thing we all have is our ‘past.’

The apostle Paul didn’t let his past dictate his present nor his future. Obliviously, Paul did not forget what he was in the past because he wrote to us about it. BUT, he put the past behind him and saw a better future ahead of him.

In my personal story, I told you how I committed to God, did I always do the right thing? Of course not, many times I failed. When I did, I confessed my wrong and moved on.

Here’s the excellent news.

The past is not a prophet! It is only a teacher.

We learn from our past while releasing its grip on the present. Your history is the one thing you cannot change, let it go. You hold in your grasp this day, take it and press on to a brighter future.

Happy New Year

READY, SET, GO!  This will be the most incredible year, 2018!

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