Monday, September 24, 2012

4 Tips to Life Success

Lately, I have been imagining a new kind of day.  A day where I no longer feel the need to hold back from saying exactly what I think, believe, and feel, or the intensity with which I do.

Imagine with me for a moment...

Perhaps, I might tell the fast-food worker that messes up my breakfast order that while I may be quite an intelligent human being, I cannot figure out how to eat my hotcakes with syrup when I have not been given utensils, hotcakes, or the syrup in the bag she just handed me.

Or, I might mention to the young man at the gas station that I don't actually think of blaring rap songs containing the f-word to be very pleasant musically.

I might even pull the bride aside at her wedding and express how perfectly horrible I thought her bridesmaids' tattoos looked as they shown through the plunging necklines of their gowns.

All right, even in the land of make-believe, I cringe at actually doing any of those things.  I have too good a censor button between my brain and my mouth.  Sometimes I wonder if it is too good, for as a counselor and coach, I am called to be authentic, but I am also to be client-focused.  My spiritual beliefs are not to be imposed upon my clients, even when I know the answers to their issues can all be found in God's Word.  I may be honest about that which I believe and share insights from my understanding, but this is only if such topics are client initiated in some way. 

Since I know that each person comes with a history that is uniquely blessed and tainted by the positives and negatives in this world, I am fine with carefully measuring my words to be true, encouraging, and helpful without forcing my personal beliefs....even though I personally desire for each person to come to know Jesus as their own Savior.

I personally and professionally believe that Counseling and Coaching that are of any good are always going to be based on God's truths, whether the counselor, coach, or client is aware of this or not.  I believe this because God set the world into motion, and He provides the guidebook for successfully navigating this thing called life.  All truth is God's truth.  If it is true, He is the author.  So, while I want to be professionally ethical, I also want to share the truths of God, otherwise, I would be personally and professionally inauthentic. 

So, while my pretend day was fun to imagine, I would never really want to speak my mind in ways like those above that might hurt someone for no beneficial reason.  But, I do want to tell you here, in my no-holds-barred blogging the following truths, and I know that if you believe and follow them, you will have true success in your life and relationships:

1. God made you for specific and great purposes.  He alone can reveal this to you.  Seek Him and find success, but shun Him, and you will never find fulfillment.

2.  Happiness is not a guarantee in life.  Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, but happiness fluctuates. It is better to seek the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart, for He put those desires in there for you to want to attain in the first place, than to go searching for happiness that is elusive.

3. When you give up your life to God, He gives you so much more than you could have ever imagined.  He knows the plans He has for you, for a future and for hope....walk with Him through Bible reading and prayer, reach out to others, and be a good steward of what God has given you. Your life will be abundant. 

4. Ask Jesus in to your life and your heart.  You don't have to be perfect because He is.  He is the only One who can save you from your sins and give you eternal life, and life abundantly on this earth, too.  If you really want a great life, seek the Maker.  There is only one YOU, and He knows who you are!

What do you know, I guess I just lived my imaginary day....I told you exactly what I wanted to say.  Now, you can do with it what you wish.  The next steps are up to you!

2 comments: